Riada Talks to Madinah Javed on Female Reciters of the Qur'an - Part 2

Dignified Resilience with Riada Akyol

Welcome to the second part of my conversation with Madinah Javed on the female reciters the Qur'an. Just a reminder, Madinah Javed is a law graduate, writer and peace activist living in Glasgow, Scotland, with a particular interest in human rights. She is also a qariah – reciter of the Quran – and is working towards reviving the sacred tradition of female Qur’an recitation. She set up the #femalereciters campaign on the social media – raising awareness of Muslim women’s voices – in this tradition of recitation but also more broadly. In this second part of the conversation, we continue talking about Madinah's experiences and varying reactions from the audiences in different settings and countries around the world. We do focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina in this podcast episode a bit more, considering that is the country of my origin and Madinah's beautiful experiences of being welcomed to recite the Qur'an, and join numerous local groups at many occasions during her few stays there. She eagerly shares her stories that are very fun to listen! These impressions and experiences matter, not only because they are a lived reality - in which Muslim women are not berated or criticized for their public recitations of the Holy Book, but also because they can serve as an inspiration for others who listen and hear about it, to do or try the same in their own home environments. Thanks to people like Madinah who tenaciously work towards their commendable mission, and the technology that allows easier and faster sharing around the globe, the networking and connecting becomes more reachable and can feel more rewarding across long distances. Madinah and I also talk about the support of her father, and the importance of working together with supportive Muslim men towards ensuring more just, spiritual fulfillment for Muslim women. We didn't want to end recording at all because we had much fun too, and felt like there was much more to say on topics of representation and also marginalization of Muslim women. But, we tried our best to honor at least some of many scholars and activists who bravely advocate for more necessary, dignified inclusion of Muslim women in their communities around the world. I hope you enjoy this second part of my conversation with a guest who became a friend and then through myriad emails we exchanged and the conversation we shared - into a new sister. Thank you for your time and interest in watching!