Despite common misconceptions about the roles that Muslim women play in the modern world, Hartford Seminary Prof. Ingrid Mattson said Tuesday night that women have always been an integral part of Islamic society.

Mattson spoke to about 60 people — Northwestern students and community members, Muslims and non-Muslims — in Harris Hall 107 about the role of Muslim women in the public sphere. The speech was part of Islam Awareness Week, sponsored by the Muslim-cultural Students Association.

“We are constantly trying to present ourselves as we really are,” said Mattson, who received her doctorate in Islamic studies from the University of Chicago in 1999. “But there is this wall we have to break through.”

Though Mattson said raising children has traditionally been an important part of a Muslim woman’s life, it has not been the only thing.

“Women give a lot to their communities,” she said, citing philanthropic activities such as raising foster children and working in soup kitchens and orphanages.

Mattson said Muslim women are allowed and encouraged to work. However, when they work outside the home, she said, it is important that they remember the importance of dressing modestly.

She said she is not bothered when people question her about what she called “her modest dress,” which includes a scarf covering her head, a custom shared by many of the Muslim females in the audience.

“I love the fact that I have an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with total strangers, asking me about my deepest and most profound beliefs,” Mattson said.

Tamanna Salikuddin, co-president of McSA, said she agreed with Mattson.

“It is important for people to understand that Muslim women are proud of how we dress,” said Salikuddin, a Weinberg senior.

Mattson said people should recognize that Muslims differentiate between public space and private space. Muslims, particularly women, are allowed to behave differently when they are at home.

“It’s the same thing as not going to work or out in public in your nightgown,” she said.

Many of society’s misconceptions simply come from ignorance, Mattson said.

At an early age, she said, society members acquire multiple layers of negative associations toward Islam through cartoons and other media.

“The secular perspective on society is neither neutral nor objective,” Mattson said. “Muslims have always been forced to respond to criticisms and complaints.”