HIST 278 Women in Islam

This course explores the position of women in Islam. We will investigate the conditions, experiences, and status of Muslim women in Middle Eastern societies and beyond. Topics include realities and misconceptions about women and Islam; women’s rights before and after Islam; colonialism and the phantasm of the Orient; patriarchy and its effect on shaping Islamic legal tradition, women’s lives in contemporary Islam as well as women’s participation in social movements. The framework of Islamic feminism is also explored, with an examination of women’s ongoing activism and their push for rights.