ISLAMIC FEMINISM



ISLAMIC FEMINISM IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE (2 credits)

Nadia Jones-Gailani

Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Gender Studies

jonesn@ceu.edu

Office: 509B, Zrini 14

Course Description

This 2- credit course focuses on the theories, political goals, strategies and activism(s) of Islamic feminists regionally and nationally, within the context of the emerging global feminist movement. Following the rise of second wave feminism in the developing world, there have been a number of responses to the inherent marginalization of women of colour and devout women from this movement. As part of a much broader trend in post-colonial feminisms, Islamic feminism is part of a global and diverse response through women’s political organizations both in Islamic countries and as part of non-Islamic nations, to contribute equally to the development of civil society, social equality and a feminist re-interpretation of the Qu'ran. We will discuss how these women promote gender equality, social justice, and peaceful coexistence with all other races and religions based on a feminist reading of the sacred texts. We will look at how and why this form of expression has developed, and how an alternate theory of feminism is possible within a religion that frequently comes under attack for the perception that it undermines the position of women in the Arab world. We will explore how advocates of cultural relativism endorse theocratic gender relations in an effort to respect intersectional differences amongst women. Our goal by the end of the term is to determine how it is possible to foster a dialogue between secular and religious feminisms, by adopting a postcolonial feminist lens and focusing not only on the feminist praxis of Islamic feminism, but also the ways in which it offers a solution to global systems of inequality.

Questions to Consider

Is there an ‘organic’ Islamic feminism, or has this form of feminist interpretation developed in response to the colonial interpretation of secular/Western feminists writing on women the Muslim world?

Can we redefine feminism as an ideology (or praxis) situated in diverse regional and organizational contexts, in order to create a ‘space’ for Islamic feminism alongside mainstream Western feminisms?

Should feminism prioritize adherence to all human rights over religion and religious considerations? And if not, are there perhaps, many ways of ‘being’ a feminist?

How credible or effective are models of progress offered by Western women? And to that end, how can we bring Western and post-colonial feminists to the table in order to debate issues that impact the lives of Muslim women?

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand Islamic feminism as a diverse movement that reflects many varied streams of interpretation and understanding of gender values and theory based on the breadth of experiences of Muslim women globally.

• Appreciate the complex interplay of religious, nationalist and ethnic issues in shaping and manipulating gender identity in Islamic communities and states

• Identify major feminist approaches to Islam, including text-based praxis, transnational ideological mobilization, and theory ranging across Marxist, nationalist, and religious fundamentalist areas of study.

• Understand Islamic feminist practices within the context of the transnational feminist movement against capitalism/globalization.

• Recognize key issues in the Western liberal feminist debate and understand how and why these have been detrimental to a number of groups, including Muslim religious women.

Course Organization

The course is designed to be an intensive discussion-based seminar for graduate students. I like to think about this course syllabus as a contract with each student – if you accept the contract at the beginning of the term, I take this to mean that you agree to complete all components of the course. Weekly readings are a key part of making this a successful seminar discussion for all participants – please complete ALL of the reading before coming to class. This is a reading and writing-intensive course – there are no midterm or final exams.

How you participate in this course will determine a large portion of your grade – more than 30% of your overall grade for the course. Please take the readings and course discussions seriously – prepare for class, complete the readings in advance, and participate as much as possible. You are permitted ONE free absence in the class, however, you are also required to provide documentation for each unexcused absence – please email me or come and visit me in my office if you have concerns about your attendance.

In class, we will discuss in greater detail the writing assignments for this course, and I will also provide a detailed breakdown of the requirements of each assignments on the course website in advance of the due date.

Course Assignments and Grading

Class Participation 30%

Book Review 20%

Film Critique 20%

Final Reflection Paper 30%

Course Requirements and Grading

Class Participation (30%)

This is a discussion-based course, and therefore you must come to class in order to receive a participation grade. If you do not come to class, you cannot pass this course. Should you be forced to miss class, you can “make up” one class throughout the term by writing a 1000-word analysis of the assigned readings for that week. You may not make up more than one missed class. Make-up work must be handed in to the instructor during the class period following the meeting you missed. If you anticipate missing classes (including for religious observances) please get in touch with me as soon as possible.

