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MALAYSIA - SISTERS IN ISLAM

http://www.sistersinislam.org.my/mission.htm

SISTERS IN ISLAM MISSION

Sisters in Islam (SIS) is a group of Muslim women committed to promoting the rights of women within the framework of Islam. Our efforts to promote the rights of Muslim women are based on the principles of equality, justice and freedom enjoined by the Qur’an as made evident during our study of the holy text.

We uphold the revolutionary spirit of Islam, a religion which uplifted the status of women when it was revealed 1400 years ago. We believe that Islam does not endorse the oppression of women and denial of their basic rights of equality and human dignity. We are deeply saddened that religion has been used to justify cultural practices and values that regard women as inferior and subordinate to men and we believe that this has been made possible because men have had exclusive control over the interpretation of the text of the Qur’an.

We believe that for the Ummah (Islamic community) to grow and flourish, everyone must have the opportunity to fully participate in all spheres of life. The participation of Muslim women as full and equal partners in the ummah's socio-economic development and progress is the need of the day. We conclude that it is imperative that the female experience, thought and voice are included in the interpretation of the Qur’an and in the administration of religion in the Muslim world.

We are inspired by the active participation of women in public life during the time of Prophet Muhammad saw. Biographical collections devoted to the Companions (Sahabat) of the Prophet included the biographies of over 1,200 female Companions. Among them were transmitters of hadith, saints and sufis, martyrs, liberators of slaves and heroic combatants.

SIS was formed in 1988 and registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in 1993 under the name SIS Forum (Malaysia) Berhad. The name Sisters in Islam is retained as an authorship name.

Our mission is to promote an awareness of the true principles of Islam, principles that enshrine the concept of equality between women and men, and to strive towards creating a society that upholds the Islamic principles of equality, justice, freedom and dignity within a democratic state.

OBJECTIVES

• To promote and develop a framework of women's rights in Islam, which takes into consideration women's experiences and realities;

• To eliminate injustice and discrimination against women by changing practices and values that regard women as inferior to men;

• To create public awareness, and reform laws and policies, on issues of equality, justice, freedom, dignity and democracy in Islam.

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http://www.sistersinislam.org.my/programme.htm

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTIONS

a. Legal Services

• Legal Clinic - SIS gives legal advice on matters concerning divorce, wife's maintenance, wife's financial rights and children's maintenance through email, telephone and face to face consultation;
• Legal Literacy Column - SIS has a weekly column in Utusan Malaysia, which provides answers to questions raised by readers on various aspects of their rights under the Islamic Family Law. SIS also writes a column on Islamic Family Law for women's magazine Wanita Hari Ini.

b. Public Education

• Study Session - SIS organises a study session on contemporary issues of concern on various topics such as Islam, HIV/AIDS and Women's Rights, Aurat and the Islamic Dress Code, Being Muslim Today, etc. The sessions are led by Malaysian and international scholars and activists;
• Training Workshop - Throughout the year, SIS conducts training workshops on gender and women's rights in Islam. Since 2002, SIS has trained grassroots women leaders, policymakers, NGO activists, journalists, human rights lawyers, chambering students, gender studies students and young political leaders;
• Public Lecture - SIS organises Public Lectures led by internationally renowned scholars of Islam to expose the Malaysian public to the state of the debate on contending issues in the Muslim world.

c. Research - SIS conducted a pilot research on "The Impact of polygamy on the family institution" in 2004. This research has expanded into a national survey.

d. Advocacy

• Law Reform - SIS submitted a memorandum to the Selangor State Government in May 2003, documenting our concern on amendments made to the Islamic Family Law Enactment, that further discriminated against Muslim women . It also lobbied the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to ensure that the planned Family Court System will cover both the civil and Syariah jurisdictions;
• Media Advocacy - SIS issues Letters to the Editor and Press Statements on a range of issues such as Divorce by SMS, Discriminatory Amendments to the Selangor Islamic Family Law, EPF and Inheritance and the PAS Islamic State document. SIS staff and members also give press interviews with the local and international media.