Source: The Colorado Springs Gazette
It's a stereotypical image, to be sure: a Muslim woman covered head-to-toe, her head held low in apparent subjection.
Maybe it's a common scene in some parts of the world, but in the United States, it's a different picture. Certainly, some Muslim women in the U.S. wear traditional dress, such as the head scarf known as the hijab, but most do not. And though many unequivocally accept Islam, plenty of Muslim women in the U.S. feel comfortable enough to question its customs.
"America is a good place for Muslims to freely explore issues," said Louay Safi, executive director of the Islamic Society of North America, which in 2006 named Ingrid Mattson as the association's first female president. "Given the freedom this country offers, there is room to have meaningful debate on important issues."