Suchergebnisse

Introduction -- 1. Mapping the Terrain of Muslim Women in 21st Century North America -- 2. Living the Dialogical: Negotiating Identity and Meaning -- 3. Pervasive Anxiety about Islam and Muslims: "Clash Literature" in North America -- 4. Dissidence, Dissonance, and the Politics of Muslim Women's Emancipation -- 5. Muslim Women Prayer Leadership and Gendered Sacred Space -- 6. Veil Controversies: The Dynamics of Inclusion and Exclusion -- Conclusion -- Index.

"Exploring controversies and challenging clichés, Muslim Women in Contemporary North America is a provocative study of how strongly held and divergent opinions, values and beliefs, as well as misconceptions, overgeneralizations, and political agendas pertaining to Muslim women in the region, enter the public frame of reference. Interrogating contested topics in a series of case studies from both Canada and the United States, this book probes below the surface in pursuit of deeper understanding and more productive dialogue. Chapters analyse controversies over "clash" literature, dissident reformists, female religious leadership, veils, and the nature of emancipation in a compelling examination of the ways in which "Muslim", "American" and "Canadian" identities and values are being defined, differentiated, and projected. By pinpointing both sources of dissonance and unexpected patterns of resonance among complex, composite, and at times overlapping identity constellations, this book uncovers the impact of controversies on broader cultural negotiations in the United States and Canada. Transforming controversy and cliché into genuine conversation, Muslim Women in Contemporary North America is an invaluable resource for scholars and students in the fields of Islamic and Muslim Studies, Gender Studies, International Relations, Political Science, and Sociology"--

Intro -- Foreword -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Part I Abdul Aziz Said's Pioneering Life and Works -- 1 Abdul Aziz Said's Journey: A Biographical Overview -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Family Roots -- 1.3 Formative Experiences -- 1.4 French Schooling -- 1.5 Life During Wartime -- 1.6 A Model of Leadership -- 1.7 Seeking to Transcend Boundaries -- 1.8 University Education in Washington, D.C. -- 1.9 Roads Not Taken -- 1.10 Graduate Education and Key Influences at American University -- 1.11 Becoming an Innovative and Committed Professor -- 1.12 Collaboration with Charles O. Lerche, Jr. -- 1.13 "Big Times at AU" -- 1.14 Engaged and Relevant Scholarship -- 1.15 Middle East Expertise -- 1.16 A Search for Meaning -- 1.17 Activism for Human Dignity and Peace -- 1.18 International Peace and Conflict Resolution -- 1.19 Islamic Peace -- 1.20 Responding to Post-September 11 Realities -- 1.21 Teaching as a Vocation -- 1.22 Sharing and Celebrating a Vision -- 1.23 Pioneering Contributions -- 1.23.1 Peace -- 1.23.2 Intercultural Dialogue -- 1.23.3 Cooperative Global Politics -- 1.24 A Final Note: The Importance of Affirmation -- 1.25 Awards, Recognitions, and Memberships -- References -- 2 Photo Essay on Abdul Aziz Said -- 3 Bibliography of the Works of Abdul Aziz Said -- 3.1 Books -- 3.2 Selected Peer-Reviewed Articles and Chapters in Books -- 3.3 Selected Non-Peer Reviewed Publications -- 3.4 Selected Media Articles and Editorials -- 3.5 Selected Speeches and Presentations -- 3.6 Selected Reports and Memos -- 3.7 Selected Video and Media Links -- Part II Selections from Abdul Aziz Said's Writings -- 4 Abdul Aziz Said's Contributions to Scholarship -- 4.1 Toward a Global Perspective on International Politics -- 4.2 A World in Transition -- 4.3 Human Dignity, Cooperation, and Peace -- 4.4 Middle East Politics -- 4.5 Making Peace with Islam.

Known to many as American Universitys "peace legend," Abdul Aziz Said (19302021) led an academic career spanning nearly sixty years. Always a forward-looking thinker, Said consistently sought to be among the first to grapple with the leading-edge issues of his day, from decolonization and turbulent social change in developing countries to the influence of multinational corporations, the normative priority of human rights, cultural aspects of conflict resolution, and the promotion of Islamic-Western understanding. Taken together, his extensive writings, innovative pedagogy, and practical pursuits offer a model for engaged scholarship, characterized by dynamic use of the platform provided by a university career to advance international peace, intercultural dialogue, and social justice as well as a spiritual ethic emphasizing unity and connectedness among people from diverse cultural, religious, and racial backgrounds. Abdul Aziz Said has been an innovator in international relations and peace studies; Born in Syria, he completed his higher education in the United States and went on to teach multiple generations of international affairs students; He was a leading scholar focusing on global peace as well as Islam and peace; His writings address salient global issues from the 1950s to the first decades of the twenty-first century.

This article analyses the drama surrounding the activism of female imams in North America. The image of Muslim women presiding over mixed congregational prayers evokes dramatically divergent responses among different Muslim constituencies, highlighting the disputed nature of fundamental issues pertaining to identity, community and authority. Provocative questions are raised: Can Islamic texts and communities of interpreters accommodate female religious authorities? Is it in the interest of Muslim women to seek empowerment within a domain of communal life in which male authority has traditionally been dominant in all Sunni and most Shi'ite denominations? Do efforts to advance women within such contexts promise to help bridge the gap between 'Islam' and the 'West', or merely underscore existing divisions and political motivations? In particular we explore two prominent figures, Amina Wadud and Asra Nomani, and each woman's understanding of basic textual debates, conception of Muslim women's needs, and perspective on themes pertaining to 'Islamic—North American' relations. Throughout this article, an attempt will also be made to clarify a central paradox of the North American imamah phenomenon: that it is both a highly contingent response to specific cultural and political circumstances and a manifestation of long-term negotiations within the larger Muslim community that favour the opening of new spaces for women within religious and social life.

This book provides a counterweight to the prevailing opinions of Islamic thought as conservative and static with a preference for violence over dialogue. It gathers together a collection of eminent scholars from around the world who tackle issues such as intellectual pluralism, gender, the ethics of political participation, human rights, non-violence and religious harmony. This book provides a progressive outlook for Islam's role in contemporary politics and society

This book provides a counterweight to the prevailing opinions of Islamic thought as conservative and static with a preference for violence over dialogue. It gathers together a collection of eminent scholars from around the world who tackle issues such as intellectual pluralism, gender, the ethics of political participation, human rights, non-violence and religious harmony. This book provides a progressive outlook for Islam's role in contemporary politics and society.

When Muslim women from diverse national and cultural contexts meet one another through transnational dialogue and networking, what happens to their sense of identity and social agency? Addressing this question, Meena Sharify-Funk encountered women activists and intellectuals in North America, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia - women whose lives and visions have become linked by 'the transnational' despite their differing circumstances and intellectual backgrounds. The resultant work provides a rich and cliché-bursting account of women's reflections on a wide range of topics including: the status of women in Islam, the role of women as interpreters of religious norms, the relationship between secular and religious forms of self-identification, perceptions of Islamic-Western relations, experiences of marginalization, and opportunities for empowerment. Giving careful attention both to common threads in Muslim women's experiences and to the unique voices of remarkable women, this is a compelling account of conversations that are bringing new energy and dynamism into women's activism in a world of collapsing distances.