Women, Leadership and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority (Women and Gender: The Middle East and the Islamic World, 11)

The acceptance of female leadership in mosques and madrassas is a significant change from much historical practice, signalling the mainstream acceptance of some form of female Islamic authority in many places. This volume investigates the diverse range of female religious leadership present in contemporary Muslim communities in South, East and Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America, with chapters discussing its emergence, the limitations placed upon it, and its wider impact, as well as the physical and virtual spaces used by women to establish and consolidate their authority. It will be invaluable as a reference text, as it is the first to bring together analysis of female Islamic leadership in geographically and ideologically-diverse Muslim communities worldwide. Biographical note Masooda Bano holds an ESRC Fellowship at the Oxford Department of International Development. She studies Islamic movements in comparative context. Her monograph, The Rational Believer: Choices and Decisions in the Madrasas of Pakistan, is forthcoming with Cornell University Press. Hilary Kalmbach is the Sir Christopher Cox Junior Fellow at New College, University of Oxford. Her research focuses on changing structures of Islamic authority, knowledge and education in the modern Middle East. Her current project situates Cairo’s Dar al-‘Ulum in the context of twentieth-century social, religious and linguistic changes. Contributors to the volume include PETRA BLEISCH BOUZAR, NATHAL M. DESSING, ROJA FAZAELI, JULIANE HAMMER, MONA HASSAN, SARAH ISLAM, MARIA JASCHOK, PATRICIA JEFFERY, ROGER JEFFERY, CRAIG JEFFREY, MIRJAM KÜNKLER, PETRA KUPPINGER, UTA LEHMANN, NICK MICINSKI, HIROKO MINESAKI, PIA KARLSSON MINGANTI, MATTHEW PIERCE, CATHARINA RAUDVERE, MARGARET J. RAUSCH, AMÉLIE LE RENARD, RIEM SPIELHAUS, NELLY VAN DOORN-HARDER, and ELS VANDERWAEREN Table of contents Preface Author Biographies Introduction: Islamic Authority and the Study of Female Religious Leaders, Hilary Kalmbach SECTION I SPACE FOR FEMALE AUTHORITY: MALE INVITATION, STATE INTERVENTION, AND FEMALE INITIATIVE Introduction to Section I 1.1 Sources of Authority: Female Ahong and Qingzhen Nüsi (Women’s Mosques) in China, Maria Jaschok 1.2 Women Mosque Preachers and Spiritual Guides: Publicizing and Negotiating Women’s Religious Authority in Morocco, Margaret J. Rausch 1.3 Reshaping Religious Authority in Contemporary Turkey: State-Sponsored Female Preachers, Mona Hassan 1.4 From Qurʾānic Circles to the Internet: Gender Segregation and the Rise of Female Preachers in Saudi Arabia, Amélie Le Renard 1.5 The Life of Two Mujtahidahs: Female Religious Authority in Twentieth-Century Iran, Mirjam Künkler and Roja Fazaeli 1.6 The Qubaysīyyāt: The Growth of an International Muslim Women’s Revivalist Movement from Syria (1960–2008), Sarah Islam SECTION II ESTABLISHING FEMALE AUTHORITY: LIMITATIONS, SPACES, AND STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING AND PREACHING 2.1 Leading by Example? Women Madrasah Teachers in Rural North India, Patricia Jeffery, Roger Jeffery, and Craig Jeffrey 2.2 Thinking for Oneself? Forms and Elements of Religious Authority in Dutch Muslim Women’s Groups, Nathal M. Dessing 2.3 Celebrating Miss Muslim Pageants and Opposing Rock Concerts: Contrasting the Religious Authority and Leadership of Two Muslim Women in Kazan, N. R. Micinski 2.4 Textual and Ritual Command: Muslim Women as Keepers and Transmitters of Interpretive Domains in Contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina, Catharina Raudvere 2.5 “She is always present”: Female Leadership and Informal Authority in a Swiss Muslim Women’s Association, Petra Bleisch Bouzar 2.6 Muslimahs’ Impact on and Acquisition of Islamic Religious Authority in Flanders, Els Vanderwaeren 2.7 Women, Leadership, and Participation in Mosques and Beyond: Notes from Stuttgart, Germany, Petra Kuppinger 2.8 Remembering Fāṭimah: New Means of Legitimizing Female Authority in Contemporary Shīʿī Discourse, Matthew Pierce SECTION III THE IMPACT OF AUTHORITY ON MUSLIM WOMEN, MUSLIM SOCIETIES, AND CONCEPTIONS OF ISLAMIC AUTHORITY Introduction to Section III 3.1 Challenging from Within: Youth Associations and Female Leadership in Swedish Mosques, Pia Karlsson Minganti 3.2 Gender Strategy and Authority in Islamic Discourses: Female Preachers in Contemporary Egypt, Hiroko Minesaki 3.3 Translating Text to Context: Muslim Women Activists in Indonesia, Pieternella Van Doorn-Harder 3.4 Making Islam Relevant: Female Authority and Representation of Islam in Germany, Riem Spielhaus 3.5 Activism as Embodied Tafsīr: Negotiating Women’s Authority, Leadership, and Space in North America, Juliane Hammer 3.6 Women’s Rights to Mosque Space: Access and Participation in Cape Town Mosques, Uta Christina Lehmann Conclusion: Female Leadership in Mosques: An Evolving Narrative, Masooda Bano Glossary Index Contents 5 Preface 9 Author Biographies 13 Introduction: Islamic Authority and the Study of Female Religious Leaders 19 Section I Space for Female Authority: Male Invitation, State Intervention, and Female Initiative 47 Introduction to Section I 49 Chapter 1.1 Sources of Authority: Female Ahong and Qingzhen Nüsi (Women’s Mosques) in China 55 Chapter 1.2 Women Mosque Preachers and Spiritual Guides: Publicizing and Negotiating Women’s Religious Authority in Morocco 77 Chapter 1.3 Reshaping Religious Authority in Contemporary Turkey: State-Sponsored Female Preachers 103 Chapter 1.4 From Qur'ānic Circles to the Internet: Gender Segregation and the Rise of Female Preachers in Saudi Arabia 123 Chapter 1.5 The