Journeys Toward Gender Equality in Islam

In these thought-provoking dialogues, legal anthropologist Mir-Hosseini (Islam and Gender) collects and comments on her conversations with six Muslim public intellectuals regarding sharia and gender justice in Islam. Building on her research in post-revolutionary Iran, Mir-Hosseini provides legal and historical context to her exchanges with interlocutors who are on a “shared quest for gender equality and justice from within Islamic tradition.” Through talking with the likes of amina wadud—one of “the first scholars to offer a gender-inclusive interpretation of the Qur’an”—and UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, the author explores such questions as, “If justice is an intrinsic value in Islam, why have women been treated as second-class citizens in Islamic legal tradition?” and “Is it possible to argue for equality between men and women from within the Islamic tradition?” The diversity of perspectives lends this an impressive breadth, and the insights are nuanced and enlightening, such as when Asma Lamrabet distinguishes between the practice of hijab and wearing a khimar (headcover) to conclude that “hijab is not an obligation, it is not a pillar of Islam.” This is a sturdy signpost in the ongoing conversation around gender equality within the Islamic legal tradition. (May)