November 13: Gender Justice in Islam
Presented by Dr. Zahra N. Jamal, Associate Director at Rice University’s Boniuk Institute
Islam is often seen today as a religion that subordinates, oppresses, and discriminates against women. However, Muslims themselves often argue that the “real” Islam liberates, lauds, and protects women. Muslims and non-Muslims are reaching different conclusions on this issue. Some reject Islam altogether, others reject the way that the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book, has been interpreted, while still others embrace the traditional role of women articulated in earlier interpretations of the Quran. In these discussions, the question of gender equality in Islam is central, and specific practices like veiling and polygamy are the subject of debate as examples of gender (in)equality. In this class, we will learn about gender equality in Islam, as articulated in the Quran, and as interpreted by various people, including feminist scholars, religious leaders (imams), and “everyday” Muslims in a range of contexts, from the US to Egypt to Iran.
Dr. Zahra Jamal is Associate Director at Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance at Rice University. She has taught at Harvard, MIT, University of Chicago, Michigan State University (MSU), and Palmer Trinity. She founded and directed the Civil Islam Initiative at University of Chicago and the Central Asia and International Development Initiative at MSU. As well, Dr. Jamal served as Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of American Muslims at the DC-based think tank, The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. She has consulted for the UN, State Department, Aga Khan Development Network, Swiss Development Cooperation, and Aspen Institute. Dr. Jamal received her Ph.D. in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, and double B.A. in Slavic Studies and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies from Rice University.