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Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived...
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Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 8433

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Susan Carland

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Melbourne 3010, Australia
Interests: islam; muslims; lived religion; gender; sexism; muslim women; islamophobia; social cohesion; islamic religiosity; muslims in australia
Dr. Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK
Interests: muslim women; british islam; digital religion; ‘non-religion’; children in care; minoritisation; methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rachel Woodlock

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
Interests: religio-political interpretations of Islam; Muslims in Australia; Islamophobia; Islam and gender; Islamic heterodoxy; interreligious relations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to invite submissions from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds to explore the theme of “Muslim women in the 21st century: agency, influence, and lived experience”. We believe it is crucial to recognize the multifaceted and variegated nature of contemporary Muslim women’s life-worlds, and we invite you to contribute to this important conversation.

Muslim women are often portrayed monolithically in popular as well as political discourse. Even the academe has, at times, been dominated by an Orientalist gaze that exoticises the “Muslim woman” to use miriam cooke’s neologism. This special edition aims to challenge this homogenizing discourse by featuring a range of diverse voices and perspectives.

Eager to move beyond the dichotomy of the pitiably oppressed or apologetically elevated Muslim woman, this special edition explores the lived realities of Muslim women in majority or minority contexts, and the intersection of faith, culture, and agency (or lack thereof) that Muslim women negotiate in myriad ways. Possible themes include, but are not limited to, the experiences of Muslim women in education and the workplace; women’s leadership roles in business, community, faith, politics and more; negotiating religious and cultural expectations—be it in national, ethnic, faith, or family contexts; Muslim women’s spirituality; contending with patriarchal interpretations of sharia and fiqh in either majority or minority contexts; addressing stereotypes, discrimination and Islamophobia; issues for Muslim women of colour within the ummah; and the complexity around hybrid and transnational identities.

We are committed to publishing an edition that amplifies the voices of Muslim women and showcases the richness and complexity of their experiences. Research paper submissions from the humanities and social sciences, law, medicine, education, economics, business, technology, and beyond are invited, and submissions from all regions are welcome. We look forward to reading your submissions and building a diverse and inclusive collection.

Dr. Susan Carland
Dr. Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor
Dr. Rachel Woodlock
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • islam
  • muslim
  • gender
  • women
  • agency
  • influence
  • lived experience
  • leadership
  • muslim feminism
  • transnational identities
  • islamophobia
  • inclusion
  • women and religious law
  • stereotypes
  • diveristy
  • social conditions
  • lived religion
  • race and class

