The challenge of being a Muslim woman in modern America is the topic of the first women's conference to be held Saturday at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh in Oakland.

The sessions are intended to be helpful not only to Muslim women but to non-Muslims who are curious about the lives of their Muslim neighbors.

Nahed Abdelgawad, a conference organizer and member of the Islamic Center's executive committee, said she often encountered misconceptions about her life from other mothers involved in Girl Scouts.

"They think we're not allowed to work or participate in social activities," said Ms. Abdelgawad, a former teacher who now works as an administrative assistant.

At the same time, Muslim women will be able to learn about the history of women in Islam and their contributions to Islamic life; talk about how Islamic law adapts to local cultures; and hear about health issues that might be discussed at any women's conference.

The idea for a conference came from a man at the Islamic Center, but it has been organized entirely by women, Ms. Abdelgawad said. They included non-Muslim women on the committee to widen its appeal.

"One of our goals is to promote interfaith dialogue and try to create a channel of communication between all communities," she said.

The conference runs from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a $15 fee -- with discounts for students and families -- includes food and child care. Speakers include Esam Alkhawaga, a psychiatrist from Wright State University in Ohio, on raising Muslim children with healthy self-esteem; Zainab Al-wani, who teaches Arabic and Islamic studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and serves on the Fiqh Council of North America on women's contributions to early and later Islamic history; and Imam Karim Abuzaid, a religious leader from Lanham, Md., who will speak on parenting and answer questions about fiqh -- applied Islamic law -- and women's issues.

Fiqh is the working out in contemporary culture of broad Islamic principles, known as shariah. For instance, a basic principle in shariah is that women are to dress modestly. Fiqh determines whether that means wearing a long dress and no veil, a modern dress with a short veil or a veil that covers the face and body.

"The law is the same for everyone, but it is in implementation of the law that you find freedom," said Karen Traugh, a geoarchaeologist turned homemaker and convert to Islam who is both an organizer and speaker.

For more information contact Ms. Abdelgawad at 412-478-6118 or amira1026@yahoo.com.