I n her home country of Morocco, Aicha Ech Channa has been condemned for her work. But Wednesday in Minneapolis, she received praise and the $1 million Opus Prize.
A former social worker, Ech Channa is the founder of an organization that helps unwed mothers, an effort that Islamic extremists decry.
She is the first Muslim to win the Opus award. The annual humanitarian award from the Minnetonka-based Opus Prize Foundation goes to unsung heroes for their faith-based acts of compassion.
The awards are given in conjunction with a college or university that agrees to integrate the prize into its curriculum as an educational and inspirational tool. This year it was the University of St. Thomas.
| Movie Finder |
Although it is given in partnership with Catholic schools, the award is open to all faiths.
Ech Channa, 68, is the founder and president of the Association for Women's Solidarity. In the 1980s, she was working for the Moroccan Ministry of Social Affairs, where unwed mothers came seeking help, even though little help was available. Under Islamic law, the women were considered prostitutes, and many had their babies taken away over their objections.
Considering that unacceptable, Ech Channa launched her program in 1985. It offers women legal counseling, job training and medical and psychological support with a goal of making them self-sufficient so they can raise their children.
"I don't get involved in politics," she said through an interpreter, "but I do work very hard to get my point of view across."