So on my way here, the passenger next to me and I had a very interesting conversation during my flight. He told me, "It seems like the United States has run out of jobs, because they're just making some up: cat psychologist, dog whisperer, tornado chaser."
Dalam perjalanan kemari, saya terlibat dalam percakapan menarik dengan penumpang di sebelah saya selama penerbangan. Dia bilang, "Sepertinya Amerika kehabisan pekerjaan, karena beberapa di antaranya hanya dibuat-buat: psikolog kucing, pembisik anjing, pengejar tornado."
A couple of seconds later, he asked me, "So what do you do?"
Beberapa saat kemudian, ia bertanya pada saya, "Jadi apa pekerjaan Anda?"
And I was like, "Peacebuilder?" (Laughter)
Dan saya bilang, "Pembangun Perdamaian?" (Tertawa)
Every day, I work to amplify the voices of women and to highlight their experiences and their participation in peace processes and conflict resolution, and because of my work, I recognize that the only way to ensure the full participation of women globally is by reclaiming religion.
Setiap hari, saya bekerja untuk memperkuat suara wanita dan menonjolkan pengalaman mereka dan partisipasi mereka dalam proses perdamaian dan resolusi konflik, dan karena pekerjaan saya, saya menyadari satu-satunya cara memasti- kan partisipasi penuh wanita secara global adalah dengan merebut kembali agama.
Now, this matter is vitally important to me. As a young Muslim woman, I am very proud of my faith. It gives me the strength and conviction to do my work every day. It's the reason I can be here in front of you. But I can't overlook the damage that has been done in the name of religion, not just my own, but all of the world's major faiths. The misrepresentation and misuse and manipulation of religious scripture has influenced our social and cultural norms, our laws, our daily lives, to a point where we sometimes don't recognize it.
Nah, masalah ini amat penting bagi saya. Sebagai perempuan muda Muslimah, saya sangat bangga akan agama saya. Ia memberi kekuatan dan keyakinan dalam pekerjaan saya setiap hari. Itulah alasan saya bisa berada di sini di depan Anda semua. Tapi saya tak bisa mengabaikan kerusakan yang mengatas-namakan agama, bukan hanya agama saya, tapi semua agama besar di dunia. Penyalah-tafsiran, penyalah-gunaan, dan manipulasi ajaran agama telah mempengaruhi norma sosial dan budaya kita, hukum dan keseharian kita, sampai pada titik di mana kita kadang tak menyadarinya.
My parents moved from Libya, North Africa, to Canada in the early 1980s, and I am the middle child of 11 children. Yes, 11. But growing up, I saw my parents, both religiously devout and spiritual people, pray and praise God for their blessings, namely me of course, but among others. (Laughter) They were kind and funny and patient, limitlessly patient, the kind of patience that having 11 kids forces you to have. And they were fair. I was never subjected to religion through a cultural lens. I was treated the same, the same was expected of me. I was never taught that God judged differently based on gender. And my parents' understanding of God as a merciful and beneficial friend and provider shaped the way I looked at the world.
Orang tua saya pindah dari Libya, Afrika Utara ke Kanada pada awal tahun 1980-an, dan saya adalah anak tengah dari 11 bersaudara. Ya, 11. Tapi saya tumbuh besar melihat orangtua saya, keduanya sangat saleh dan religius, berdoa dan memuji Tuhan atas berkat-Nya, yaitu saya, tentu saja, di antara hal-hal lain. (Tawa) Mereka baik hati, lucu, dan sabar, amat sangat sabar, jenis kesabaran yang akan Anda miliki saat Anda punya 11 anak. Dan mereka adil. Saya tak pernah diekspos ke agama melalui sudut pandang budaya. Saya diperlakukan sama, harapan terhadap saya pun sama. Saya tak pernah diajarkan bahwa Tuhan membeda-bedakan gender. Dan pemahaman orang tua saya bahwa Tuhan itu teman yang pengampun, penolong, dan pemberi berkat, membentuk cara pandang saya terhadap dunia.
Now, of course, my upbringing had additional benefits. Being one of 11 children is Diplomacy 101. (Laughter) To this day, I am asked where I went to school, like, "Did you go to Kennedy School of Government?" and I look at them and I'm like, "No, I went to the Murabit School of International Affairs." It's extremely exclusive. You would have to talk to my mom to get in. Lucky for you, she's here. But being one of 11 children and having 10 siblings teaches you a lot about power structures and alliances. It teaches you focus; you have to talk fast or say less, because you will always get cut off. It teaches you the importance of messaging. You have to ask questions in the right way to get the answers you know you want, and you have to say no in the right way to keep the peace.
