Sisters in Islam awarded recognition in Spain

By goodtimes.my

BARCELONA: Sisters in Islam (SIS) has received the Casa Asia Award in recognition of its efforts in promoting women’s and human rights within Islam.

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The award was given to SIS on Nov 7. The international award is given annually to individuals or organisations that promote dialogue, understanding and knowledge between Spain and the Asia Pacific region.

“Throughout its 21 years of life, Sisters in Islam (SIS) has opened a public space for debate in Malaysia and given voice to Malaysian women regarding their rights under Islamic law or Syariah,” Casa Asia Director-General Juan José Herrera de la Muela said, in his citation for SIS.

As a winner of this award, SIS has received a trophy and a cash award of 6,000 Euro.

The Casa Asia Award is given by a consortium comprising of the Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), which is part of Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the government of Catalonia and the city councils of Barcelona and Madrid.

Past recipients of the Casa Asia Award include Pakistani women’s rights activist Mukhtar Mai, who fought for the rights of women as well as justice and dignity for people in Pakistan; as well as Cambodia’s Kike Figaredo, who helped to rehabilitate victims of land-mines and contributed towards the nation’s human development.

SIS has made an impact on the local community through efforts such as the Muslim Family Law campaign, which was launched in 2007 and aims to change unjust provisions in the Islamic family laws.

Telenisa, SIS’ legal clinic, has also helped many women, particularly at the grassroots level, to address legal problems in the Syariah courts. The service was started in 2003 and has assisted 551 clients in 2010 – an average of more than one woman a day.

The work that SIS does has also made its mark in the international arena.

Its Musawah initiative, which brings together scholars and activists around the world, aims to promote justice and equality in the Muslim family. It became a worldwide movement by 2009 and is now known as a dynamic entity that gives visibility and a voice to Muslim women.

Executive Director Ratna Osman and co-founder Zainah Anwar represented SIS at the awards ceremony.

The duo also spoke at the annual Casa Asia 8th East-West Dialogue.

Earlier this year, SIS had already received international acclaim when its board members Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and Zainah were listed among the 100 most inspiring people by Women Deliver, a New York-based global advocacy group championing the rights of women and girls.

Zainah was also chosen by Newsweek and The Daily Beast as one of the 150 women "who shake the world".

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