Mirror on the veil, offers a refreshing and important look at the. While basically identical to the clothing depicted in traditional christian representations of mary peace be upon her and her son, and every nun who has sought to emulate her since, the hijab is readily singled out as sign of extremism, the supposedly inferior status of. Saudi arabias shadow looms long across the book, and the kingdom emerges as the quiet victor in the veils resurgence, its longtime project to export wahhabi islams more strict ways a global success. Mernissi, an internationally known moroccan sociologist, endeavors to show that discrimination against women, so common in the muslim world today, is not a fundamental tenet of islam as many. Malefemale dynamics in a muslim society mernissi, fatema on. In 1975, fatima mernissis first book, beyond the veil, was published, and it was revolutionary. And the veil challenging historical muslim women ij. From the writing of her first book, beyond the veil. May 10, 2011 as fatima mernissi underscores in beyond the veil, imam ghazali in his book gives a detailed description of how islam integrated the sexual instinct in the social order and places it at the service of god.
Fatima mernissi 1996 abstract this article has no associated abstract. Fatema mernissi 19402015 was a leading advocate for womens rights in the muslim world. In this classic study, internationally renowned sociologist fatema mernissi argues that womens oppression is not due to islam as this religion in fact celebrates womens power. The missiological implications of the islamic feminism of fatima mernissi author. If you regularly visit this site and wish to show your appreciation, or if you wish to see further development of, please donate online. Women in relation to sex, education, and the original sin in judaism, christianity, and islam. Fatima barkatulla islam and the veil muslim central. Click to read more about the veil and the male elite. Born in fez to a middleclass family, mernissi studied at the mohammed v university in rabat and later went to paris, where she worked briefly as a journalist. Why islams most visible symbol is spreading embraced or banned, a prayer or a prison, the muslim veil is spreading. Publication date 1987 topics muslim women, women publisher.
Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society in 1975, mernissi has sought to reclaim the ideological discourse on women and sexuality from the. Jul, 2017 fatema mernissi is a moroccan feminist and sociologist who is renowned for her work on womens rights within islam. Beyond the veil catalogue home national library of australia. Regarded as a classic book in the united states, beyond the veil has never. Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society 9780253204233. In this extraordinary book, now available in paperback, fatima mernissi shows that those selfproclaimed defenders of islamic tradition were not only misguided but wrong. Born in fez to a middleclass family, mernissi studied at the mohammed v from the writing of her first book, beyond the veil. Mernissis discourse on the veil, which has unsurprisingly been welcomed. Beyond the veil is the result of her doctoral research. In remembrance of one of feminisms trailblazing scholars who challenged muslim orthodoxy. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers.
Arab book world in this expanded and updated edition, with a new. The veil signified a womans selfrespect and social status. In this classic study, fatema mernissi argues that many muslim scholars historically portrayed women as active and in possession of an aggressive sexuality. In 1975, fatima mernissi s first book, beyond the veil, was published, and it was revolutionary. Women and gender in islam historical roots of a modern debate. Revised edition, addisonwesley isbn 02015232 this was the very first book i read of mernissi, a moroccan writer, who is not only very famous and wellpublished in the west for her open critism of islam, but also is cherished and welcomed by many progressive muslims all over the world.
Womens oppression, she maintains, is due to the political manipulation of religion by powerseeking, archaic muslim male elites. In fact, the quran supports the notion of gender equality. Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society revised ed 1st midland book ed by f mernissi isbn. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. Fatima mernissi 1940 also transliterated as fatema mernissi moroccan nonfiction writer, memoirist, and editor. If a reader were to select only one book in order to gain insight into. In this classic study, internationally renowned sociologist fatema mernissi argues that. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam reprint by mernissi, fatima isbn. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam, translated by mary jo lakeland new york.
The christian perspective on womens status and role in islamic societies is. Moroccan born fatima mernissi was raised in a harem along with several other women, and was educated traditionally, studying the quran in an allgirls school. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam london. Mernissi broke down the ethnocentric stereotypes western society had developed towards islam, especially islamic women. Basic, 1991 the question of the role of women in islamic public life has provoked debate both within and without the community since the earliest days of the prophet.
The islamic veil or hijab refers to the loosefitting, plain and opaque outer garments which cover a muslim womans body. Audio lecture fatima barkatulla islam and the veil beyond belief with ernie rea with fatima barkatulla and other guests. Mernissi explains in her book that early muslim scholars portrayed women as aggressive hunters who forced men, reduced to weak hunted victims, to control women by imposing requirements such as veiling, which confined women to the private space. Basic, 1991 the question of the role of women in islamic political and economic ends. She believes that muslims will eventually feel a pressing need to root their lives in a more liberating memory. I am grateful to the publishers for permission to reprint these materials. Ibn kathir, a revered commentator of the quran, explains in his. Convinced that the veil is a symbol of unjust male authority over women, in the veil and the male elite, moroccan feminist fatima mernissi aims to investigate the origins of the practice in the first islamic community.