Nah, tentunya, ada keuntungan lain dibesarkan di keluarga saya. Menjadi bagian dari 11 bersaudara adalah pembelajaran Dasar Dasar Diplomasi. (Tawa) Sampai hari ini, orang selalu bertanya di mana saya bersekolah, misal, "Apa kamu sekolah di Kennedy School of Government?" saya menatap mereka dan berkata, "Tidak, saya belajar di Sekolah Hubungan Internasional Murabit." Sekolah yang sangat eksklusif. Anda harus bicara dengan ibu saya agar bisa masuk. Untungnya, beliau ada di sini. Tapi menjadi bagian dari 11 bersaudara dan punya 10 saudara kandung mengajarkan banyak pada saya tentang struktur kekuatan dan persekutuan. Mengajar Anda untuk fokus, bicara cepat atau bicara sedikit, karena Anda akan selalu disela. Mengajarkan betapa pentingnya menyampaikan pesan. Anda harus bertanya dengan benar untuk mendapatkan jawaban yang Anda mau, dan Anda harus tahu caranya berkata tidak untuk menjaga perdamaian.
But the most important lesson I learned growing up was the importance of being at the table. When my mom's favorite lamp broke, I had to be there when she was trying to find out how and by who, because I had to defend myself, because if you're not, then the finger is pointed at you, and before you know it, you will be grounded. I am not speaking from experience, of course.
Tapi pelajaran terpenting bagi saya ketika tumbuh besar adalah pentingnya berada di meja. Ketika lampu kesukaan ibu rusak, saya harus ada disana ketika ia berusaha mencari tahu kejadiannya dan siapa pelakunya, karena saya harus membela diri, karena jika tidak, maka tudingan akan mengarah pada Anda, dan tiba-tiba saja, Anda akan dihukum. Ini bukan pengalaman pribadi, tentu saja.
When I was 15 in 2005, I completed high school and I moved from Canada -- Saskatoon -- to Zawiya, my parents' hometown in Libya, a very traditional city. Mind you, I had only ever been to Libya before on vacation, and as a seven-year-old girl, it was magic. It was ice cream and trips to the beach and really excited relatives.
Ketika saya berusia 15 di tahun 2005, saya lulus SMA dan pindah dari Kanada -- Saskatoon -- ke Zawiya, kampung halaman orang tua saya di Libya, kota yang masih sangat tradisional. Anda perlu tahu bahwa saya hanya pernah mengunjungi Libya untuk liburan, dan sebagai anak umur tujuh, itu seperti keajaiban. Penuh es krim dan jalan-jalan ke pantai dan saudara yang menyenangkan.
Turns out it's not the same as a 15-year-old young lady. I very quickly became introduced to the cultural aspect of religion. The words "haram" -- meaning religiously prohibited -- and "aib" -- meaning culturally inappropriate -- were exchanged carelessly, as if they meant the same thing and had the same consequences. And I found myself in conversation after conversation with classmates and colleagues, professors, friends, even relatives, beginning to question my own role and my own aspirations. And even with the foundation my parents had provided for me, I found myself questioning the role of women in my faith.
Ternyata situasinya tak sama sebagai gadis umur 15 tahun. Dengan cepat saya diperkenalkan dengan aspek budaya dalam agama. Kata "haram" -- yang artinya dilarang secara agama -- dan "aib" -- yang artinya tak pantas secara budaya -- dipertukarkan begitu saja, seolah keduanya mempunyai arti dan konsekuensi yang sama. Setelah banyak percakapan dengan teman sekelas, kolega, profesor, sahabat, bahkan saudara, saya mulai mempertanyakan aturan dan aspirasi saya pribadi. Dan bahkan dengan fondasi yang dibekalkan orang tua saya, saya jadi mempertanyakan peran wanita dalam agama saya.
So at the Murabit School of International Affairs, we go very heavy on the debate, and rule number one is do your research, so that's what I did, and it surprised me how easy it was to find women in my faith who were leaders, who were innovative, who were strong -- politically, economically, even militarily. Khadija financed the Islamic movement in its infancy. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her. So why weren't we learning about her? Why weren't we learning about these women? Why were women being relegated to positions which predated the teachings of our faith? And why, if we are equal in the eyes of God, are we not equal in the eyes of men?
