Hissa Hilal’s public statements always deserve a thoughtful response. Much more than just “controversial” ideas, they inspire us to question and even change contemporary social norms affecting women. When Hilal competed on Abu Dhabi’s Million’s Poet earlier this year, for example, she gained worldwide attention for reciting an original poem that was a sharp-tongued condemnation of clerics who issue inhumane edicts. In 15 short but powerful verses, Hilal stirred up a heated public debate over the responsibilities of scholars to their audiences, and questioned the severe laws put into effect by Muslim clerics.