Malefemale dynamics in a muslim society was published in 1975. Beyond the veil by fatema mernissi english news portal. Beyond the veil, revised edition by fatima mernissi, 9780253204233, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Jun, 2011 but between the pages, laced into ahmeds account of the veil in history, the curious will find gems of scholarship and insight. Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society in 1975, mernissi has sought to reclaim the ideological discourse on women and sexuality from the stranglehold of patriarchy. The veil and its meaning in islam and the judeochristian tradition, as well as a brief look at the islamic stance towards women. In 2003, she was awarded the prince of asturias award for literature along with susan sontag. Elizabeth fernea, the university of texas at austin if a reader were to select only one book in order to gain insight into womens status and prospects in islamic society, this study should be the one chosen for its clarity, honesty, depth of knowledge and thoughtprovoking qualities. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different aspects of islam.
Sexual inequality is a prominent feature of both western and islamic societies, but the underlying concepts of female sexuality in christian and muslim traditions are very different. Fatema mernissi is a moroccan feminist and sociologist who is renowned for her work on womens rights within islam. Beyond the veil by fatima mernissi overdrive rakuten. As fatima mernissi underscores in beyond the veil, imam ghazali in his book gives a detailed description of how islam integrated the sexual instinct in the social order and places it at the service of god. Fatema mernissi is a professor of sociology at the university of mohammed v in rabat, morocco. Beyond the veil is the result of her doctoral research and was first published in 1975.
Women of lower classes would often wear the veil to give the impression of a higher standing. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different. I suppose i expected a feminist look at modern muslim culture, and this book is really more a theological look at womens rights and a historical look at how various verses of the koran that are used to justify antifeminist sentiments in muslim cultures came to be included. The reality of the muslim veil by fatima hussain issuu. Even with some historical and islamic inaccuracies for instance, many hadiths prophetic traditions quoted by mernissi have been outruled as inauthentic by contemporary islamic scholars, thus invalidating many of her arguments and theories, i found this book to be very interesting, and it sheds light though indirectly, and perhaps unintentionally on moroccan history and culture. Beyond the veil, revised edition indiana university press. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam fatima mernissi, mary jo lakeland on. The concept of veiling in judaism, christianity, and islam. As she grew, mernissi distanced herself from traditional education, studying first at the sorbonne, at brandies university, where she earned her doctorate. It has long been stigmatized as a form of oppression or a symbol of backwardness. Chapter 4 contains a fascinating and compelling critique of fatima. Publication date 1987 topics muslim women, women publisher bloomington. Islam, muslim, women the veil is understood to be symptomatic of islams oppression of women. By jackie duncan, mount vernon nazarene university.
In beyond the veil, fatima mernissi argues that the islamic view of women as. But between the pages, laced into ahmeds account of the veil in history, the curious will find gems of scholarship and insight. The following entry presents an overview of mernissi s career through 2001. Perseus books publishing 1994 mernissi, fatima the veil and the male elite. This included the public life has provoked debate both within and without. Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society 1975 mernissi has sought to reclaim the ideological. Perseus books publishing 1991 mernissi, fatima women and fundamentalism middle east report 153 1998 pp. Sexual activity, used according to gods will, the desire of the flesh serves gods and the individuals interests in both. In this classic study, fatema mernissi argues that many muslim scholars. The missiological implications of the islamic feminism of. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam by fatima mernissi. Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society 1975, mernissi has sought to reclaim the ideological discourse on women and sexuality from the stranglehold of patriarchy.
The site and the dilp are entirely supported by individual donors and well wishers. She looks back through fifteen centuries of islam and uncovers a hidden history of women who have held the reins of power, but whose lives and stories, achievements and. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam. To this day, head coverings play a significant role in many religions, including orthodox judaism and catholicism. Mernissi s works have been translated into thirty languages. Reports by eyewitnesses, experts, and companions of the prophet muhammad.
Its time to understand the islamic veil sojourners. In the shadow of islam the womens movement in iran. Suad joseph university of california, davis mernissi attempts to demonstrate that official islam is in contradiction with equal. She distinguished islamic women from the homogenized group of third world women that western feminism had created. The following entry presents an overview of mernissis career through 2001.
It has become a classic on arabmuslimandmediterranean socioanthropologic work on women. As scholar fatima mernissi puts it, the existing inequality does not rest on an ideological or biological theory of womens inferiority, but the outcome of specific social institutions designed to restrain her power beyond xvi. The veil and the male elite is a tricky book to rate, since i am definitely not its target audience. If a reader were to select only one book in order to gain insight into womens. Abstract this paper seeks to evaluate missiological approaches to muslim women in the light of the analysis of moroccan islamic feminist, fatima mernissi. The forgotten queens of islam by fatima mernissi, paperback. Malefemale dynamics in modern muslim society in 1975, mernissi has sought to reclaim the ideological.
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