Jadi di Sekolah Hubungan Internasional Murabit, kami gencar memperdebatkannya, dan peraturan nomor satu adalah: gali informasi. Jadi saya melakukannya, dan saya terkejut betapa mudahnya menemukan wanita dalam agama saya yang menjadi pemimpin, yang inovatif, kuat -- secara politik, ekonomi, bahkan militer. Khadija mendanai pergerakan Muslim sejak awal berdirinya. Kami takkan berada di sini jika bukan karenanya. Jadi mengapa kita tidak mempelajari beliau? Mengapa kita tidak mempelajari para wanita ini? Mengapa wanita disingkirkan ke posisi yang mendahului dimulainya ajaran kepercayaan kami? Dan jika kita sama di mata Tuhan, mengapa kita tidak setara di mata pria?
To me, it all came back to the lessons I had learned as a child. The decision maker, the person who gets to control the message, is sitting at the table, and unfortunately, in every single world faith, they are not women. Religious institutions are dominated by men and driven by male leadership, and they create policies in their likeness, and until we can change the system entirely, then we can't realistically expect to have full economic and political participation of women. Our foundation is broken. My mom actually says, you can't build a straight house on a crooked foundation.
Saya kembali merunut pelajaran yang saya pelajari semasa kecil. Si pembuat keputusan, orang yang mengendalikan pesan, harus duduk di meja, dan celakanya, dalam tiap ajaran agama di dunia, mereka bukan wanita. Institusi agama didominasi oleh para pria dan digerakkan oleh kepemimpinan pria, dan mereka membuat kebijakan dalam rupa mereka, dan sebelum kita dapat mengubah keseluruhan sistemnya, kita tidak dapat mengharapkan secara realitis partisipasi penuh wanita di bidang ekonomi dan politik. Fondasi kita sudah tidak benar. Ibu saya berkata, kau tak dapat membangun rumah kokoh di atas fondasi yang bobrok.
In 2011, the Libyan revolution broke out, and my family was on the front lines. And there's this amazing thing that happens in war, a cultural shift almost, very temporary. And it was the first time that I felt it was not only acceptable for me to be involved, but it was encouraged. It was demanded. Myself and other women had a seat at the table. We weren't holding hands or a medium. We were part of decision making. We were information sharing. We were crucial. And I wanted and needed for that change to be permanent.
Tahun 2011, revolusi Libya pecah, dan keluarga saya ada di barisan depan. Dan ada hal luar biasa yang terjadi dalam perang, yang hampir seperti pergeseran budaya, walau sementara. Dan itu pertama kali saya tak hanya merasa diterima untuk terlibat, tapi juga dimotivasi, diharapkan. Saya dan wanita lainnnya mendapat tempat di meja itu. Kami bukan sekadar perantara, atau menemani di sana. Kami bagian dari pembuat keputusan. Kami pembagi informasi. Kami penting. Dan saya ingin dan butuh perubahan itu menjadi permanen.
Turns out, that's not that easy. It only took a few weeks before the women that I had previously worked with were returning back to their previous roles, and most of them were driven by words of encouragement from religious and political leaders, most of whom cited religious scripture as their defense. It's how they gained popular support for their opinions.
Ternyata, tak semudah itu. Hanya beberapa minggu kemudian, para wanita yang sebelumnya bekerja bersama saya kembali menekuni peran mereka sebelumnya, dan kebanyakan tergerak karena kata-kata motivasi para pemimpin agama dan politik, yang kebanyakan mengutip ajaran agama sebagai pembelaan mereka. Itulah cara mereka mendapat dukungan masyarakat atas opini mereka.
So initially, I focused on the economic and political empowerment of women. I thought that would lead to cultural and social change. It turns out, it does a little, but not a lot. I decided to use their defense as my offense, and I began to cite and highlight Islamic scripture as well.
Awalnya, saya berfokus pada pemberdayaan wanita di bidang ekonomi dan politik. Saya kira itu akan membawa perubahan sosial dan budaya. Dan memang terjadi sedikit perubahan, tapi tak banyak. Saya putuskan untuk menggunakan pembelaan mereka sebagai serangan, dan saya mulai mengutip dan menekankan ajaran Muslim juga.
In 2012 and 2013, my organization led the single largest and most widespread campaign in Libya. We entered homes and schools and universities, even mosques. We spoke to 50,000 people directly, and hundreds of thousands more through billboards and television commercials, radio commercials and posters.
Tahun 2012 dan 2013, organisasi saya memimpin kampanye terbesar dan terluas di Libya. Kami memasuki rumah dan sekolah dan universitas, bahkan Masjid. Kami berbicara pada 50,000 orang secara langsung, dan ratusan ribu lainnya melalui papan iklan dan iklan televisi, radio, dan poster.
