Iltizam Morrar

/

Overview

07.08 morrar.jpg

Iltizam Morrar born Budrus, Palestine July 8, 1988. “The Muslim Joan of Arc.” Nonviolent medical student. Jumped in front of bulldozer, stopping Israeli wall, 2003; subject of film Budrus, 2009.

Quotations

“I believe in nonviolence and peaceful resistance even more because it helped us achieve something. . . Large amounts of land were supposed to be confiscated from the people of Budrus but because of these demonstrations they were only able to take a small portion of the lands that they planned to take, and they moved the Wall to the Green Line. . . Any theory needs to be tested and if it succeeds that means it is effective.” (Just Vision; photo zenskaposla)

Matiel Mogannam

/

Overview

02.15 mogannam crop.jpg

Matiel Mogannam born Lebanon, Ottoman Empire February 15, 1889 (d. 1982). “The Palestinian Gandhi.” Pioneering Arab feminist. Founding Secretary, General Palestine Arab Women’s Congress, 1929; nonviolent leader of Women’s March Jerusalem, 1933.

Quotations

“During this period [1920s-30s] most of the women did not compete against each other. This [women’s movement] was the only intellectual activity they really had. So they felt they had just better do a good job together.” (Margot Badran, Feminists, Islam, p. 322; photo My Palestine)

Elizabeth Pauline MacCallum

/

Overview

Elizabeth Pauline MacCallum born Marash, Turkey June 20, 1895 (d. 1985). First Canadian woman head of mission, Beirut 1954; Middle East expert; specialist at San Francisco conference on founding of UN and partition of Palestine; foresaw Kurdish discontent, and long conflict in Palestine.

Quotations

"The claims of the Jews were honourable and understandable. But weren't the claims of the Arabs just as honourable and understandable?" (1920s Foreign Policy Association study in Margaret Weiers, Envoys Extraordinary, p. 38, 1995; photo international.gc.ca)

Asmaa Mahfouz

/

Overview

Asmaa Mahfouz born Egypt February 1, 1985. Sparked nonviolent Egyptian revolution via video blog calling for assembly at Tahrir Square, 2011. Co-founder of April 6 Youth Movement.

Quotations

"Do not be afraid." (The Atlantic, April 13, 2011)

"If you think yourself a man, come with me on 25 January. Whoever says women shouldn’t go to protests because they will get beaten, let him have some honor and manhood and come with me." (Democracy Now!, Feb. 8, 2011; photo http://bit.ly/JdnYCo)

Arna Mer-Khamis

/

Overview

Arna Mer-Khamis born Rosh Pina, Galilee, Palestine March 9, 1929 (d. 1995). Jewish peacemaker. Founded In the Defence of Children under Occupation/Care and Learning, 1993. Received Right Livelihood Award for human rights work with refugee children, 1993.

Quotations

“Our task was never easy. It was not paved with roses but mined with bullets and soldiers, anxious mothers and frightened children whose wounds have yet to heal.” (Right Livelihood Award acceptance speech, Dec. 9, 1993; photo arna.info)

Lina Ben Mhenni

/

Overview

Lina Ben Mhenni born Tunisia May 22, 1983. Blogger. Chronicled Arab Spring revolt in her blog A Tunisian Girl, 2011. Arrested for protest against censorship, 2010. Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2011; awarded Sean MacBride Peace Prize, 2012.

Quotations

"It was very dangerous to be a blogger under Ben Ali. . . Of course I had fear, but when I saw people killed by the police I forgot it and it gave me the strength to do my work." (New York Times, Oct. 12, 2011)

Narges Mohammadi

/

Overview

Narges Mohammadi born Zanjan, Iran April 21, 1972. Iranian physicist and human rights advocate. Chairwoman of the National Peace Council. Arrested 5 times; sentenced to 11-year prison term for advocacy efforts, charged with “acting against the national security.” Again arrested by Iranian authorities, 2015. Received Alexander Langer Award, 2009.

In recognition of her indomitable spirit – and the bravery shown by thousands of Iranians at the forefront of the woman-life-freedom movement – Mohammadi has won the 2023 Nobel peace prize. Mohammadi is currently serving a 10-year sentence and is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

Quotations

“When I am sentenced to 11 years in prison for the charge of making efforts to attain peace and human rights in the Iranian society, [it does not matter even] if I endure 100 years in prison, [because] my responsibilities toward the society, humanity, and freedom of opinion and expression [will not change]. . . We will achieve [our goal] through peaceful and civil means, and not through acts against [national] security.” (Sep. 28, 2011, persian2english.com; photo funkaid.com)

Mozah bint Nasser

/

Overview

Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned born Al Khor, Qatar August 8, 1958. Muslim wife of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, emir of Qatar. UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education, 2003; UN Alliance of Civilizations (AOC) Ambassador, 2010; UN Millennium Development Goals Advocacy Group, 2010. Received Chatham House Award for efforts to improve ties between Islam-West relations, 2007.

Quotations

“As a citizen who takes pride in her Arab identity, rich civilization and cultural heritage, I, like hundreds of millions of my people, cannot accept the suffering of our brothers under siege in Gaza and the West Bank, whose values and cultural heritage in Jerusalem are threatened.” (UN Alliance of Civilization, Rio, May 28, 2010; photo theMuslim500)

Nabeela Al-Mulla

/

Overview

Nabeela al-Mulla born Kuwait January 25, 1948. Kuwaiti ambassador. First Arab woman to serve as head delegate to UN. Chair of UN Atomic Energy board, promoting nuclear non-proliferation, 2002-03. Negotiated Gulf War POW issue, 1991-92. Sponsored conference to aid Syrian war refugees, 2013. Critic of Israeli policies, including excessive force, failure to register nuclear weapons, and West Bank occupation. Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2005.

Quotations

“Women ambassadors are really scarce globally and not only on the Arab scene.”(“Women in Diplomacy”, Sept. 17, 2007; photo worldpeoplesblog)

Alaa Murabit

/

Overview

Alaa Murabit born Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada October 26, 1989. Libyan physician; women’s rights leader. Founding president of Voice of Libyan Women, 2011; spearheaded Noor Campaign to promote Koran’s teachings of nonviolence, 2013.

Quotations

"Many aspects of Islam—such as the importance of peace and nonviolence, particularly within the family unit—are often overlooked." (Daily Beast, July 19, 2013; photo cbc.ca)