Of course, you could text a young, Muslim woman if you needed revolutionary advice, but then you would miss the most powerful element in her radical repertoire - her voice. And that beautiful voice is being heard all around the world..
For the most part, their rise to political prominence began two years ago as millions of young, female Iranians dressed in green (the color of the anti-Ahmadinejad, anti-clerical coalition) and poured out onto the streets of Tehran, Isfahan and other cities across the nation to protest the sham elections and the sham religious state. For the leaders of Iran, religion is but a means to exploit its citizens for power and wealth. And how did the corrupt, self-appointed ruling class respond to the courageous, idealistic activism shown by their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters? They unleashed their private security forces to beat, arrest and murder the unarmed protesters (both male and female) in cold blood. One young female protester, known as 'Neda,' was killed by a bullet fired indiscriminately - for simply walking with her friends in a peaceful demonstration.
.
Over the past few months, young, Muslim women have been on the march across North Africa and the Middle East, and they are the most inspiring force of historical change to come along since the Eastern European revolutions and the Tiananmen uprising of 1989.
.
Three elements of their approach set these revolutionaries apart from all others. First, they are organized at a grass-roots level. One need not know a single word of Arabic, French or Farsi to see that these women have put together a program of activism from the bottom-up. Just by looking at the photos of their campaigns, it is easy to discern that they have vigorously networked, formed alliances with like-minded groups and individuals and planned a comprehensive strategy. Second, they have taken up the principles of non-violence. While these young, female revolutionaries are apt to block a highway (as was recently done in Syria), march in the streets and chant cries of reform, they neither throw stones nor endorse violence. Following in the footsteps of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., their struggle for freedom and equality is firmly rooted in moral force. As a result, these women have brought a countless number of young Muslim men over to their cause - to everyone's cause.
.
Western nations, particularly the US and the UK, have criticized Islamic countries for failing to preclude violent radicalism with reform. Well US and UK, here are your reformers. Embrace them. Thirdly, these inspiring women have unified across religious and sectarian lines. While Coptic Christians, Jews and various sects of Muslims stood side by side in Egypt, Sunnis and Shias are now standing together across the Muslim world with one voice and one dream - a string of tolerant and free societies from Tripoli to Sana'a. What could be more inspiring?
.
The governments and religious elites of Egypt, Iran, Syria, Libya and elsewhere have done everything possible to place and relegate women to secondary status for hundreds of years. In 2009 in Iran and in 2011 elsewhere in the Muslim world, a new generation of young, Muslim women decided that their time had come to stand against corruption and tyranny - and stand up for themselves. As a result, they are paying a high price. In Syria over the last month, the state has declared war against its discontented young women. Hundreds and perhaps thousands have been arrested. According to the latest news wires, approximately 850 male and female unarmed protesters have been killed by the government. A few days ago, security forces brazenly killed four women in a small town near the Mediterranean as part of a new campaign directly aimed to silence women through intimidation, arrest and murder. Why have the governments of Iran and Syria resorted to brutality against their unarmed female populations? It is because they rightly understand one important truth. Women constitute the most potent force for real change the Muslim world has ever witnessed.
.
Quite similar to any revolution waged for human dignity, it is a tale of both triumph and tragedy. If these young, Muslim women are as resilient as they appear, the story they are making will have a happy ending for their generation - and generations to come.
.
(Photo: Syrian women protesting their government)
.
J Roquen