And you're probably wondering how a women's rights organization was able to do this in communities which had previously opposed our sheer existence. I used scripture. I used verses from the Quran and sayings of the Prophet, Hadiths, his sayings which are, for example, "The best of you is the best to their family." "Do not let your brother oppress another." For the first time, Friday sermons led by local community imams promoted the rights of women. They discussed taboo issues, like domestic violence. Policies were changed. In certain communities, we actually had to go as far as saying the International Human Rights Declaration, which you opposed because it wasn't written by religious scholars, well, those same principles are in our book. So really, the United Nations just copied us.
Dan Anda mungkin heran bagaimana organisasi hak asasi wanita mampu melakukannya, dalam komunitas yang sebelumnya menentang keberadaan kami yang nyaris tak terlihat. Saya menggunakan ajaran. Saya menggunakan ayat Qur'an dan sabda Nabi, sabda Hadiths, contohnya: "Yang terbaik darimu adalah yang terbaik bagi keluarga mereka." "Jangan biarkan saudaramu menindas sesamanya." Untuk pertama kalinya, khotbah Jumatan yang dipimpin oleh imam komunitas setempat mendukung hak-hak wanita. Mereka mendiskusikan topik tabu, seperti kekerasan dalam rumah tangga. Kebijakan diubah. Dalam komunitas tertentu, kami benar-benar harus sampai berkoar mengenai Deklarasi Hak-Hak Asasi Internasional, yang ditentang karena tidak ditulis oleh ahli agama, yah, kami juga punya prinsip yang sama pada Kitab kami. Jadi sesungguhnya, PBB hanya menyalinnya.
By changing the message, we were able to provide an alternative narrative which promoted the rights of women in Libya. It's something that has now been replicated internationally, and while I am not saying it's easy -- believe me, it's not. Liberals will say you're using religion and call you a bad conservative. Conservatives will call you a lot of colorful things. I've heard everything from, "Your parents must be extremely ashamed of you" -- false; they're my biggest fans -- to "You will not make it to your next birthday" -- again wrong, because I did. And I remain a very strong believer that women's rights and religion are not mutually exclusive. But we have to be at the table. We have to stop giving up our position, because by remaining silent, we allow for the continued persecution and abuse of women worldwide. By saying that we're going to fight for women's rights and fight extremism with bombs and warfare, we completely cripple local societies which need to address these issues so that they're sustainable.
Dengan mengubah pesannya, kami dapat memberikan narasi alternatif yang mempromosikan hak-hak wanita di Libya. Itulah sesuatu yang saat ini telah ditiru di seluruh dunia, dan meski saya tidak bilang ini mudah -- percayalah, ini tak mudah. Kaum Liberal menuduh Anda memanfaatkan agama, menyebut Anda konservatif jahat. Kaum konservatif akan menghina Anda dengan berbagai hinaan. Saya telah dihina berbagai macam, dari, "Orang tuamu pasti sangat malu" salah; mereka adalah penggemar terberat saya -- sampai, "Kau takkan hidup sampai ulang tahunmu berikutnya" -- salah lagi, karena saya masih hidup. Dan saya masih sangat percaya bahwa hak-hak wanita & agama tidaklah ekslusif. Tapi kita harus berada di meja itu. Kita harus berhenti pasrah dengan posisi kami, karena dengan terus diam, kita mengizinkan berlangsungnya penyiksaan dan penganiayaan wanita di dunia. Dengan menyatakan kita akan memperjuangkan hak-hak wanita dan memerangi ekstrimis dengan bom dan perang, kita sungguh melumpuhkan masyarakat lokal yang seharusnya mengatasi masalah ini sehingga mereka berkesinambungan.
It is not easy, challenging distorted religious messaging. You will have your fair share of insults and ridicule and threats. But we have to do it. We have no other option than to reclaim the message of human rights, the principles of our faith, not for us, not for the women in your families, not for the women in this room, not even for the women out there, but for societies that would be transformed with the participation of women. And the only way we can do that, our only option, is to be, and remain, at the table.
Tak mudah untuk menentang pesan agama yang menyimpang. Anda akan mendapatkan banyak celaan, olok-olok, dan ancaman. Tapi kita harus melakukannya. Kita tak punya pilihan selain menyuarakan pesan hak-hak asasi manusia, prinsip kepercayaan kami, bukan untuk kami, bukan untuk wanita di keluarga Anda, bukan untuk wanita di ruangan ini, bukan juga untuk wanita di luar sana, melainkan untuk masyarakat yang akan diubah karena partisipasi wanita. Dan satu-satunya cara untuk dapat melakukannya, pilihan kita satu-satunya, adalah untuk berada, dan tetap berada di meja itu.
Thank you.
Terima kasih.
(Applause)
(Tepuk tangan)