0:00:00.785,0:00:03.840
So on my way here,

0:00:03.840,0:00:07.542
the passenger next to me and I[br]had a very interesting conversation

0:00:07.542,0:00:09.585
during my flight.

0:00:09.585,0:00:14.113
He told me, "It seems like[br]the United States has run out of jobs,

0:00:14.113,0:00:16.481
because they're just making some up:

0:00:16.481,0:00:22.743
cat psychologist, dog whisperer,[br]tornado chaser."

0:00:22.743,0:00:25.560
A couple of seconds later, he asked me,

0:00:25.560,0:00:27.812
"So what do you do?"

0:00:27.812,0:00:30.505
And I was like, "Peacebuilder?"

0:00:30.505,0:00:32.985
(Laughter)

0:00:34.925,0:00:39.352
Every day, I work to amplify[br]the voices of women

0:00:39.352,0:00:42.450
and to highlight their experiences

0:00:42.450,0:00:47.509
and their participation in peace[br]processes and conflict resolution,

0:00:47.509,0:00:50.288
and because of my work,

0:00:50.288,0:00:56.464
I recognize that the only way to ensure[br]the full participation of women globally

0:00:56.464,0:00:59.330
is by reclaiming religion.

0:00:59.330,0:01:03.394
Now, this matter is vitally[br]important to me.

0:01:03.394,0:01:07.805
As a young Muslim woman,[br]I am very proud of my faith.

0:01:07.805,0:01:12.540
It gives me the strength and conviction[br]to do my work every day.

0:01:12.540,0:01:15.299
It's the reason I can be here[br]in front of you.

0:01:15.909,0:01:21.133
But I can't overlook the damage that has[br]been done in the name of religion,

0:01:21.133,0:01:25.661
not just my own, but all[br]of the world's major faiths.

0:01:25.661,0:01:30.165
The misrepresentation and misuse[br]and manipulation of religious scripture

0:01:30.165,0:01:33.694
has influenced our social[br]and cultural norms,

0:01:33.694,0:01:36.620
our laws, our daily lives,

0:01:36.620,0:01:40.474
to a point where we sometimes[br]don't recognize it.

0:01:40.804,0:01:45.490
My parents moved from Libya,[br]North Africa, to Canada

0:01:45.490,0:01:47.254
in the early 1980s,

0:01:47.254,0:01:51.100
and I am the middle child of 11 children.

0:01:51.100,0:01:52.431
Yes, 11.

0:01:53.431,0:01:55.589
But growing up, I saw my parents,

0:01:55.589,0:01:59.165
both religiously devout[br]and spiritual people,

0:01:59.165,0:02:01.905
pray and praise God for their blessings,

0:02:01.905,0:02:06.664
namely me of course, but among others.[br](Laughter)

0:02:06.664,0:02:09.822
They were kind and funny and patient,

0:02:09.822,0:02:16.161
limitlessly patient, the kind of patience[br]that having 11 kids forces you to have.

0:02:16.161,0:02:18.181
And they were fair.

0:02:18.181,0:02:22.895
I was never subjected to religion[br]through a cultural lens.

0:02:22.895,0:02:24.961
I was treated the same,

0:02:24.961,0:02:27.410
the same was expected of me.

0:02:27.740,0:02:32.177
I was never taught that God[br]judged differently based on gender.

0:02:32.647,0:02:38.289
And my parents' understanding of God[br]as a merciful and beneficial friend

0:02:38.289,0:02:42.143
and provider shaped the way[br]I looked at the world.

0:02:42.143,0:02:46.970
Now, of course, my upbringing[br]had additional benefits.

0:02:46.970,0:02:51.722
Being one of 11 children is Diplomacy 101.[br](Laughter)

0:02:52.592,0:02:55.169
To this day, I am asked[br]where I went to school,

0:02:55.169,0:02:57.652
like, "Did you go to[br]Kennedy School of Government?"

0:02:57.652,0:02:59.558
and I look at them and I'm like, "No,

0:02:59.558,0:03:02.367
I went to the Murabit School[br]of International Affairs."