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 215 KiB  
Article
‘Every One of You Is a Leader’: Investigating the Experience of Being a Brown British Muslim Woman in Professional Contexts
by Saiyyidah Zaidi
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1229; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101229 - 10 Oct 2024
Viewed by 469
Abstract
The Hadith paraphrased as ‘every one of you is a leader’ does not discriminate in gender in any way—both men and women are leaders. What does this mean in practice, and how are Muslim women perceived and received in line with this Hadith? [...] Read more.
The Hadith paraphrased as ‘every one of you is a leader’ does not discriminate in gender in any way—both men and women are leaders. What does this mean in practice, and how are Muslim women perceived and received in line with this Hadith? Only in very recent years are Muslim women in Britain starting to occupy prominent positions: 13 Muslim women Members of British Parliament were elected in 2024; celebrities such as baker Nadia Hussain are regularly seen on British TV; and others such as Fatima Manji in the media. In this article, I explore how different ‘contextual intersectionalities’ influence and impact a Muslim woman and her leadership role. How does the intersectionality of her outward expression of faith identify her? How does a Muslim woman navigate a space where she is the leader and her skills are sought, yet her faith representation may instigate unconscious/conscious biases? Using an autoethnographic method, I investigate the impact of my identities as a Brown British Muslim woman in three distinct settings. First, in the professional and academic space of British Christian practical theology, where I was the first British Muslim to obtain a doctorate in the subject and was the first Muslim Trustee and Committee Member of the British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT) between 2020 and 2024. Second, as a leadership advisor and executive coach to FTSE-listed companies, where I support C-suite leaders to generate sustained change in individuals, teams, and systems. And third, as a tutor and supervisor of proven business leaders to master the skills of coaching in their own right. I discuss how I am met in these spaces and the impact of that on my being. In conclusion, I call for increased understanding and awareness of the emotional tax paid by Muslim women who choose to take leadership roles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience)
15 pages, 241 KiB  
Article
Maternal Identity and Muslim Ethics: South African Women’s Experiences
by Shafieka Moos and Sa’diyya Shaikh
Religions 2024, 15(8), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080927 - 30 Jul 2024
Viewed by 656
Abstract
Muslim women are often caught between idealized images of motherhood within Islamic traditions and the challenges of their lived experiences, as they navigate their subjective identities as Muslim mothers in contemporary South African society. We discuss mothering experiences as an epistemological site for [...] Read more.
Muslim women are often caught between idealized images of motherhood within Islamic traditions and the challenges of their lived experiences, as they navigate their subjective identities as Muslim mothers in contemporary South African society. We discuss mothering experiences as an epistemological site for the construction of complex Muslim maternal subjectivities. In part, these subjectivities demonstrate innovative responsiveness to the complexity of mothering amid changing social norms, through the crafting of maternal value frameworks that reflect both the particularities of contemporary social life as well as the quest for a more universal Islamic moral perspective. We argue that Muslim women’s dynamic constructions of their maternal subjectivities represent a form of lived, contemporary Islamic ethics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience)
14 pages, 265 KiB  
Article
Higher Educational Attainment and Lower Labor Participation among Bangladeshi Migrant Muslim Women in Australia: Disparity and Internal Barriers
by Farjana Mahbuba
Religions 2024, 15(7), 870; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070870 - 19 Jul 2024
Viewed by 925
Abstract
The 2021 census data in Australia show that a higher proportion of Bangladeshi Muslim women in Australia have postgraduate degrees compared to the broader female population. They are also more likely to have a bachelor’s degree when compared to their counterparts in the [...] Read more.
The 2021 census data in Australia show that a higher proportion of Bangladeshi Muslim women in Australia have postgraduate degrees compared to the broader female population. They are also more likely to have a bachelor’s degree when compared to their counterparts in the wider female cohort. However, the unemployment rate for Bangladeshi Muslim women is more than twice as high as that of the general female population. While a comparison between higher educational attainment and lower labour participation raises the question of whether the goal of higher education is indeed labour participation and the dilemma of valuing education solely based on its economic returns, nonetheless, the disparity alarms curiosity to investigate the reasons. The existing research on Muslim women in Australia reveal a complex web of external and internal multilayered intersecting factors that influence migrant women’s labour participation and makes them more susceptible to financial vulnerabilities. Utilizing qualitative methods in analysing fieldwork data from ongoing PhD research, this paper underscores the critical need for a nuanced understanding of internal cultural, domestic, and religious factors to address the unique challenges faced by this demographic in their labour market participation in Australia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience)
12 pages, 223 KiB  
Article
The Contribution of Muslim Women Australia in the Domestic and Family Violence Space: Victim-Survivor Perspectives from the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Amira Aftab, Balawyn Jones and Ghena Krayem
Religions 2024, 15(7), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070772 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1183
Abstract
This article examines the way faith and Islamic values underpin the agency and work of Muslim women in providing domestic and family violence (DFV) support services. Focusing on the role and impact of Muslim Women Australia within the DFV space in the Australian [...] Read more.
This article examines the way faith and Islamic values underpin the agency and work of Muslim women in providing domestic and family violence (DFV) support services. Focusing on the role and impact of Muslim Women Australia within the DFV space in the Australian context, this article demonstrates the way Muslim Women Australia utilises faith as a tool for empowerment. It illustrates the way that—despite governmental reforms that required transition from specialised to generalist DFV services—Muslim Women Australia, via their DFV service Linking Hearts, has maintained a strong commitment to providing culturally and religiously appropriate support. Drawing on fieldwork, this article explores the intersection of Muslim women’s agency, faith, and role as DFV service providers, to demonstrate the importance of culturally competent DFV support services within diverse communities. Through interviews with clients (victim-survivors) who accessed Linking Hearts services during the COVID-19 lockdowns, this article highlights the way the Islamic values of advocacy, agency, and dignity underscore the Linking Hearts model to effectively provide culturally and religiously competent support to all clients regardless of their personal beliefs and values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience)
21 pages, 582 KiB  
Article
Ancient Feminine Archetypes in Shi‘i Islam
by Amina Inloes
Religions 2024, 15(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020149 - 25 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2871
Abstract
This paper explores archetypes of femininity associated with Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ in Twelver Shi‘i hagiography through consideration of a broad range of archetypes found in the study of narrative and mythology. Many archetypes associated with goddesses of antiquity recur in portrayals of Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, [...] Read more.
This paper explores archetypes of femininity associated with Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ in Twelver Shi‘i hagiography through consideration of a broad range of archetypes found in the study of narrative and mythology. Many archetypes associated with goddesses of antiquity recur in portrayals of Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, suggesting either cultural influence or universal archetypes. For instance, Fāṭimah embodies a youthful, innocent, virginal goddess; Jung’s light and dark mother figure; and the lamenting goddess. Similar archetypes are projected onto other sacred women in Shi‘ism, such as Zaynab bint ʿAlī and Fāṭimah al-Maʿṣūmah. However, other feminine archetypes are absent, some are sublimated onto male figures, and some are banalized through translating the esoteric into the exoteric. This leaves gaps in the narrative models available to faithful women. Furthermore, embodying archetypes like lamenting and suffering may be undesirable. While reformist portrayals of Fāṭimah have attempted to present her as a model for female activism, historical and hagiographical archetypes of Fāṭimah inherently clash and are difficult to disentangle. Nonetheless, considering how hagiography differs from history can help understand how the mythic does not always translate well to the mundane. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience)
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