Not another hijab row: conference takes a wider view of Muslim women's lives

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Not another hijab row: conference takes a wider view of Muslim women's lives


Women from across the cultural and religious spectrum will discuss racism, nationalism and the reality of Muslim women's lives in Australia at a national conference this weekend at the University of Technology, Sydney. Not another hijab row on Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 December will go to the heart of current anxieties in Australian society, as displayed at Cronulla a year ago, according to conference co-organiser Dr Christina Ho from the UTS Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr Ho, who is researching the history and politics of Muslim women's networks in Australia, said the conference was an opportunity for Muslim women to "speak back to the hysteria about the hijab". "Presenters such as Shakira Hussein of the Canberra Islamic Centre, and Joumanah El-Matrah of the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria are carving out their own space in between the Bronwyn Bishops and Sheikh Hilalis of this world," Dr Ho said. "They reflect the views of many women who believe that the more public debates fixate on the issue of the hijab, the less space there is for Muslim women to talk about the range of issues that affect their lives. "The diversity and the achievements of Australian Muslim women are too easily ignored when they are represented as no more than victims of an oppressive culture." The conference will consider issues of gender, nationalism, the secular-religious divide, community politics and improving cross-cultural relations. It is sponsored by Trans/forming Cultures, the key UTS research centre in communication and culture. For more on the conference visit the Trans/forming Cultures website. Tuesday 5 December 2006