Muslim Women Speak Out In Global Online Exhibition

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Museum of Women (IMOW) announces the debut of MUSLIMA: MUSLIM WOMEN'S ART & VOICES (muslima.imow.org) a groundbreaking international collection of artwork, stories and ideas from contemporary Muslim women. The free online exhibition features exclusive interviews with leading women's rights advocates from countries including Iran, Afghanistan, and Bosnia and showcases the barrier-breaking creativity of female artists from every region of the world.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130306/PH71664 )

It also features "Muslima Stories": a collection of multimedia mini-memoirs that is open to submissions from all Muslim women who want to share their voice about what it means to be a Muslim woman today.

Officially launching in celebration of International Women's Day (March 8), the exhibition's content is now available for free online and will expand as IMOW receives user-generated submissions.

Curator Samina Ali, the award-winning author of the novel MADRAS ON RAINY DAYS, says she scoured the globe to interview Muslim women who are making an impact on their communities. "Whether it's fighting for equal justice under the law or creating images that challenge traditional notions of femininity, these women are part of a global movement that is elevating the role of Muslim women in society," says Ali, an Indian-born Muslim who now lives in the Bay Area of California. "From the Arab Spring to the U.S. State Department, we are seeing unprecedented numbers of Muslim women involved in public life."

Exhibition At-a-Glance
MUSLIMA's multifaceted elements include:

• Exclusive interviews with fearless leaders like Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi of Iran; the first female prosecutor in Afghanistan, Sima Samar; and Sudanese women's rights advocate Fahima Hashim. (Read Excerpts)
• Provocative artwork from renowned artists including Palestinian painter Laila Shawa; Yemeni photographer Boushra Almutawakel; and young Bahraini 'zine creator Tamadher Al Fahim. (View Samples)
• A global community partnership with the Women's Museum in Denmark, the Ayala Museum in the Philippines, and the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization in Sharjah, U.A.E., to engage a dynamic group of 40 young women in their 20s and 30s, called the "Muslima Ambassadors," who are serving as advisors, contributors and co-curators for the project.
• "Muslima Stories" – a collection of multimedia mini-memoirs, consisting of 6 words and images, that launches with content from the global Muslima Ambassadors and is open to submissions from all Muslim women.
• Global Call for Submissions of multimedia work that represents a new generation of Muslim women and/or speaks to the myths and realities of Muslim women; content will be added to the exhibition on a rolling basis.
• The "Speak Up! Listen Up! " Campaign to support the empowerment of Muslim women worldwide and to combat pervasive negative stereotypes.

"We are inspired by the courage and creativity of Muslim women around the world," says Catherine King, IMOW's Interim Executive Director. "Our hope is that this exhibition will foster a dialogue between Muslim women and the larger community of women and men of all backgrounds who are working for tolerance, equality and justice."

About the Museum
The International Museum of Women (IMOW) is an innovative online museum that showcases art, stories and ideas to celebrate and advance the lives of women around the world. IMOW's online exhibitions inspire creativity, awareness and action on vital global issues for women. IMOW's staff is based in San Francisco, CA, USA and works with a global network of advisors and contributors.  For more information and to explore the museum's exhibitions, go to www.imow.org.

MUSLIMA: MUSLIM WOMEN'S ART & VOICES is a global online exhibition from the International Museum of Women. Major funding for MUSLIMA has been provided by the MetLife Foundation and by Museums Connect℠, made possible by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Alliance of Museums. Museums Connect℠ partners include the International Museum of Women, the Women's Museum in Denmark, the Ayala Museum in the Philippines, and the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization in Sharjah, U.A.E. 

SOURCE The International Museum of Women