Islamic Feminism in Kuwait

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 1-21

3. Western Feminism Has Not Taken Root in Muslim Hearts and Minds

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 23-44

4. Islamists Are Winning Elections

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 45-80

5. Veiled Women Are Leading

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 81-110

6. Men Are Enabling Islamic Feminism

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 111-141

7. Arab Youth Are Both Modern and Traditional

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 143-174

8. Conclusion: Legitimate Authorities in Balance

   • Alessandra L. González

   Pages 175-207

9. Back Matter

   Pages 209-254

   PDF

Drawing on interviews and fieldwork in Kuwait and throughout the Arabian Peninsula, this book explores what cultural elites in the Arab Gulf region have to say about women's political and cultural rights and how their faith is or is not related to their politics.

• feminism
• Islam
• Islamic feminism
• methodology
• politics
• Tradition
• women

“Alessandra L. González’s book focuses on the emergence and development of Islamic feminism in Kuwait. … The book is well written and accessible. Initially, it is aimed at scholars and students of Middle Eastern Studies. Above all, it is a noteworthy contribution to women’s strategies in negotiating the political sphere, and it could also benefit readers who are interested in gender issues in developing countries.” (Abdessamad Belhaj, Journal of Church and State, Vol. 57, Autumn, 2015)

"Basing her book on interviews and a survey of over one thousand Kuwaiti college students conducted in 2008, the author reveals the complexities and paradoxes inherent in the relationship between gender, religion, and social traditions in a Muslim society. What is clear is that activism on behalf of women's rights can only succeed if viewed as "legitimate" in the context of religious authority, community norms, and the political framework. Muslim women are seeking their own path to improving their status, one that "fills a niche that Western, individualistic, and secular-based feminism could not reach in traditional, majority Muslim societies . . . Recommended." - Choice

"A brilliant work on a far too neglected topic - one of increasing importance." - Rodney Stark, author of America's Blessings (2012) and The Rise of Christianity (1996)

Alessandra L. González is a research fellow at the Institute for the Studies of Religion at Baylor University.

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