Stay tuned in to my blog for the next five days - I'll be providing a first-person perspective on the 2009 Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) Conference, to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 16-19, 2009.  As an evaluation assistant charged with gathering feedback and helping the conference run smoothly, I'll be listening in as more than 100 female scholars, theologians, activists and artists gather in one of the world’s most multicultural and religiously diverse Muslim nations to discuss how women's voices can be amplified in the arena of political, social and theological discussion in the global Islamic community.  The event is the brainchild of the American Society for Muslim Advancement in collaboration with several international organizations including the Malaysia-based Sisters in Islam.  The latter has been the object of some controversy in its home country, particularly for its assertion that the Qur'an does not mandate that Muslim women wear headscarves.  

 I've been living in Malaysia for six months now and, however I actually feel on any issue discussed at the conference, I'm excited for some healthy and open-minded discussion.  More than a few Malaysians will assert that "We don't discuss controversial/sensitive issues."  More than a few women at this conference will surely disagree.