Human rights issues, at the forefront of international debate, often focus on individual and property rights as understood in Western countries. Yet, in Middle Eastern and Muslim communities, for example, the family, not the individual, is the basic and legal societal unit. Such rights issues will be the topic of a UC Davis-organized conference titled "Women and Human Rights in Muslim Communities" to be held May 8-9. The conference will examine the historical and cultural origins and current controversies in human rights and women's rights, focusing on women in Muslim communities worldwide, says organizer Suad Joseph, a UC Davis professor of women's studies and anthropology. During the conference, participants will investigate the relationships among community, religion, family and state as they relate to international human rights conventions and practices. Panels of international scholars, discussion forums and film presentations will all be part of the conference, which is free and open to the public.