By Imam Khalid Latif
I remember the first time I met a young Muslim woman who had been beaten by her father for refusing to marry a man from their country of origin. I was 19 at the time and an undergrad at New York University.
I also distinctly remember a series of other first time interactions: the first time I met a Muslim woman who had been raped; a Muslim woman who had been molested; a Muslim woman who had been told her only purpose in life was to please her husband; a Muslim woman who could find no one to help her break out of an abusive marriage; a Muslim woman who was completely confident that whoever she married would end up cheating on her; and many more. I also remember every other woman who over the years has told me about similar life experiences that they have had. All of them come to mind as I try to digest what is currently taking place in Nigeria and the over 200 women that were recently abducted there and have started to be trafficked. [Read more…]