WEBVTT

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So on my way here,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the passenger next to me and I
had a very interesting conversation

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
during my flight.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
He told me, "It seems like
the United States has run out of jobs,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
because they're just making some up:

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
cat psychologist, dog whisperer,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
tornado chaser."

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
A couple of seconds later, he asked me,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
"So what do you do?"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And I was like, "Peacebuilder?"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
(Laughter)

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Every day, I work to amplify
the voices of women

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and to highlight their experiences

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and their participation in peace
processes and conflict resolution,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and because of my work,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I recognize that the only way to ensure
the full participation of women globally

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is by reclaiming religion.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Now, this matter is vitally
important to me.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
As a young Muslim woman,
I am very proud of my faith.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It gives me the strength and conviction
to do my work every day.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's the reason I can be here
in front of you.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But I can't overlook the damage that has
been done in the name of religion,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
not just my own, but all
of the world's major faiths.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The misrepresentation and misuse
and manipulation of religious Scripture

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
has influenced our social
and cultural norms,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
our laws, our daily lives,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to a point where we sometimes
don't recognize it.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
My parents moved from Libya,
North Africa, to Canada

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
in the early 1980s,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and I am the middle child of 11 children.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Yes, 11.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But growing up, I saw my parents,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
both religiously devout
and spiritual people,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
pray and praise God for their blessings,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
namely me of course, but among others.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
They were kind and funny and patient,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
limitlessly patient, the kind of patience
that having 11 kids forces you to have.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And they were fair.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I was never subjected to religion
through a cultural lens.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I was treated the same,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the same was expected of me.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I was never taught that God
judged differently based on gender.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And my parents' understanding of God
as a merciful and beneficial friend

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and provider shaped the way
I looked at the world.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Now, of course, my upbringing
had additional benefits.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Being one of 11 children is Diplomacy 101.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
To this day, I am asked
where I went to school,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
like, "Did you go to
Kennedy School of Government?"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and I look at them and I'm like, "No,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I went to the Murabit School
of International Affairs."

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's extremely exclusive. You would have
to talk to my mum to get in.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Lucky for you, she's here.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But being one of 11 children
and having 10 siblings

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
teaches you a lot about
power structures and alliances.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It teaches you focus: you have
to talk fast or say less,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
because you will always get cut off.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It teaches you the importance
of messaging.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
You have to ask questions in the right way
to get the answers you know you want,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and you have to say no
in the right way to keep the peace.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But the most important lesson
I learned growing up

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
was the importance of being at the table.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
When my mum's favorite lamp broke,
I had to be there when she was trying

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to find out how and by who,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
because I had to defend myself,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
because if you're not,
then the finger is pointed at you,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and before you know it,
you will be grounded.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I am not speaking
from experience, of course.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
When I was 15 in 2005,
I completed high school and I moved

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
from Canada -- Saskatoon --

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to Zawiya, my parents' hometown in Libya,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
a very traditional city.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Mind you, I had only ever been
to Libya before on vacation,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and as a seven-year old girl,
it was magic.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It was ice cream and trips to the beach
and really excited relatives.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Turns out it's not the same
as a 15-year old young lady.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I very quickly became introduced
to the cultural aspect of religion.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The words "Haram"
-- meaning religiously prohibited --

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and "Aib" -- meaning
culturally inappropriate --

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
were exchanged carelessly,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
as if they meant the same thing
and had the same consequences.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And I found myself in conversation
after conversation with classmates

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and colleagues, professors,
friends, even relatives,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
beginning to question my own rule
and my own aspirations.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And even with the foundation
my parents had provided for me,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I found myself questioning
the role of women in my faith.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So at the Murabit School
of International Affairs,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
we go very heavy on the debate,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and rule number one is do your research,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
so that's what I did,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and it surprised me how easy it was

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to find women in my faith
who were leaders,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
who were innovative, who were strong:

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
politically, economically,
even militarily.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Khadija, [???]
financed the Islamic movement

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
in its infancy.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So why weren't we learning about her?

