“What I found when I read the Qur’an was a message of liberation and equity.” —Edina Lekovic
“God [says] in the Qur’an that He willed unto Himself the Law of Mercy—so that if that is God’s criterion for Himself, that is for all of us as well. Anything that violates those principles then, by definition, cannot be Islamic.” —Dr. Laila al-Marayati
“NO Muslim scholar across history with any degree of authority has ever understood [the Qur’an’s so-called ‘beating verse’] as divine sanction for wife abuse.” —Dr. Asma Sayeed
About the Presentation
In this presentation, Edina Lekovic, Dr. Laila Al-Marayati, and Dr. Asma Sayeed examine what the Qur’an teaches about women, violence, mercy, and peace.
Drawing on theological, historical, and personal perspectives, they address common misconceptions about Islam and women’s rights, explore how patriarchal cultures have shaped interpretations of scripture, and highlight the Qur’an’s broader emphasis on dignity, justice, equity, and mercy.
The conversation also points to the importance of religious literacy, contextual reading, and the growing role of women scholars in interpreting Islamic texts and challenging readings that have been used to justify inequality or harm.
Edina Lekovic hosts the podcast “Meet the Moment” and was formerly a consultant at the Muslim Public Affairs Council. She frequently serves as a national spokesperson for the American Muslim community to media outlets, government officials, interfaith leaders, academic institutions, and community organizations.
Laila Al-Marayati, MD is a Palestinian-American doctor and Islamic activist. President Bill Clinton appointed her to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, where she served two years. In the 1990s Al-Marayati was a member of the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad.
Dr. Asma Sayeed is Associate Professor and the Program Director of Islamic Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her primary research interests include women and gender studies, early and classical Muslim social history, and the intersections of law and social history.
Dr. Sayeed received her PhD from Princeton University.