Shortlisting Committee 2010

“Women of Muslim heritage are an integral part of our society. EMWI recognises and celebrates this”

Cherie Blair

„Die Initiative feiert den Erfolg muslimischer Frauen in Europa und trägt so zu einem vielseitigen Bild der Muslimin in der Öffentlichkeit dar”

Kristiane Backer, ehemalige Moderatorin bei MTV

EMWI is a CEDAR initiative

Facilitated by

Shortlisting Committee 2010

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Famile Arslan, Netherlands

Famile Famile Arslan is the founder and president of Arslan Lawyers in The Hague, Netherlands. Her firm specializes in family law, immigration law, housing and labour, and social insurance cases, and Ms. Arslan is the first lawyer in the Netherlands to wear a hijab. Previously, Ms. Arslan worked for five years in the Immigration Department of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice, where she handled asylum cases. In addition to her work as a lawyer, she is a member of the Board of the Foundation Islam and Citizenship, which focuses on the relationship between norms, values, and citizenship, and the role Islamic organizations can play in this debate, and is the chairwoman of the Commission for Complaints at Islamic schools.

Nazia Hussain, United Kingdom

Nazia Hussain is the director of the “At Home in Europe” project at the Open Society Institute (OSF). She was deployed as a human rights officer in Afghanistan based in the southern and eastern regions as well as parts of the north and Kabul provinces. She worked with Amnesty International at the International Secretariat as a researcher on Afghanistan. In 1999, she was a human rights officer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Mitrovica, Kosovo and has also worked for the EU Monitoring Mission and OSCE in Macedonia and Croatia respectively. Nazia Hussain holds an M.A. in political theory and political sociology and a B.A. in English literature.

Parvin Ali, United Kingdom

Parvin Ali is the founder and CEO of the FATIMA Women's Network and was appointed by the Minister of the Department for Business and Regulatory Reform to the Regional Development Agency Board (East Midlands) with a portfolio for business support. She is a member of the National Muslim Women Advisory Group. Ms. Ali is a member of the post 7/7 “Task Force on Preventing Extremism Together” and of the World Islamic Economic Forum Businesswomen Network. She is also director of the British Muslim Women Business Association and advisor to the Malaysian Business Council.