MARCH 2008: Deeyah
"As a human being and as a Muslim woman I feel it is my duty to speak out and stand up for what I believe is right. To me it is far more important to admit the ills within rather than always pointing the finger outwards. Our issues will not go away by blaming everyone and everything else.
We have to take some level of responsibility for our own actions and problems. I am very aware that 'outside' elements do have a huge impact on the welfare of our community, but that does not excuse us from being responsible and accountable as well." - Deeyah
Deeyah is a 30-year old Muslim singer born and raised in Norway of Pakistani descent. A lifelong performer, Deeyah has always been clear that her calling is to do what she loves - music.
What hasn't always been clear to Deeyah is her spiritual and ethical obligation to fight for women's rights, as she does so tirelessly today. Deeyah's parents, both practicing Muslims, never denied her the right to choose her own career. They also didn't tell her that there was anything she could not do because she is a woman. Deeyah admits to having been unaware of the inequalities between men and women in the Muslim community for much of her life.
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All of that changed when Deeyah became a target of negative attention from within the Muslim community. While she does have a Muslim fanbase, some extremely conservative Muslims object to her choice of career. They are so against her choice that Deeyah and her family have been harassed. Deeyah also receives death threats on a regular basis.
One of the issues Deeyah is most vocal about is the tradition of "honor" killings. This tradition has been adopted by many Muslim countries but is not a part of the Islamic faith. This tradition dictates that the community's honor is measured by the sexual purity of its women. Anything from being suspected of dating to being sexually assaulted can result in punishment. The punishment for "dishonor" is often death.
About honor killings, Deeyah says: "The mistreatment of women exists within every culture and society. However, many in my community turn a blind eye to what is going on because reputation the community is viewed as more important than a woman's life. They would rather protect the community's image rather than the a woman's rights to freedom of choice in profession, spouse or even what she wants to wear. Honor killings are the very extreme and most violent consequence of our honor based culture.
Deeyah is clear that her Muslim faith is very important to her. She says that it is exactly because her faith is such an important part of who she is that she speaks out about women's rights.
Deeyah publicly supports the International Campaign Against Honor Killings. She actively shares the stories of those who have lost their lives to "honor" killings, and petitions to save the lives of those in danger.
Deeyah also works to support and promote the work of up-and-coming Muslim female artists. She is currently working on "Deeyah Presents", a mixtape album featuring up-and-coming young Muslim female artists from all over the world. Deeyah mentors many of the young women she is featuring on this album.
For more information about Deeyah and her work, see her myspace page and check out this interview.
