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GHENA:
Contemporary Women's Advocate
Can
you introduce yourself - who you are and what do you do?
My name is Ghena Krayem and I am 27 years old. I graduated with
first class honours in Law from the University of Sydney in 1999.
I am an Associate Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of
Sydney as well as undertaking my PhD, which involves an analysis
of the application of Islamic Family Law in Australia.
Can you describe your upbringing and
the role that your parents played in influencing your goals?
I am the youngest of seven children and I grew up in a family with
an emphasis on strong moral values and beliefs. Being the youngest,
I was well looked after by not only my parents but also my sisters
and brothers who are a great deal older than me, and to whom I feel
I owe a great deal of gratitude, for their nurturing and protection.
In fact they were and still are great role models, and it was through
them that I was able to expand my horizons. They have been very
generous with their time and love, and grew up with the certain
knowledge that they will always be there for me whenever I needed
them.
My parents are people beyond description; they have sacrificed greatly
for the sake of their children. They were firm believers in the
value of education for girls, at a time when it was not encouraged
in our community. My father taught me the greatest lesson, that
the key to success is to have faith in Allah (SWT) and to believe
in yourself. He was a confident builder, pushing me to keep going
even when it got tough. My mother instilled in me humility and humbleness,
and taught me that sacrifice has no limit. Together, along with
my faith in Allah (SWT), they are pillar of strength, I know that
no matter what happens they will always be there to support me,
and even at this stage they continue to make sacrifices for me,
ones that I know I can never repay.
Can you explain how you chose what
to do when you left school?
I had always been interested in law, and guess I felt that it would
give me a sense of empowerment, and because laws make up the foundation
of our society it would give me a better understanding of the world
around me. I remember during my HSC year, praying to Allah (SWT),
that if I were to do law, that I would do it for the sake of Allah
(SWT), and that I would find some way to help the community. Indeed
this promise that I made to Allah (SWT) is one that I am always
conscious of, and hope that I will fulfil throughout my life. I
also wanted to challenge the stereotypes about Muslim Women, the
stereotypes that portray Muslim Women as ignorant, oppressed, weak
second-class citizens. I wanted and still do want to be a picture
of a true Muslim Woman- one who is empowered by her faith to succeed
in life at every level. I believe that it is important to show that
Muslim women are capable of high achievement and that they make
important contributions to society.
How are you able to combine your work
/career with having a family?
At this stage in my life, I am combining both work and study with
marriage and raising a young child. How am I able to do this? With
a great deal of reliance on Allah (SWT), I pray that me intentions
are for his sake and I firmly believe that my successes in life
come from him, there is nothing inherently special about me, I can
only do the things I do with the will of Allah (SWT). I thank Allah
(SWT) for the support he has placed in my life, as the support of
my parents and husband has been crucial to my success.
I believe one can combine a family with work, but one needs to be
aware of their responsibilities towards other people, and ensure
that they are fulfilling these. For example I could never be comfortable
in going out to work, if I felt that my son's needs were not being
met, for ultimately it is my responsibility to ensure that he grows
up in the best possible environment, with a great deal of love and
mercy.
Have you experienced discrimination
in the workplace as a result of your religion?
Alhamdullilah, praise to be God, I have been very fortunate in this
regard. In fact I would say that the doors of opportunity have opened
before me because of my faith. I have never felt hampered by my
religion, nor by my Islamic dress, as evidenced by my previous employment
working alongside a Judge in the Supreme Court of NSW (who went
out of his way to accommodate my daily prayers needs). That is not
to say that I have not had comments about my dress made by ignorant
people, or that I have not faced challenges in the work environment,
but I don't feel that these impacted on my overall work experience.
I strongly believe that you have to have faith in Allah (SWT) and
submit to his will. If it is in his plan for you to work somewhere
it will become readily made available to you, and if he chooses
to place a challenge before you then remember that he believes you
have the strength to overcome it.
What has been your greatest inspiration in life?
Clearly my inspiration is my faith, my submission to Allah (SWT)
and my love for him. I recognise that we are on this earth for a
purpose and we must make the most of the time, opportunities, experiences
and people who we meet. Despite the widespread myth that depicts
Islam as a violent, ugly faith, full of terror and oppression, I
want the world to see the true picture of Islam. The faith chosen
by Allah (SWT) for humankind, the uncorrupted and pure view of a
faith that literally means submission and peace, a faith that stands
against oppression and a faith that empowered women over 1400 years
ago.
Do you have a message for young Muslim women in Australia?
You must believe in yourself, believe that with the help of Allah
(SWT) you can succeed. You must place Allah (SWT) firmly in front
of you at all times, to remember that through him you are everything,
and that without him you are nothing. Ask yourself who am I? What
am I doing here? And where am I going? - With true contemplation
you will realise the importance of life and that as an individual
you have a crucial role to play in the overall well being of this
world. Finally, be passionate about seeking knowledge, for it is
a great act of worship, as the more you learn the closer you become
to Allah (SWT), and remember that with knowledge lies the progression
and advancement of our Ummah, Muslim community, inshallah, God willing,
the end of the oppression of many people around the world.
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