Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate

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Review ------ ""A pathbreaking survey of Islamic discourse."-"Publishers Weekly"" ""A meticulous historical analysis of the discourses on women and society in Islamic countries."-"Ethnic and Racial Studies" ""A signal contribution to the question of Islam and gender as well as a solid overview of the history of gender in the region."-Judith Tucker "This thoughtful and thought-provoking book should be required reading for anyone who is interested in the complexity of women's experience."-Elizabeth Fox-Genovese ""Refreshingly balanced and brilliantly inful, this book is a major scholarly contribution to the history of women in Islam. It is must reading for any social science or humanities course on the Middle East or Islam." -- Eliz Sanasarian "International Journal of Middle East Studies" ""This book stands out as particularly original, inful and sensitive. Concentrating on one of the nearly taboo topics of Islam, its of women, the author examines the patrilineal traditions in the Middle East that preceded Islam and discusses objectively the ways in which Islam both improved and curtailed the freedoms of women in its earliest days. . . . A highly original and important book."-"Foreign Affairs" ""ÝAhmed¨ ably portrays the circumstances of women from the medieval period into modern times by synthesizing various materials. The outcome will allow the general reader a far richer notion of women's society as a whole." -- Sherifa Zuhur "Middle East Journal" ""ÝAn¨ exemplary case of in-depth historical survey. . . . Women's studies in general and Middle Eastern studies in particular are much enriched by Ýthis¨ work, which should be included in the readings of all who wish to gain a sound understanding of Muslim women and politics in the Middle East." -- Haleh Afshar "Third World Quarterly" ""I would not hesitate to recommend this book as a good source of information." ""This is an important book that deserves to be recieved beyond its primary audience of feminist readers."-Lamin Sanneh, D. Willis James, "Christian Century"" Synopsis -------- This book presents an historical overview of women and gender in Islam. It is written from a feminist perspective, using the analytic tools of contemporary gender studies. The results of its investigations cast new light on the issues covered.