There is a growing interest in the role of converts to Islam in Europe and the United States. However, whereas most converts to Islam appear to be women, this fact has been relatively neglected.... Show moreThere is a growing interest in the role of converts to Islam in Europe and the United States. However, whereas most converts to Islam appear to be women, this fact has been relatively neglected. The ISIM workshop on 'Gender and Conversion to Islam', held from 16 to 17 May 2003 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, was aimed to readdress this imbalance by focusing on gender and conversion to Islam in the West. Nine scholars from various countries and different disciplines were invited to compare their research material. Show less
Academic studies increasingly examine the relationship between the social organization of space, gender and sexuality in contemporary Muslim societies. Such studies tend to consider historical,... Show moreAcademic studies increasingly examine the relationship between the social organization of space, gender and sexuality in contemporary Muslim societies. Such studies tend to consider historical, socio-political and religious notions associated with the veil, or chador, as it is traditionally known in Iran. Whether bound up with the concept of male/female spatial binaries or closely involved with aspects of space that create visual and physical control, studies rarely deal with the veil as an entity that can be understood as a secondary space, or a 'habitat' which clinches women's bodies in public. Show less
The arrival of female genital cutting to northeastern Africa predates that of Christianity and Islam, and Muslims, Christians, and Jews continue the practice today. Popular association of the... Show moreThe arrival of female genital cutting to northeastern Africa predates that of Christianity and Islam, and Muslims, Christians, and Jews continue the practice today. Popular association of the practice with religious ideals has justified its continuation, and beliefs that the practice contradicts religious principles have justified its abandonment. Anthias and Yuval-Davis (1989) argue that strategic use of 'gender symbols' concerning the sexuality of women can reproduce religious boundaries, and this process of differentiation may involve national or transnational political bodies that endorse or oppose selected symbols. This framework helps to understand the diverging prevalence of female genital cutting among Christians and Muslims in Egypt. Show less
Established in 1999 at the American University in Cairo, the Institute for Gender and Women's Studies (IGWS) is a multipurpose and interdisciplinary research centre that serves scholars, activists... Show moreEstablished in 1999 at the American University in Cairo, the Institute for Gender and Women's Studies (IGWS) is a multipurpose and interdisciplinary research centre that serves scholars, activists and policy-makers interested in gender and women's studies in the Arabic-speaking world, Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, Central Asia, Western Asia and Africa. The primary function of the institute is to serve as a resource nexus within and through which research projects, conferences, workshops, seminars, policy debates and educational programmes on gender and women's issues are engaged. Show less
Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the reintroduction of sharica law relating to gender and the family, women's rights suffered a major setback. However, as the implementers of the law... Show moreFollowing the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the reintroduction of sharica law relating to gender and the family, women's rights suffered a major setback. However, as the implementers of the law have faced the social realities of women's lives and aspirations, positive changes have gradually come about. Since the late 1980s there has been a growing debate in Iranian books and journals between proponents of different approaches to gender in Islam. During 1995, a series of discussions were held with clerical contributors to the debate in which clarification was sought for the jurisprudential bases for their approaches to gender issues. Show less
