American Muslim women, religious authority, and activism : more than a prayer /

In March 2005, Muslim women planned and carried out a Friday prayer service in a mosque in New York City, breaking with centuries of patriarchal authority and practice. Among the women who played a leading role in that event were Amina Wadud, a prominent academic, and Asra Nomani, an activist, along with a number of others. Since March 2005, the experience of NYC has been repeated in Boston, Barcelona, London, and undoubtedly elsewhere. Male resistance has been fierce, but the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and nothing will ever be quite the same. This volume by Hammer (UNC Chapel Hill) is an account of the events surrounding March 2005 and an astute analysis of the literature Muslim women produced in response to that event. They are determined to assert their right to participate in the full life of the mosque and to demand gender equality more generally. As Hammer indicates, Muslim feminists are well equipped for the fight ahead and have enormous energy. This volume includes a full set of notes and an immensely useful bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic and public libraries with collections in contemporary Islam; lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. M. Swartz Boston University