Thank you Ms Ali for this eloquently written piece that shared inspirational stories with us.

I am happy to hear about the amazing work of these three phenomenal women. It is more articles like these that we need to hear about concerning this community of over one billion. Rather than the radical minority which flood the media.

As an American woman, I am aware of the flight of woman GLOBALLY. Many of these issues affect all females regardless of race, religion and nationality.

I do not beleive it is a religion or book that oppresses. It is men and the powerful. Education and knowledge is the answer, as the women in this article have discovered.

Thank you Ms. Salma Ali. And bravo to the three honored Muslim women who have brought meaningful and substantive change through microfinance, social entrepreneurship, and Islamic jurisprudence. They serve as witnesses to the egalitarian message of Islam and personify the rational for reform within the context and spirit of the Quran—the one trusted source that holds possibilities for guiding muslims towards social justice, and away from cultural/ patriarchal projection.

The only solution to the Muslim women's identity/garb woes is to delete all the offensive passages in the Koran i.e. those passages that call for world and female domination by Muslim males.

Ha this is funny, you need to do your homework you muslim hater. If you take out those passages and other violent passages from the koran then what will be left of it? Three maybe four pages?

It was uplifting and enlightening to read about these 3 Muslim women from different countries, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds, who shared a commitment and passion to make the world more just and more safe for girls. All women, from wherever we hail, no matter how we dress, and in whatever religion we have been raised, cannot fail to appreciate their bravery, their loyalty and their commitment to a better world. Thank you Salma Hasan Ali for sharing their stories.

Thank you to Salma Hasan Ali, washingtonpost.com and Common Ground News Service for this wonderful article highlighting the stories and strength of these three Muslim women. These three women represent women the world over, Muslim or not, who have worked to provide education and economic independence for women - those are the keys to the empowerment of girls and women of every ethnicity and religion. I look forward to more positive, illuminating and hopeful stories and examples - please keep them coming!!! It is only by sharing the truth that the ignorant assumptions about Islam and women will be dispelled!

Thank you Salma Hasan Ali for this well-written and enlightening article about these three amazing women. The media needs to have more stories like this to educate non-muslims like me about the many achievements of Muslim women around the globe. It is articles like this that help us build bridges between cultures and ultimately bring more peace to our world.

The only solution to the Muslim women's identity/garb woes is to delete all the offensive passages in the Koran i.e. those passages that call for world and female domination by Muslim males.
Posted by: YEAL9
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Yeal, that's Islam's main problem - it's incapable of modernization as it has no reform mechanism.

In order to a religious movement to remain relevant, it need some sort of methodology for rejecting outdated and counter-productive practices. Islam has no such mechanism.

Treating women like domestic slaves with a baby-making function may have been a social advance back in Mohammad's day, but it's destructive and backward in the modern era. As long as Islamic societies suppress and oppress one half of their adult populations, they will continue to fall behind the rest of the world on the development scale.

The Koran is a load of bollocks written by an illiterate second-hand camel salesman back in the dark ages when superstition and odd-ball beliefs were rife, and ignorance was bliss.
Posted by: Rongoklunk
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Rongo, this is complete crap. Muhammad was a carpet salesman before he made up his religion.

Dear Salma Hasan Ali,
Pakistani on the Potomac.

A nice article,but,not realistic and it doesnt reflect Women Situation in Islam.
You should be Consistent.
Islam/Submission subjugates woman.It's not False Pretext.
Islam enslaves woman.Woman has no Right of Divorce and it's Slavery.
Islam debases woman.For Adeltury Case,Islam claims Only Four Male Witnesses.Woman has No Name.

You shouldnt be in Contradiction.
You are Lucky and living on the Potomac/Washington,but,what about women in Desert ?
Very few Exceptional Women in USA and Europe can not cover the Real Problems of millions and millions Muslim Women in Islamic Countries.

“Three Muslim women will be honored by Vital Voices Global Partnership, a Washington-based organization that works to empower women around the world.

My list of the women of Muslim background that had the most influence on empowering Muslim women would be Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan and Nonie Darwish.

The Koran is a load of bollocks written by an illiterate second-hand camel salesman back in the dark ages when superstition and odd-ball beliefs were rife, and ignorance was bliss.

The only solution to the Muslim women's identity/garb woes is to delete all the offensive passages in the Koran i.e. those passages that call for world and female domination by Muslim males.