0:03:02.367,0:03:08.195
It's extremely exclusive. You would have[br]to talk to my mom to get in.

0:03:08.195,0:03:10.331
Lucky for you, she's here.

0:03:11.879,0:03:16.368
But being one of 11 children[br]and having 10 siblings

0:03:16.368,0:03:20.600
teaches you a lot about[br]power structures and alliances.

0:03:20.600,0:03:23.403
It teaches you focus; you have[br]to talk fast or say less,

0:03:23.403,0:03:25.911
because you will always get cut off.

0:03:25.911,0:03:28.767
It teaches you the importance[br]of messaging.

0:03:28.767,0:03:32.993
You have to ask questions in the right way[br]to get the answers you know you want,

0:03:32.993,0:03:37.172
and you have to say no[br]in the right way to keep the peace.

0:03:37.172,0:03:41.444
But the most important lesson[br]I learned growing up

0:03:41.444,0:03:44.974
was the importance of being at the table.

0:03:44.974,0:03:48.805
When my mom's favorite lamp broke,[br]I had to be there when she was trying

0:03:48.805,0:03:53.334
to find out how and by who,[br]because I had to defend myself,

0:03:53.334,0:03:57.117
because if you're not,[br]then the finger is pointed at you,

0:03:57.117,0:03:59.741
and before you know it,[br]you will be grounded.

0:03:59.741,0:04:03.018
I am not speaking[br]from experience, of course.

0:04:04.338,0:04:09.750
When I was 15 in 2005,[br]I completed high school and I moved

0:04:09.750,0:04:12.240
from Canada -- Saskatoon --

0:04:12.240,0:04:16.319
to Zawiya, my parents' hometown in Libya,

0:04:16.319,0:04:18.711
a very traditional city.

0:04:18.711,0:04:23.530
Mind you, I had only ever been[br]to Libya before on vacation,

0:04:23.530,0:04:27.906
and as a seven-year-old girl,[br]it was magic.

0:04:27.906,0:04:32.898
It was ice cream and trips to the beach[br]and really excited relatives.

0:04:33.468,0:04:38.470
Turns out it's not the same[br]as a 15-year-old young lady.

0:04:38.470,0:04:44.438
I very quickly became introduced[br]to the cultural aspect of religion.

0:04:44.438,0:04:48.896
The words "haram" --[br]meaning religiously prohibited --

0:04:48.896,0:04:52.402
and "aib" -- meaning[br]culturally inappropriate --

0:04:52.402,0:04:55.118
were exchanged carelessly,

0:04:55.118,0:04:59.437
as if they meant the same thing[br]and had the same consequences.

0:04:59.437,0:05:04.174
And I found myself in conversation[br]after conversation with classmates

0:05:04.174,0:05:07.610
and colleagues, professors,[br]friends, even relatives,

0:05:07.610,0:05:12.393
beginning to question my own role[br]and my own aspirations.

0:05:12.393,0:05:15.923
And even with the foundation[br]my parents had provided for me,

0:05:15.923,0:05:20.218
I found myself questioning[br]the role of women in my faith.

0:05:20.218,0:05:24.397
So at the Murabit School[br]of International Affairs,

0:05:24.397,0:05:27.137
we go very heavy on the debate,

0:05:27.137,0:05:32.632
and rule number one is do your research,[br]so that's what I did,

0:05:32.640,0:05:36.425
and it surprised me how easy it was

0:05:36.425,0:05:40.442
to find women in my faith[br]who were leaders,

0:05:40.442,0:05:43.994
who were innovative, who were strong --

0:05:43.994,0:05:47.360
politically, economically,[br]even militarily.

0:05:47.360,0:05:50.751
Khadija financed the Islamic movement

0:05:50.751,0:05:52.412
in its infancy.

0:05:52.562,0:05:55.007
We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.

0:05:55.627,0:05:58.274
So why weren't we learning about her?

0:05:58.274,0:06:01.195
Why weren't we learning about these women?