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Why weren't we learning about these women?

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Why were women being relegated
to positions which predated

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the teachings of our faith?

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And why, if we are equal
in the eyes of God,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
are we not equal in the eyes of men?

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
To me, it all came back to the lessons
I had learned as a child.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
The decision maker, the person
who gets to control the message,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is sitting at the table,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and unfortunately,
in every single world faith,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
they are not women.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Religious institutions
are dominated by men

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and driven by male leadership,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and they create policies
in their likeness,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and until we can change
the system entirely,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
then we can't realistically
expect to have full economic

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and political participation of women.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Our foundation is broken.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
My mum actually says, you can't build
a straight house on a crooked foundation.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
In 2011, the Libyan revolution broke out,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and my family was on the front lines.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And there's this amazing thing
that happens in a war,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
a cultural shift almost, very temporary.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And it was the first time that I felt
it was not only acceptable

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
for me to be involved,
but it was encouraged.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It was demanded.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Myself and other women
had a seat at the table.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We weren't holding hands or a medium.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We were part of decision making.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We were information. We were crucial.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And I wanted and needed
for that change to be permanent.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Turns out, that's not that easy.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It only took a few weeks before the women
that I had previously worked with

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
were returning back
to their previous roles,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and most of them were driven
by words of encouragement

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
from religious and political leaders,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
most of whom cited religious Scripture

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
as their defense.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's how they gained popular support
for their opinions.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So initially, I focused on the economic
and political empowerment of women.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I thought that would lead
to cultural and social change.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It turns out, it does a little,
but not a lot.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I decided to use
their defense as my offense,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and I began to cite and highlight
Islamic Scripture as well.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
In 2012 and 2013, my organization
led the single largest

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and most widespread
campaign in Libya.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We entered homes and schools
and universities, even mosques.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We spoke to 50,000 people directly,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and hundreds of thousands more through
billboards and television commercials,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
radio commercials and posters.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And you're probably wondering how
a woman's rights organizations

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
was able to do this in communities
which had previously opposed

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
our sheer existence.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I used Scripture.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I used verses from the Quran
and sayings of the Prophet.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Haddis, his sayings which
are, for example,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
"The best of you is the best
to their family."

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
"Do not let your brother oppress another."

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
For the first time, Friday sermons
led by local community imams

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
promoted the rights of women.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
They discussed taboo issues,
like domestic violence.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Policies were changed.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
In certain communities,
we actually had to go as far

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
as saying the International
Human Rights Declaration,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
which you opposed because it wasn't
written by religious scholars,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
well, those same principles
are in our book.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
So really, the United Nations
just copied us.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
By changing the message,
we were able to provide

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
an alternative narrative which promoted
the rights of women in Libya.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It's something that has now
been replicated internationally,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and while I am not saying it's easy
-- Believe me, it's not.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Liberals will say you're using religion
and call you a bad conservative.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Conservatives will call you
a lot of colorful things.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
I've heard everything from, "Your parents
must be extremely ashamed of you"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
-- False. They're my biggest fans. --

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
to "You will not make it
to your next birthday"

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
-- again wrong, because I did.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And I remain

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
a very strong believer that women's rights
and religion are not mutually exclusive.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But we have to be at the table.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
We have to stop giving up our position,
because by remaining silent,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
we allow for the continued persecution
and abuse of women worldwide.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
By saying that we're going
to fight for women's rights

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
and fight extremism
with bombs and warfare,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
we completely cripple local societies
which need to address these issues

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
so that they're sustainable.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
It is not easy, challenging
distorted religious messaging.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
You will have your fair share
of insults and ridicule and threats.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
But we have to do it.
We have no other option

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
than to reclaim the message
of human rights,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
the principles of our faith,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
not for us, not for
the women in your families,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
not for the women in this room,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
not even for the women out there,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
but for societies
that would be transformed

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
with the participation of women.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
And the only way we can do that,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
our only option,

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
is to be, and remain, at the table.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
Thank you.

99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999
(Applause)