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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010321865 | HQ1784 H65 2013 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
How are women in the Arab world negotiating the male-dominated character of Islamist movements? Is their participation in the Islamic political project-including violent resistance against foreign invasion and occupation-the result of coercion, or of choice? Questioning assumptions about female powerlessness in Muslim societies, Maria Holt and Haifaa Jawad explore the resistance struggles taking place in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and elsewhere in the Middle East from the perspectives of the women involved.
The authors make extensive use of vivid personal testimonies as they examine the influence of such factors as religion, patriarchy, and traditional practices in determining women's modes of participation in conflicts. In the process, they add to our knowledge not only of how women are affected by political violence, but also of how their involvement is beginning to change the rules that govern their societies.
Author Notes
Maria Holt is senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Westminster, London.
Haifaa Jawad is senior lecturer in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Birmingham.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Holt (Univ. of Westminster, London) and Jawad (Univ. of Birmingham) argue that "women in the Arab world, in response to oppressive practices from outside and discrimination within their own societies, are performing various forms of resistance." In particular, the authors focus on the participation of women in Islamic resistance movements. Chapters 1 to 3 provide general background, including a discussion of Islam and feminism and the theoretical role of women in violent resistance, a historical description of the role of women within Islamic society, and a specific analysis of female activism during the Arab Spring in 2011. Chapters 4 through 6 present case studies of women's participation in Islamic resistance in Shi'ite Lebanon, Iraq, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip of Palestine. A concluding chapter summarizes their findings. The analysis draws heavily on personal interviews of women who self-identify as Islamist and thus reveals a nuanced view of women's own sense of their position within the community, their relationship to males, and their role in opposing external repression. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections. C. H. Allen Shenandoah University
