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{{Short description|Palestinian American doctor}}
{{use dmy dates |date=May 2024}}
'''Laila Al-Marayati''' ({{langx|ar|ليلى المراياتي}}; born 1962) is a [[Palestinian-American]] doctor and a Muslim activist, and former presidential appointee to the [[US Commission on International Religious Freedom]], where she served for two years after being appointed by President [[Bill Clinton]].

Al-Marayati was born in 1962 and was raised in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name=imeu>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419102807/http://imeu.net/news/article005780.shtml |website=Institute for Middle East Understanding |title=Laila Al-Marayati: Doctor and humanitarian |url=http://imeu.net/news/article005780.shtml |archive-date=19 April 2014}}</ref> Her father, the late Dr. Sabri El Farra, was originally from the Gaza Strip<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=McDonnell Twair |first=Pat |date=2003 |title=U.S. physician assesses needs of Gaza's imprisoned population |work=The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs; Washington |pages=24-25 |volume=22 |issue=2 |id={{Proquest|218808185}}}}</ref> and her mother is from Missouri.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

She earned her medical degree from [[UC-Irvine]], and received specialty training in [[Obstetrics and Gynecology]] at [[Los Angeles County]] [[University of Southern California|USC]] Women's Hospital. After, she opened her own practice focusing on [[gynecology]], which she ran for 11 years.<ref name=imeu /> She is currently an Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://keck.usc.edu/faculty-search/laila-a-al-marayati/ |title=Laila A. Al Marayati, MD |website=Keck School of Medicine of USC |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref> She also serves as the Director of Women's Health at the Eisner Pediatric and Family Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

In the 1990s, Al-Marayati served as a member of the [[US State Department]]'s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad,{{Cn|date=May 2025}} and in 1995 she was appointed by [[Hillary Rodham-Clinton]] to be a member of the official United States' delegation to the [[United Nations]] [[Fourth World Conference on Women]] in [[Beijing]], [[China]].<ref name=":0" />

From 1999 to 2001, she served as a presidential appointee to the [[US Commission on International Religious Freedom]] (USCIRF).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mwlusa.org/news/clinton_commission.html |title=President Clinton names three to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom |website=Muslim Women's League |date=6 May 1999 |access-date=28 May 2024}}</ref>

In addition, she has been the spokesperson for the [[Muslim Women's League]], based in [[Los Angeles]] since 1994. The MWL's main work has been to educate Muslims and non-Muslims alike about the rights of women in Islam. She is the author of numerous articles and position papers on a range of issues that include topics such as sexuality in Islam and violence against women. Al-Marayati led a fact-finding delegation to Croatia during the Balkan War to help spread awareness about rape survivors from Bosnia. She continues to be an outspoken critic against female genital cutting (also known as female circumcision or female genital mutilation) and other practices that are harmful to women.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

As of 2006, Al-Marayati was involved with the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and in this role she talks about the perception of Muslims in the media.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Elliott |first=Hannah |date=2006-09-22 |title=U.S. Muslims say they're paying price |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-us-muslims-say-th/172481413/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |work=The Huntsville Times |pages=31}}</ref>

As of 2025 she is the chairperson of KinderUSA,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goodstein |first=Laurie |date=2004-11-15 |title=Since 9/11, Muslims Look Closer to Home |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/15/giving/since-911-muslims-look-closer-to-home.html?searchResultPosition=1 |access-date=2025-05-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.kinderusa.org/about-us/board-of-directors/ |access-date=28 May 2024 |website=KinderUSA}}</ref> and in this role she has traveled to Gaza to determine medical and food needs for Gazans living in the area.<ref name=":0" />

== Personal life ==
She is married to [[Salam al-Marayati]],<ref>{{cite web |date=October 21, 2005 |title=Dr. Laila al-Marayati (MPAC) |url=http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/al_marayati_dr_layla/ |access-date=28 May 2024 |website=The American Muslim}}</ref> the president of the [[Muslim Public Affairs Council]].{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

==References==

{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071018143523/http://www.thegreatlecturelibrary.com/index.php?select=speaker&data=545 Biography of Laila Al-Marayati], Chautauqua Foundation
* [http://www.meforum.org/2448/raymond-ibrahim-muslim-charity-debate "Muslim charity debate,"] Al Jazeera English, Aug. 25, 2009
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/10/AR2006031001859.html "The Crime of Being a Muslim Charity"], Laila al-Marayati and Basil Abdelkarim, Washington Post, Mar. 12, 2006.
* {{Cite magazine |last=Weathers |first=Diane |date=2002 |title=Waging peace |magazine=Essence; New York |pages=174-182 |volume=33 |issue=5 |id={{Proquest|223168267}}}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marayati, Laila Al-}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:University of California, Irvine alumni]]
[[Category:Keck School of Medicine of USC alumni]]
[[Category:University of Southern California faculty]]
[[Category:American people of Palestinian descent]]
[[Category:20th-century Palestinian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Palestinian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Palestinian diplomats]]
[[Category:21st-century Palestinian physicians]]

Laila Al-Marayati - Revision history

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