On March 23, Asra Nomani made headlines when she led a Muslim prayer service at Brandeis-she was one of the first women in America ever to do so. Before the prayer service, she spoke about her life and her activism. Asra Nomani inspired me to find new ways to be strong, to speak up and to stand up for what I believe in.Nomani said that after September 11, 2001, she began to see Islam as defined by extremism. She said religious repression was being spread by "ideological bullies" who pray five times a day, yet display behavior and beliefs that do not reflect the true teachings of Islam.

Beliefs that Nomani questioned in particular were those that applied to Muslim women. Nomani had always entered her mosque through the back door with the other women, and had prayed in the balcony away from the men. Her background as an investigative journalist led her to begin researching Muslim women's rights. Though she sat for hours at computer databases, researched holy texts, and interviewed people around the world to uncover the real story behind women's rights, she did not find evidence to support the oppression of women in Islam.

Nomani became fed up with it all-she walked through the front door of her mosque with the men and prayed near them. "The men yelled and screamed at me. I sat 20 feet behind them, but I was still too much of a threat," she said. "One man told me my voice was forbidden. He said if I did not believe [in his interpretation] I was not a Muslim."

Like many of us, she claimed, she had begun her career wanting to change the world. It seemed that now she had a direction to follow toward pusuing that goal. Nomani founded the Muslim Women's Freedom Tour, and she helped organize a prayer where a woman stood at the front.

To me, her call to action was loud and clear. She said every one of us needs to stand up for the things we believe in. Our activism can be small, with the potential to make a big difference. Nomani said that when she entered her mosque through the front door, the men ignored her in protest, but a boy stared at her. "My form of activism was to say "shalom" to him and give him a smile. That way he wouldn't be afraid of me. He wouldn't grow up to be afraid of women in that sacred space."

I felt her personal story was an example of how hard it can be to stand up for what we believe in. In fact, it was the death of her good friend, Daniel Pearl, which spurred her into action. Hopefully we won't all wait for a catastrophe in our lives before we act. But in spite of the difficulty, hers is a success story. Because of their work, she and her group have been able to change perceptions, and she was able to lead prayer at Brandeis!

When asked what drives her, Nomani answered, "It's the spirit of love in Islam that compels me. It's about practicing. It's about living your life. It's about being kind to people during your day. I'm committed to this because I know the alternative is unacceptable." This says to me that most importantly, activism begins on an individual level.

Please take a look at http://www.asranomani.com for more information about this inspirational woman.