You should arrive for class having completed the reading and prepared to engage in a discussion of the material with your colleagues. Simply showing up and sitting silently in class is not considered participation, and you will not receive participation points for doing so. You must take an active part in classroom discussion and in-class activities. You are expected to contribute to EVERY CLASS DISCUSSION, and failure to do so will negatively affect your grade.

This course deals with sensitive and controversial material – especially given the current political climate in the U.S. and the long history of American imperialism that has shaped many of the developments we will discuss. I ask that you show every person in the classroom the same kind of courtesy and respect that you expect in return, REGARDLESS of colour, creed, sexuality or religious background. You are encouraged to share your background and experiences in class, therefore it is imperative that we maintain a free and warm intellectual environment so that we can provide the same respect to each and every individual student.

Book Review (20%)

For this assignment, you will read and critique Irshad Manji’s book, The Trouble with Islam Today following our class discussion on her work and its place within the discourse on Islam and women/women in Islam. Before you begin the assignment, please look at examples of scholarly book reviews first to get a sense of the format – we will also discuss this in detail during our class. In addition to Manji’s text, you are also required to employ two scholarly, peer-reviewed, book reviews of her work, and write your own review based on your reading of the text as well as the ways in which others have engaged with, or been enraged by, this culturally significant work. Your review should be no more than 6-8 pages in length.

Film Critique (20%)

Based on the film adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolic (vol I), you will write a critical reflection of the film, with a particular focus on what kinds of information are provided, what kinds of methodologies are employed, how the author responds to Islam in Iran and what this means for her own personal brand of feminism, in addition to what you consider to be the message of the film for multiple and diverse audiences. A more detailed description of this assignment will be available on the course website. The film critique paper should be no longer than 6-8 pages in length.

The film can be found streaming free of charge on YouTube – be sure to find a copy with suitable subtitles.



Final Reflection Paper (30%)

For the final assignment of the course, you will pick one of the weekly topics and reflect upon how the readings address two or more of the major questions/themes in the course. In the paper, you should draw from the assigned as well as the suggested readings for that week – no additional research or sources are required. The paper should be approximately 8-10 pages in length, and adhere to the writing guidelines outlined below in the syllabus. We will discuss the paper in further detail during our class.

Writing Guidelines

All written material must be printed in 12-point font (Times New Roman, Arial) and double-spaced, with page numbers included at the bottom of the page. Provide full references for all literature cited, including those on our syllabus. If you are unsure about rules for citations, and avoiding plagiarism, please see the Center for Academic Writing or the course instructor. Assignments must be submitted in hard copy AND uploaded to the e-learning site (unless we agree otherwise). Please print double-sided. Electronic documents must indicate your name and which assignment it is in the file name. And remember to back up your files so you don’t have to repeat your work!

Policy on electronic devices in class

You may work from a laptop or large tablet in class to take notes and/or access readings in electronic form unless this becomes too disruptive, at which point we will change the policy. Do NOT do this with a mobile phone. Phones must be switched off or on mute and must not be taken out during class.

Late Penalties

Students should make every effort to have in assignments, essays, and all other coursework by the date stated on the syllabus. I am willing to discuss the possibility of an extension for essays if you contact me a week in advance of the due date. Late assignments are subject to a 2% deduction per day until the assignment is handed in to the instructor.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism will not be tolerated – any instance of plagiarism will automatically result in an “F” for the assignment and potentially an failing grade in the course. Please see the regulations on academic integrity as they are outlined by CEU:

You are responsible for knowing and adhering to these regulations, and understanding the consequences of your actions if you are in violation of any of them.

Here are guidelines for all scholarly/written work (created by Todd D. Shepard):

1. All written work submitted for credit is accepted as your own work. It may not have been composed, wholly or partially, by another person.

2. I encourage you to incorporate ideas from books and essays in your work as starting points, governing issues, illustrations, and the like, but in each case the source must be cited.

3. The wording of written work is taken as your own. Scholarly work, almost by definition, will include other writers’ phrases, sentences, or paragraphs. All of these—even if it’s only a key word or several words--must be presented as quotations and with the source acknowledged. Thus you may not submit work that has been copied, wholly or partially, from a book, article, essay, newspaper, another student’s paper or notebook, internet site, or any other written or printed media source unless you use proper citation.

