Many Muslim women in the city are defying stereotypes and leading a growing and diverse movement as community activists. NY1's Ruschell Boone concludes her week-long look at the city's Islamic community with the following report.

Whether it's protesting the president's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan or developing community programs, Muslim women like Monami Maulik have been at the forefront of advocacy work to help and empower their people.

In 2000, Maulik and a handful of others founded Desis Rising Up and Moving in Jackson Heights, Queens to help undocumented South Asian immigrants and workers.

"Unlike the stereotypes of immigrant women or Muslim women or South Asian women, they are very involved because they see hardship and pain firsthand," says Maulik.

Today, DRUM has 600 members and women are leading the charge. Community organizer Ayesha Mahmooda signed up to join the group after some encouragement from her parents.

"We are four sisters and my mom, so it's five women in the house. My father is the only male but he is so supportive," says Mahmooda.

While these women have become very vocal about political and social issues, many others still remain quiet in the background. Some activists say that is because they still live in a male-dominated culture.

"It might be a husband who is not supportive and the women will come while he's away and then when he comes back she might not come to class again," says activist Sunita Viswanath. "Very recently, there was a wonderful young Afghan woman who was volunteering through the summer once her father came to this office we never saw her again."

Viswanath started the organization Women for Afghan Women in early 2001 to support women oppressed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Unlike DRUM, the group backs the U.S. military buildup in the region, seeing it as a way of liberating Afghan women.

The group is also increasingly active in organizing women in United States.

"It's not the easiest thing for them to come to the Women for Afghan Women office. We've seen more openness talking about the issues of women's rights among the women we work with," says Viswanath.

Once interested Muslim women take their first steps in activism, some find there's no going back.