Thousands of Muslim women from all over the UK are set to
debate their identity at a national conference at Birmingham’s National Indoor
Arena on Sunday 24th August 2003, where more than 10,000 delegates, male and
female, from around the UK are expected to be in attendance. The conference is
entitled ‘British or Muslim?’ and as well as being the largest Islamic
conference in Britain, will also be the largest gathering of Muslim women in
the UK. The conference is organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, the well known
Islamic political party, and will outline the positive contribution Muslims can
make to the society in which they live.
The conference will also see the launch of a new book, "The Western Beauty
Myth", which examines whether the image and identity of the Western woman is
really what women, Muslim and non-Muslim, should aspire towards. Other topics
for discussion at the conference include issues such as marriage,
relationships, buying a house and bringing up children.
Organisers are hopeful that the conference will address the challenges facing
Muslim women and build a vision and strategy for Muslim women in Britain that
will bring fresh ideas into the debate about the role of Muslim women in
Western society.
Imran Waheed, a UK based doctor and representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain,
said, "Muslim women can make an invaluable contribution to society by shaping
their character upon the Islamic ideology alone. Rather than adopting the
British identity, they should engage in a debate with the wider society on the
fundamental failures of Capitalism and in our view the only viable alternative
ideology - Islam."
Sultanah Parvin, an organiser of the conference, said, "The Muslim woman with
the Islamic identity is not consumed with her own image, appearance or life but
rather is an individual who knows about the affairs of the world, appreciates
the problems of humanity and thinks carefully about her role in bringing the
light of Islam to a world plagued by Capitalism and its ills."