PIP: After Zarah Yacoub made a film denouncing female genital mutilation, an imam in Chad issued an order to have her executed. Yacoub had to go into hiding until international pressure caused the government of Chad to force the imam to withdraw the edict. This incident shows the impact of laws on women's lives and explains the challenge faced by "Women Living Under Muslim Laws," a movement founded in 1985 by nine women seeking an effective way to respond to women's right violations in Muslim countries or communities. One of the main projects of the movement is to decipher and reinterpret Muslim law through a research project involving female research teams in 26 countries. The researchers are using a common methodology to trace the evolution of the laws, identify contraindications, and point out gaps. The results will be publicized to help women understand their rights and influence legislation. The notion of "Muslim law" varies from one country or context to the next and has been based on male interpretation. While some of the "laws" are relics of custom, tradition, or old colonial laws with no basis in Islam, they often have more power than formal laws over women's lives. The ultimate goal of "Women Living Under Muslim Laws" is to help Muslim women break out of their social isolation.