In many Muslim-majority nations, particularly including those that self-describe as “Islamic” states, women cannot drive, or move freely in public spaces without a male escort or being veiled. This is not the case in Azerbaijan, the Muslim-majority nation of Leyla Mammadbeyova. Leyla made history in 1931 in Azerbaijan by learning to fly. Dubbed the “mistress of the skies,” Leyla was the first female pilot to fly solo from Southern Europe to Central Asia. In her lifetime, Leyla would rise to the rank of squadron leader, parachute alone from a biplane, survive an assassination attempt, and raise six children with the love and support of her husband. Leyla’s life highlights the literal and figurative unveiling of women from traditional patriarchal roles in Azerbaijan at a time when the “honor system” kept women otherwise secluded from public life, as many remain today in nearby Pakistan, Afghanistan, and throughout the Middle East. A...(Read Full Article)