Lead organiser of the workshop, Ms. Mirjam Kunkler from Columbia University felt that activists from both countries could learn much from one another. Iran has been home to some of the most influential Islamic thinkers in the world, and thus can serve as an intellectual source of inspiration for Indonesian Muslims. Indonesian Islam meanwhile has had a long history of tolerance for other faiths as well as an active role for women in religious mass organisations which can be used as a template to be exported to other areas of the Muslim world such as Iran.

Over the course of the workshop, participants discussed various issues such as the stipulations of shari'a (Islamic law), how it is applied, women's rights discourse, advocacy and strategies. Participants spoke from their own experiences in working with women's rights, both in Iran and Indonesia as well as the different challenges that each country has. For example, in Iran Islam and Islamic teachings are closely tied to the state, whereas in Indonesia they are not and this in turn creates different sets of opportunities and challenges for activists.


Participants were also invited to visit another nearby pesantren, Suryalaya, which specializes in providing rehabilitation for drug addicts through spiritual means. While there participants were able to have a dialogue and discussion with the pesantren leader (kiai), which brought out some of the similarities and shared concerns between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.


The program ended with participants drawing up suggestions and possibilities for future cooperation between activists in Indonesia and Iran. It is hoped that the contacts established throughout the workshop will later be put to use in developing a stronger framework for women's rights in Islam, crossing national and sectarian boundaries.