4. The ideas, arguments, and conclusions of written work are accepted as originating with you, the writer. Written work that paraphrases any written or printed media material without explicit acknowledgement (N.B.: even if the source is cited in a footnote) may not be submitted for credit.

5. Remember that any on-line materials you use to gather information for a paper are also governed by rules about plagiarism, so you need to learn to cite electronic sources as well as printed and other sources.

6. You may correct and revise your writing with the aid of reference books and other sources. You may also discuss your writing with peer writing groups, peer tutors, other professors, or other people more generally. However, you may not submit writing that has been revised substantially by another.

Respect in the Classroom

This is a class that encourages critical thinking, so we must expect differences of opinion. The classroom is a safe space for each student to express themselves and their relevant opinions without suffering any kind of derisive comments from other students.

Please arrive on time, and if this is not possible, notify the instructor by email prior to the beginning of class.

Turn off mobile phones/smart phones – it is extremely disrespectful to other members of the class if you check emails, texts, messages, etc., during class time.

LECTURE THEMES, ASSIGNMENTS AND READINGS

Please have your reader/readings with you in each class for reference. All assigned texts as well as additional texts for further reading are available on the e-learning site. The course instructor reserves the right to change any of the readings during the term.

PART I: THEORIZING WOMEN IN ISLAM

Week 1: Introduction (September 22)

Suggested review:

• Sarah Bracke, “The Unbearable Lightness of ‘Gender and Diversity.’”

• Fatima Seedat, “When Islam and Feminism Converge.”

Week 2: What is Islamic Feminism? (September 29)

• Margot Badran. “Towards Islamic Feminisms: An Look at the Middle East,” and “Islamic Feminism: What’s in a Name?”Feminism in Islam: Secular and Religious Convergences, 215-252. Oneworld: 2009.

• Sharzad Mojab. “Theorizing the Politics of ‘Islamic Feminism’.” Feminist Review 69 (Winter 2001): 124-146.

Background reading: (skim if possible)

• Anitta Kynsilekto, ed. Islamic Feminism: Current Perspectives. Tampere Peace Research Institute Occasional Paper No. 96 (2008): 15-30 (short excerpts by Asma Barlas and Margot Badran.

Optional reading:

Asma Barlas, "The Qur'an and Hermeneutics: Reading the Qur'an's Opposition to Patriarchy" Journal of Qur'anic Studies 3 (2001), 15-38.

Online Koran:

Find Surahs (Chapters) and note any differences in translations.

Week 3: Women and Islam in Historical Context (October 6)

• Margot Badran. “Competing Agenda: Feminists, Islam, and the State in Nineteenth-and Twentieth-Century Egypt.” Feminism in Islam: Secular and Religious Convergences, 17-55. Oneworld: 2009.

• Fatima Sedat, “Islam, Feminism, and Islamic Feminism: Between Inadequacy and Inevitability,” JFSR 29.2 (2013): 25–45.

Optional reading:

Sabbagh, Suha, Ed, “Introduction, the Debate on Arab Women” from Arab Women, Between Defiance and Restraint, (New York: Olive Branch Press, 1996), p xi-xxvii

Mernissi, Fatema, “My Harem: Harun Ar-Rachid, The Sexy Caliph” from Scheheradze Goes West, (Washington Square Press, 2002), 117-129.

Week 4: Postcoloniality and Intersectionality in Context (October 13)

• Gayatri Spivak, “Can the Subaltern Speak?,” Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture, C. Nelson and L. Grossberg, eds., (Macmillan Eduation: Basingstoke, 1988), 271-313.

• Interview with Gayatri Spivak on the Subaltern and her place in Postcolonial Studies (We will listen to parts of this in class): !

• Sara Salem, “Feminist critique and Islamic Feminism: The Question of Intersectionality,” The Postcolonialist, Vol. 1, Number 1 (November 2013):

Optional reading:

Elizabeth Warnock Fernea, “Conclusion,” In Search of Islamic Feminism, One Woman’s Global Journey, (New York: Doubleday, 1998), 414-423.

Narayan, Uma, “Contesting Cultures: ‘Westernization’, Respect for Cultures and Third-World Feminists,” Kolmar, Wendy K and Bartkowski, Frances, eds., Feminist Theory: A Reader, McGraw-Hill, 2005, p 542-550.

