News at St. Catherine's
Muslim Speaker Addresses Upper School Students
Upper School students recently heard from Ailya Vajid, the senior research associate for KARAMAH - Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights.
Upper School students recently heard from Ailya Vajid, the senior research associate for KARAMAH - Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights.
Vajid is a recent graduate of Harvard Divinity School where she earned her Master’s in Theological Studies with a concentration in Islam. Raised in California by parents who emigrated from Pakistan, Vajid expressed during her chapel talk that it wasn’t until college that she began to truly understand her Islamic faith and how religion, in general, drives people’s behavior.
Discussing a college trip to Pakistan, Vajid recalled her interaction with the local children. She reflected on her own life and the opportunity of education that these children, especially young girls, might never have. It was then that she realized her desire to know what her religion says about women, which led to her involvement with KARAMAH.
“KARAMAH represents women proactively within the religious guidelines and cultural values of our religion – Islam. We take holy texts and see what they say about the treatment of women and the difference between that and the reality of their treatment,” said Vajid.
According to their website, KARAMAH believes in the value of “informed participation of its members through the pursuit of knowledge.” They hold workshops for women and believe in the importance of male allies as a way to help initiate change.
After Vajid’s talk, she engaged in a lively conversation with students about everything from religion and education to the tradition of wearing a head scarf and September 11.
A few of the student and faculty questions are listed below:
A few of the student and faculty questions are listed below:
- Was it difficult growing up in California with foreign parents?
- Tell us about wearing a head scarf during your visit to Pakistan and how it made you feel?
- What brought your parents to America?
- Do you feel that you have chosen your religion or inherited it from your parents?
- How did September 11, 2011 change your and your parents’ lives?
- Have you ever been opening discriminated against because of your faith?
- If one of our St. Catherine’s girls traveled to Pakistan, what could they expect?
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