0:06:01.195,0:06:03.986
Why were women being relegated[br]to positions which predated

0:06:03.986,0:06:06.656
the teachings of our faith?

0:06:06.656,0:06:08.931
And why, if we are equal[br]in the eyes of God,

0:06:08.931,0:06:12.033
are we not equal in the eyes of men?

0:06:12.623,0:06:17.690
To me, it all came back to the lessons[br]I had learned as a child.

0:06:18.350,0:06:22.022
The decision maker, the person[br]who gets to control the message,

0:06:22.022,0:06:24.604
is sitting at the table,

0:06:24.604,0:06:29.504
and unfortunately,[br]in every single world faith,

0:06:29.504,0:06:32.150
they are not women.

0:06:32.150,0:06:35.192
Religious institutions[br]are dominated by men

0:06:35.192,0:06:37.143
and driven by male leadership,

0:06:37.143,0:06:40.579
and they create policies[br]in their likeness,

0:06:40.579,0:06:44.672
and until we can change[br]the system entirely,

0:06:44.672,0:06:47.939
then we can't realistically[br]expect to have full economic

0:06:47.939,0:06:51.515
and political participation of women.

0:06:51.515,0:06:54.626
Our foundation is broken.

0:06:55.786,0:07:00.778
My mom actually says, you can't build[br]a straight house on a crooked foundation.

0:07:02.521,0:07:09.130
In 2011, the Libyan revolution broke out,[br]and my family was on the front lines.

0:07:09.580,0:07:12.644
And there's this amazing thing[br]that happens in war,

0:07:12.644,0:07:15.773
a cultural shift almost, very temporary.

0:07:15.773,0:07:18.844
And it was the first time that I felt[br]it was not only acceptable

0:07:18.844,0:07:21.816
for me to be involved,[br]but it was encouraged.

0:07:21.816,0:07:24.161
It was demanded.

0:07:24.161,0:07:27.170
Myself and other women[br]had a seat at the table.

0:07:27.170,0:07:30.569
We weren't holding hands or a medium.

0:07:30.569,0:07:32.427
We were part of decision making.

0:07:32.427,0:07:35.840
We were information sharing.[br]We were crucial.

0:07:35.840,0:07:40.890
And I wanted and needed[br]for that change to be permanent.

0:07:42.342,0:07:45.128
Turns out, that's not that easy.

0:07:45.128,0:07:49.500
It only took a few weeks before the women[br]that I had previously worked with

0:07:49.500,0:07:52.470
were returning back[br]to their previous roles,

0:07:52.470,0:07:55.275
and most of them were driven[br]by words of encouragement

0:07:55.275,0:07:58.177
from religious and political leaders,

0:07:58.177,0:08:02.171
most of whom cited religious scripture[br]as their defense.

0:08:02.449,0:08:06.000
It's how they gained popular support[br]for their opinions.

0:08:07.080,0:08:12.317
So initially, I focused on the economic[br]and political empowerment of women.

0:08:12.317,0:08:15.823
I thought that would lead[br]to cultural and social change.

0:08:15.823,0:08:20.165
It turns out, it does a little,[br]but not a lot.

0:08:20.165,0:08:24.530
I decided to use[br]their defense as my offense,

0:08:24.530,0:08:29.174
and I began to cite and highlight[br]Islamic scripture as well.

0:08:29.174,0:08:33.736
In 2012 and 2013, my organization[br]led the single largest

0:08:33.736,0:08:36.221
and most widespread[br]campaign in Libya.

0:08:36.221,0:08:40.997
We entered homes and schools[br]and universities, even mosques.

0:08:40.997,0:08:43.279
We spoke to 50,000 people directly,

0:08:43.279,0:08:47.343
and hundreds of thousands more through[br]billboards and television commercials,

0:08:47.343,0:08:50.130
radio commercials and posters.

0:08:50.130,0:08:53.194
And you're probably wondering how[br]a women's rights organization

0:08:53.194,0:08:56.166
was able to do this in communities[br]which had previously opposed

0:08:56.166,0:08:59.161
our sheer existence.

