Secular Muslim Feminism

For over a century, Muslim women have championed their own brand of feminism, rooted in human rights principles and a deep understanding of their diverse cultural contexts. Yet, secular Muslim feminism remains shrouded in misunderstanding and contention.This book boldly confronts the complexities and controversies surrounding this contested concept, offering a nuanced exploration of its potential to bridge divides and empower women. The book challenges the simplistic portrayals of Muslim women, dismantling the harmful narratives of oppression and victimhood propagated by both Western and Islamist agendas. It critiques the selective glorification of religious agency by some feminists, recognizing how this can inadvertently reinforce patriarchal ideologies. Additionally, it exposes the hijacking of the secular Muslim feminist movement by the far-right, disguised as advocates for women''s rights but fueled by anti-Muslim sentiments. Drawing on over two decades of personal observations and interactions with diverse organizations in the Middle East and Europe, the book delves into the heart of secular Muslim feminism, dissecting its nuances and potential to reconcile divergent perspectives. It amplifies these voices, challenging the misrepresentation and limitations imposed by external agendas. Secular Muslim Feminism emerges as a bold and transformative force, redefining the boundaries of equality and empowering women to shape their destinies. It offers a nuanced and critical framework for understanding the complex realities of Muslim women''s lives, paving the way for a more just and equitable future.>

Préface

The first book to examine the writings and ideas of 'Secular Muslim feminists' who see secularism as indispensable for equality

Auteur
Hind Elhinnawy, a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, UK. She has dedicated over two decades to challenging the status of women in Muslim societies. Her groundbreaking work, including "Rethinking Gender in the New Muslim Public Sphere," (2012) has contributed to significant law and policy reforms, sparking vital conversations on gender equality within the Islamic world.

Contenu

Preface
Acknowledgments
Note on text/transliteration
Glossary
Abbreviations

I. Introduction
Situating secular Muslim feminism
Unpacking 'secular'-'Muslim'-'feminism'
The power and pitfalls of terminology
Navigating methodological challenges
The organizing of the book

II. Demystifying secular Muslim feminism
Don't label me!
Which 'Muslim woman'?
Which 'feminism'?
And whose 'Islam'?
A 'secular' champion of religious freedom
Challenging multiple fronts
Emerging counter-narratives?

III. Islam, feminism, and secular resistance
Early feminist consciousness
Muslim women's scholarship
Muslim women's activism
Between the religious and the secular

IV. The politics of 'saving' the Muslim woman
Orientalism then and now
Orientalism, gender, and empire
In the crossfires of change
The unresolved legacies of colonialism
Mapping feminist responses
Navigating the path ahead

V. Beyond resistance versus subservience
Theorizing 'agency'
'Piety' and the 'agency' turn
The limits of pietist 'agency'
Beyond faith and agency

VI. Islam, secularism, and the woman's question
Secularism in a post-secular age
Secularism confronts Islam
The 'Muslim' woman's question
Secularism in the Muslim world
Beyond Western conceptualizations
Reimagining Secularism

VII. Can the secular Muslim feminist speak?
Silenced voices in their homelands
Dismissed by the international community
The 'native informant' conundrum
The impasse of apologism
The limits of relativism (and) universalism
Solidarity across difference is possible!

Concluding remarks

About the Author
Abstract
Notes
Bibliography
Index