Islamic Feminisms: Rights and Interpretations Across Generations in Iran (Gender in Law, Culture, and Society)

This book explores the contentious topic of women’s rights in Muslim-majority countries, with a specific focus on Iran and the Iranian women’s movement from 1906 to the present. The work contextualizes the authorial self through the use of personal narrative and interviews. A new critique of Islamic law is produced through an in-depth study of the Iranian Constitution, civil and criminal codes. The work presents a novel reconceptualization of the term "Islamic feminism" by revisiting the arguments of various scholars and through analysis of interviews with Iranian women’s rights activists. It is contended that the feminist movements can play a critical role in Islamic law reform and consequently the eventual implementation of international human rights law in Muslim-majority countries. What emerges from this study is not only a feminist critique of two major regimes of law, but also the identification of possibilities for reform in the future. The study transitions from the Iranian national context to the international by way of a comparative legal study of international human rights laws and Islamic laws. The book will appeal both to academics and human rights practitioners. "This book explores the contentious topic of women's rights in Muslim-majority countries, with a specific focus on Iran and the Iranian women's movement from 1906 to the present. The work contextualizes the authorial self through the use of personal narrative and interviews. A new critique of Islamic law is produced through an in-depth study of the Iranian Constitution, civil and criminal codes. The work presents a novel reconceptualization of the term 'Islamic feminism' by revisiting the arguments of various scholars and through analysis of interviews with Iranian women's rights activists. It is contended that the feminist movements can play a critical role in Islamic law reform and consequently the eventual implementation of international human rights law in Muslim-majority countries. What emerges from this study is not only a feminist critique of two major regimes of law, but also the identification of possibilities for reform in the future. The study transitions from the Iranian national context to the international by way of a comparative legal study of international human rights laws and Islamic laws."-- Back cover Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction: situating the self 12 Memories 13 1 Iranian women’s movement: narratives of dissent 20 Overview 20 The Iranian women’s movement: a brief historical account (1872–2012) 22 Iranian women’s movement through offline and online media 40 2 Contemporary feminism in Iran: definitions, narratives and identity 67 Introduction 67 The struggle to define “Islamic feminism” 68 3 Women’s rights in Islam: an Iranian case study 84 Introduction 84 Divorce 114 Conclusion 119 4 Human rights, Islam and the debate around CEDAW 121 Introduction 121 A brief background to CEDAW 124 International debate: CEDAW and Muslim-majority countries 130 Iranian debates on CEDAW 142 Conclusion: a personal account 154 Index 162 Rights and Interpretations Across Generations in Iran