0:08:59.701,0:09:02.170
I used scripture.

0:09:02.170,0:09:07.560
I used verses from the Quran[br]and sayings of the Prophet,

0:09:07.560,0:09:11.525
Hadiths, his sayings which[br]are, for example,

0:09:11.525,0:09:14.961
"The best of you is the best[br]to their family."

0:09:14.961,0:09:18.978
"Do not let your brother oppress another."

0:09:18.978,0:09:23.993
For the first time, Friday sermons[br]led by local community imams

0:09:23.993,0:09:26.478
promoted the rights of women.

0:09:26.478,0:09:30.076
They discussed taboo issues,[br]like domestic violence.

0:09:30.656,0:09:33.620
Policies were changed.

0:09:34.080,0:09:37.205
In certain communities,[br]we actually had to go as far

0:09:37.205,0:09:41.106
as saying the International[br]Human Rights Declaration,

0:09:41.106,0:09:45.192
which you opposed because it wasn't[br]written by religious scholars,

0:09:45.192,0:09:49.975
well, those same principles[br]are in our book.

0:09:49.975,0:09:53.746
So really, the United Nations[br]just copied us.

0:09:55.931,0:09:58.774
By changing the message,[br]we were able to provide

0:09:58.774,0:10:02.899
an alternative narrative which promoted[br]the rights of women in Libya.

0:10:03.349,0:10:08.201
It's something that has now[br]been replicated internationally,

0:10:08.201,0:10:12.590
and while I am not saying it's easy --[br]believe me, it's not.

0:10:12.590,0:10:16.421
Liberals will say you're using religion[br]and call you a bad conservative.

0:10:16.421,0:10:19.904
Conservatives will call you[br]a lot of colorful things.

0:10:19.904,0:10:23.990
I've heard everything from, "Your parents[br]must be extremely ashamed of you" --

0:10:23.990,0:10:26.100
false; they're my biggest fans --

0:10:26.100,0:10:28.611
to "You will not make it[br]to your next birthday" --

0:10:28.611,0:10:32.304
again wrong, because I did.

0:10:32.674,0:10:34.810
And I remain

0:10:34.810,0:10:41.231
a very strong believer that women's rights[br]and religion are not mutually exclusive.

0:10:42.291,0:10:45.033
But we have to be at the table.

0:10:45.723,0:10:49.856
We have to stop giving up our position,[br]because by remaining silent,

0:10:49.856,0:10:55.387
we allow for the continued persecution[br]and abuse of women worldwide.

0:10:55.837,0:10:58.842
By saying that we're going[br]to fight for women's rights

0:10:58.842,0:11:02.627
and fight extremism[br]with bombs and warfare,

0:11:02.627,0:11:06.876
we completely cripple local societies[br]which need to address these issues

0:11:06.876,0:11:09.105
so that they're sustainable.

0:11:11.496,0:11:16.570
It is not easy, challenging[br]distorted religious messaging.

0:11:16.930,0:11:21.770
You will have your fair share[br]of insults and ridicule and threats.

0:11:22.380,0:11:24.216
But we have to do it.

0:11:24.216,0:11:28.957
We have no other option than to reclaim[br]the message of human rights,

0:11:28.957,0:11:31.604
the principles of our faith,

0:11:31.604,0:11:34.367
not for us, not for[br]the women in your families,

0:11:34.367,0:11:36.317
not for the women in this room,

0:11:36.317,0:11:39.491
not even for the women out there,

0:11:39.491,0:11:42.997
but for societies[br]that would be transformed

0:11:42.997,0:11:45.314
with the participation of women.

0:11:45.884,0:11:48.391
And the only way we can do that,

0:11:48.391,0:11:50.179
our only option,

0:11:50.179,0:11:53.709
is to be, and remain, at the table.

0:11:53.709,0:11:56.332
Thank you.

0:11:56.332,0:11:59.911
(Applause)