A lecturer in Criminal Law, Asma enjoys teaching at An-Najah because it has helped her advance her teaching methods and further her knowledge of theory and judicial legislations. Before coming to An-Najah, Asma was a field worker for the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) in Palestine, where she conducted a study about women who committed crimes. She explored the possible causes of crimes, how women were treated in the court and whether the specific articles relevant to women were applied in their cases. Asma also monitored the human rights situation in prisons by conducting frequent visits and documenting complaints of violations, which she would use to follow up with authorities in charge. As a result of the study, her report titled "Guarantees for Women in Conflict with the Law in Palestine" was published by the ICHR.

Currently, Asma is working on a study about the Jordanian Penal Law, as it is applied in Palestine, that discusses the implementation of articles in the field. Since there have been numerous updates of said articles in Jordan, by writing this book, Asma hopes to provide her students with the most comprehensive analysis of all the laws currently being implemented in Palestine. She is also a working lawyer and a researcher for the EU project at An-Najah, that recently developed two Master programs, in collaboration with Birzeit and Al-Quds universities.

Asma’s academic background in Law and Peacekeeping Management is steeped in advocacy work and gender-based humanitarianism. She obtained the latter degree in Italy, an experience that deepened her insight into different perspectives and varied cultural backgrounds. Invited by the UN Gender unit, she also participated in the Human Rights Study Tour in Geneva, as the women’s rights defender. Asma hopes to continue on the academic path and obtain a PhD that will contribute to raising awareness about women’s rights in Palestine. 

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