Week 5: Decolonizing Feminist Scholarship (October 20)

• Irshad Manji, The Trouble With Islam - a Wake-Up Call For Honesty and Change, St Martin’s Press: London, 2004, prologue, chapter 1, and afterword.

• Chandra Talpade Mohanty, “Under Western Eyes” Revisited: Feminist Solidarity through Anticapitalist Struggles Author(s), Signs, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Winter 2003): 499-535.

o OR you may choose the following Mohanty article:

• Chandra Talpade Mohanty, “Under and (Inside”) Western Borders,” Feminism Without Borders, Decolonizing Theory, Practising Solidarity, (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2003), 228-245.

Optional reading:

Koopman, Sara. “Imperialism Within: Can The Master‟s Tools Bring Down Empire?” ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, Vol. 7, Issue 2, (2008).

Howard A. Doughty, “Review Essay: What’s the Trouble with Human Rights?,” The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, Volume 18(1), 2013, article 13 – see course pack.

Khalidi, Ramla and Tucker, Judith, “Women’s Rights in the Arab World”, from Sabbagh, Suha, Ed, Arab Women, Between Defiance and Restraint, New York: Olive Branch Press, 1996, p 9-21.

Week 6: Reading Week (October 27)

This week we will not meet for the regular class period. Instead, you will read the remainder of Irshad Manji’s book, as well as two scholarly, peer-reviewed book reviews of her work, and write your own academic book review based on your own reading of the text as well as the ways in which others have engaged with, or been enraged by, this culturally significant work.

Background reading including a literary review of material on Islamic Feminism is available on the course website.

PART II: CASE STUDIES OF ISLAMIC FEMINISM IN GLOBAL CONTEXTS

Week 7: Veiling in Context (November 3)

• Katherine Bullock. Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical & Modern Stereotypes, 1-29. International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2002.

• Afsaneh Najmabadi. “(Un)Veiling Feminism.” Social Text 64 (18:3) 2000: 29-45.

• (Skim) Therese Saliba. “Arab Feminism at the Millennium.” Signs 25 (4), Feminisms at a Millennium, Summer, 2000: 1087-1092

Optional reading:

Margot Badran and Miriam Cooke, Eds., Opening the Gates, A Century of Arab Feminist Writing, (Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana University Press, 1999), introduction.

Week 8: CASE STUDY: Egyptian Women Past and Present (November 10)

• Saba Maghmood, “The Subject of Freedom,” The Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject, (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2005), 1-40.

• Safia Aoude. “Islamic Feminism in post-modern Egypt: Reclaiming Women’s Muslim Space in Modern Egypt.” (Unpublished paper courtesy of the author).

Week 9: CASE STUDY: Iran and the Islamic/Cultural Revolution (November 17)

• Persepolis (volume I and II), by Marjane Satrapi

OR YOU MAY OPT FOR THE FOLLOWING READING:

• Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran, A Memoir in Books, (New York: Random House, 2003), 258-288.

Background reading article available on the course website.

Optional reading:

Suad Joseph, ed. Gender and Citizenship in the Middle East. Syracuse,: Syracuse University Press, 3-32.

Maryam Poya, “Introduction,” Women, Work and Islamism, Ideology and Resistance in Iran, London: Zed Books, 1999, 1-28.

Roksana Bahramitash, "Myths and realities of the impact of political Islam on women: female employment in Indonesia and Iran." Development in Practice, 14:4 (June 2004): 508-521.

Nayereh Tohidi, Women in Muslim Societies, Diversity Within Unity, edited by Bodman, Herberi L and Tohidi, Nayereh, 137-187. Boulder, Co: Lynne Rienner, 1998.

Week 10: After the Arab Spring (November 24)

• Hayat Alvi. “Women's Rights Movements in the 'Arab Spring': Major Victories or Failures for Human Rights?” Journal of International Women’s Studies 16:3 (2015): 294-318.

• Adrien K. Wing, “Symposium: Women in the Revolution: Gender and Social Justice After the Arab Spring.” (Introductory notes – please skim.)

• Adrien K Wing, et al. “Roundtable Discussion: Symposium: Women in the Revolution: Gender and Social Justice After the Arab Spring.” (Short overview.)

