Review by Choice Review
Throughout the world, Muslim women (and men) are deeply questioning their relationship to traditional attitudes. The current volume begins with an excellent introductory essay by Esposito and an overview by Haddad (both of Georgetown) of issues such as women's education and public roles, women and Islamist movements, and domestic concerns like birth control and spousal abuse. Barbara Stowasser surveys interpretations of the Quranic verse putting men in charge of "their" women, and there is an overview of social change for women in the Arab world. Well-researched reports follow on women in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, and the Philippines, underscoring the substantial differences among these countries. For example, Kuwaiti women do not sit in Parliament or even vote; their wearing of the abaye in 1991 represented nationalist rather than Islamist meanings. In other countries, women might adopt Islamic veiling precisely as they were seeking more power and visibility in the public sphere, perhaps to render themselves less threatening to traditional values as they sought to undercut other traditions. All the essays are up-to-date, show deep familiarity with the complexity of the issues, and present riveting reading. Recommended for general readers, upper-division undergraduates, and above. S. Ward; University of Denver
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