Life of Two Mujtahidahs: Female Religious Authority in Twentieth-Century Iran 145 Chapter 1.6 The Qubaysīyyāt: The Growth of an International Muslim Women’s Revivalist Movement from Syria (1960–2008) 179 Section II Establishing Female Authority: Limitations, Spaces, and Strategies for Teaching and Preaching 203 Introduction to Section II 205 Chapter 2.1 Leading by Example? Women Madrasah Teachers in Rural North India 213 Chapter 2.2 Thinking for Oneself? Forms and Elements of Religious Authority in Dutch Muslim Women’s Groups 235 Chapter 2.3 Celebrating Miss Muslim Pageants and Opposing Rock Concerts: Contrasting the Religious Authority and Leadership of Two Muslim Women in Kazan 253 Chapter 2.4 Textual and Ritual Command: Muslim Women as Keepers and Transmitters of Interpretive Domains in Contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina 277 Chapter 2.5 “She is always present”: Female Leadership and Informal Authority in a Swiss Muslim Women’s Association 297 Chapter 2.6 Muslimahs’ Impact on and Acquisition of Islamic Religious Authority in Flanders 319 Chapter 2.7 Women, Leadership, and Participation in Mosques and Beyond: Notes from Stuttgart, Germany 341 Chapter 2.8 Remembering Fātịmah: New Means of Legitimizing Female Authority in Contemporary Shī'ī Discourse 363 Section III The Impact of Authority on Muslim Women, Muslim Societies, and Conceptions of Islamic Authority 381 Introduction to Section III 383 Chapter 3.1 Challenging from Within: Youth Associations and Female Leadership in Swedish Mosques 389 Chapter 3.2 Gender Strategy and Authority in Islamic Discourses: Female Preachers in Contemporary Egypt 411 Chapter 3.3 Translating Text to Context: Muslim Women Activists in Indonesia 431 Chapter 3.4 Making Islam Relevant: Female Authority and Representation of Islam in Germany 455 Chapter 3.5 Activism as Embodied Tafsīr: Negotiating Women’s Authority, Leadership, and Space in North America 475 Chapter 3.6 Women’s Rights to Mosque Space: Access and Participation in Cape Town Mosques 499 Conclusion: Female Leadership in Mosques: An Evolving Narrative 525 Glossary 553 Index 575 Introduction : Islamic authority and the study of female religious leaders / Hilary Kalmbach Sources of authority : female Ahong and Qingzhen Nusi (women's mosques) in China / Maria Jaschok Women mosque preachers and spiritual guides : publicizing and negotiating women's religious authority in Morocco / Margaret J. Rausch Reshaping religious authority in contemporary Turkey : state-sponsored female preachers / Mona Hassan From quranic circles to the internet : gender segregation and the rise of female preachers in Saudi Arabia / Amelie Le Renard The life of two mujtahidahs : female religious authority in twentieth-century Iran / Mirjam Kunkler and Roja Fazaeli The Qubaysiyyat : the growth of an international muslim women's revivalist movement from Syria (1960-2008) / Sarah Islam Leading by example-women madrasah teachers in rural North India / Patricia Jeffery, Roger Jeffery, and Craig Jeffrey ^ Thinking for oneself? forms and elements of religious authority in Dutch muslim women's groups / Nathal M. Dessing Celebrating miss muslim pageants and opposing rock concerts : contrasting the religious authority and leadership of two muslim women in Kazan / N. R. Micinski Textual and ritual command : muslim women as keepers and transmitters of interpretive domains in contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina / Catharina Raudvere "She is always present" : female leadership and informal authority in a Swiss muslim women's association / Petra Bleisch Bouzar Muslimahs' impact on and acquisition of islamic religious authority in Flanders / Els Vanderwaeren Women, leadership, and participation in mosques and beyond : notes from Stuttgart, Germany / Petra Kuppinger Remembering Fatimah : new means of legitimizing female authority in contemporary Shifi discourse / Matthew Pierce ^ Challenging from within : youth associations and female leadership in Swedish mosques / Pia Karlsson Minganti Gender strategy and authority in islamic discourses : female preachers in contemporary Egypt / Hiroko Minesaki Translating text to context : muslim women activists in Indonesia / Pieternella Van Doorn-Harder Making islam relevant : female authority and representation of Islam in Germany / Riem Spielhaus Activism as embodied Tafsir : negotiating women's authority, leadership, and space in north america / Juliane Hammer Women's rights to mosque space : access and participation in cape town mosques / Uta Christina Lehmann Female leadership in mosques : an evolving narrative / Masooda Bano. "The acceptance of female leadership in mosques and madrasahs is a significant change from much historical practice, signalling the mainstream acceptance of some form of female Islamic authority in many places. This volume investigates the diverse range of female religious leadership present in contemporary Muslim communities in South, East and Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America, with chapters discussing its emergence, the limitations placed upon it, and its wider impact, as well as the physical and virtual spaces used by women to establish and consolidate their authority. It will be invaluable as a reference text, as it is the first to bring together analysis of female Islamic leadership in geographically and ideologically-diverse Muslim communities worldwide"--Back cover This volume is the first to bring together analysis of contemporary female religious leadership in ideologically-diverse Muslim communities in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, with chapters discussing the emergence, consolidation, and impact of female Islamic authority.