The Iraqi Princess Fighting for Women in Science
Nisreen El-Hashemite is a medical doctor and geneticist. She is also an Iraqi princess. Now, she is using the words of Islam to advocate for women in science.
Nisreen El-Hashemite seems an unlikely champion of women in science. First, there’s her genetics. The granddaughter of Faisal I, the first king of modern Iraq, El-Hashemite is a princess. Also, she is Muslim. Her family traces its roots to the great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of Islam. Extreme forms of Islam are known to oppress women and prevent the education of young girls. The Islamic State militant group, also known as ISIS, has declared that women should have no pursuits outside of the home, and girls should end their education by age 15 and be married soon after.
Yet El-Hashemite has become a vocal proponent of gender equality in science, and she’s using
