Women in Islam is a topic debated all the time.

What does Islam say about women?

Are they oppressed?

Alaa Murabit’s family moved from Canada to Libya when she was 15.

Before, she’d felt equal to her brothers, but in this new environment she sensed big prohibitions on what she could accomplish.

As a proud Muslim woman, she wondered: was this really religious doctrine?

With humor, passion and a refreshingly rebellious spirit, she shares how she discovered examples of female leaders from across the history of her faith — and how she launched a campaign to fight for women’s rights using verses directly from the Qur’an.

Alaa says at the start of her talk after the introduction:

“Every day I work to amplify the voices of women, and to highlight their experiences, and their participation in peace processes and conflict resolution.

And because of my work, I recognize that the only way to ensure the full participation of women globally is by reclaiming religion.

Now this matter is vitally important to me.

As a young Muslim woman, I am very proud of my faith.

It gives me the strength and conviction to do my work every day.

It’s the reason I can be here in front of you.

But I can’t overlook the damage that has been done in the name of religion, not just my own but all of the world’s major faiths.

The misrepresentation and misuse and manipulation of religious scripture has influenced our social and cultural norms, our laws, our daily lives to the point where we sometimes don’t recognize it.

My parents moved from Libya, North Africa, to Canada in the early 1980s, and I am the middle child of eleven children… Yes 11.

But growing up I saw my parents both religiously devout and spiritual people pray and praise God for their blessings.” …

Don’t miss this excellent TED talk by Alaa Murabit, and her experience as a modern Muslim woman today.