• Wassyla Tamzani. “The Arab Spring, Feminism and Islam.” Autonomies. (Very short piece available online):



Optional readings:

Lepa Mladjenovic and Donna Hughes, “Feminist Resistance to War and Violence in Serbia,” Women, War and Resistance, Jennifer Rycenga and Marguerite Walter, eds., (New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc, 2000), 247-274.

Valentine Moghadam, “ Women and Social Change in Afghanistan, in Modernizing Women,” Gender and Social Change in the Middle East, (Boulder, Co: Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., 1993), 207-249.

Week 11: North American Muslims (December 1)

• Katherine Bullock. Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical & Modern Stereotypes, xiii-xl; 35-84. International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2002.

• Mitra Rastegar. Managing ‘American Islam’: Secularism, Patriotism and the Gender Litmus Test.” International Feminist Journal of Politics, 10:4 December 2008: 455–474.

Optional reading:

• Gisela Webb, ed. Windows of Faith, Muslim Women Scholar-Activists in North America. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2000.

• Leila Ahmed, extract from the “Conclusion”, Women and Gender in Islam, Historical Roots of a Modern Debate, 240-248. Yale: Yale University Press, 1992.

Week 12: Towards a New Islamic Feminism? (December 8)

• Margot Badran, “Re/Placing Islamic Feminism.” Sciences Po. CERI Report, 1-23.

• Amna Abdullatif. “Voices of Women in the Arab Spring.” Social Sciences Education 12:1: 14-17.

Additional Suggested Readings for the Course:

Kausiki, Mukhopadhyay and Pallab, Paul, “Organisational Differences in Hinduism and Islam and their Impact on the Women’s Movement on the Indian Subcontinent,”.Asian Studies Review, Dec2003, Vol. 27 Issue 4, p419, 24p.

Douglas, Carol Anne , “Malaysian Sisters in Islam oppose fundamentalism”, Off Our Backs, Mar 1998, Vol. 28 Issue 3, p10.

Narayan, Uma, “Contesting Cultures: ‘Westernization’, Respect for Cultures and Third-World Feminists”, 1997, from Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions and Third World Feminisms, in Kolmar, Wendy K and Bartkowski, Frances, Feminist Theory: A Reader, McGraw-Hill, 2005, p 542-550.

Cooke, Miriam, Women Claim Islam, Creating Islamic Feminism Through Literature, Chapter 5, “Multiple Critique”, New York, London: Routledge, 2001, p 107-136..

Moghissi, Haideh, Chapter Seven, “Islamic Feminism and Its Discontents”, from Feminism and Islamic Fundamentalism, New York: Zed Books, 1999, p 125-149.

“Women’s Rights in the Muslim World: Where do they stand?” By Dominique Pettit, Middle East Online, February 18 2004,

Hassan, Riffat, “Human Rights in the Qur’ranic Perspective” in Windows of Faith, p 241-249

King, Jennifer, S, “Islamic Feminism vs. Western Feminism, Analyzing and Conceptualizing Conflict,” Thesis for the Degree of Master of Science, International Studies, Central Connecticut State University, May 2003, Chapter Nine (Conclusion), p 70-82. Internet, accessed on:



“The Last Crusade” (videorecording) a BBC-TV Production in Assocation with Ambrose Video Publishing, Producer, John Percival, New York, NY: Ambrose Video Publishing. This program looks at the Islamic revival and revolutionary and reforming spirit of Muslims, 1993, VT 3821.

“Women and Islam” videorecording, Epicflow, Channel Four, Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanitaries and Sciences, 1994, VT 6328.

“Beyond Borders” Arab Feminists talks about their lives—East and West. The National Film Board of Canada, directed by Jennifer Kawaja, Princeton NJ: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2000, VT 8515.

Othman, Norani, 1999, “Grounding Human Rights Arguments in Non-Western Culture: Shari'a and the Citizenship Rights of Women in a Modern Islamic State”, in The East Asian Challenge for Human Rights, Bauer, Joanne R, and Bell, Daniel, Eds, Cambridge UK; New York: Cambridge University Press. .

Mayer, Elizabeth Ann, 1999, “Islamic law and human rights : conundrums and equivocations” in Gustafson, Carrie and Juviler, Peter, Eds, Religion and Human Rights: Competing Claims?, Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

Moghadam, Valerie, April 2000, “Islamic Feminism and its Discontents: Notes on a Debate”



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