Islamic women's conference

More than 1,000 persons from around the Islamic world have gathered in Rabat to attend a conference on Islamic women, organized by the Moroccan government, which aims at creating a foundation between Moslems and women's movements.

Among the speakers are Fayza Hashemi, daughter of the former Iranian president; a Saudi princess; a Shiite delegation from Lebanon; Egypt, Morocco and the daughter of Morocco's King Hassan II.

This is the first time an Arab government has sponsored a conference on the rights of women in Islam.

Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi canceled his involvement in a conference for foreign investors to attend this event. King Hassan authorized his daughter, Princess Lalla Meriem, to deliver the opening address for the conference, where she said that Islam was the first religion that spoke on liberating women, 14 centuries ago.