LaborArts

Aisha al-Adawiya has been a force in interfaith-based activism in New York City and the world for nearly four decades. She founded Women In Islam in 1992 as a direct response to atrocities perpetrated against Muslim women in the refugee camps in Bosnia. The educational and advocacy group focuses on human rights and social justice by strengthening the role and voice of women in Islam.

Ms. al-Adawiya organizes and participates in conferences and other forums on Islam, gender equity, conflict resolution, cross-cultural understanding and peace building, and represents Muslim women’s non-governmental organizations at United Nations forums. She coordinates Islamic input for the Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Documentation Project of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and serves as a consultant to numerous interfaith organizations and documentary projects on the Muslim American experience. Serving on the boards of organizations related to the interests of the global Islamic community, al-Adawiya has also been very active in defending Muslims against Islamophobia and promoting interfaith unity in New York City.

Interview

Video by Kuji Banks, interviewed by Rachel Bernstein

Awards ceremony

Video by Kuji Banks

Honorees

• Aisha al-Adawiya
• Ingrid Frank
• Lidia Correa
• Vinie Burrows
• Mary Albritton Douglas
• Lubow Wolynetz