Forgotten Queens Of Islam [Paperback]

Fatima Mernissi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 1997

When Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988, there were some who claimed that it was a blasphemous assault on Islamic tradition, since no Muslim state, they alleged, had ever been governed by a woman. In this extraordinary new book, Fatima Mernissi shows that those proclaimed defenders of Islamic tradition were not only misguided but wrong. She looks back through fifteen centuries of Islam and uncovers a hidden history of women who have held the reins of power, but whose lives and stories, acheivements and failures, have largely been forgotten. Who were the Queens of Islam? How did they accede to the throne and how did their rule come to an end? What kinds of states did they govern and how did they exercise their power? Pursuing these and other questions, Mernissi recounts the stories of fifteen queens, including Sultana Radiyya who reigned in Delhi from 1250 until her violent death at the hand of a peasant; the Island Queens who ruled in the Maldives and Indonesia; and the Arab Queens of Egypt and of the Shi'ite Dynasty of Yemen. It was the Yemenis who bestowed upon queens a title that was theirs alone - balgis al-sughra , or `Young Queen of Sheeba'. Mernissi concludes this absorbing historical inquiry by reflecting on its implications for the ways in which politics is practised in the Islamic world today, a world in which women, while generally more educated than their predecessors, are largely excluded from the political domain. This powerful and engaging book, by one of the most original and distinctive voices in the Islamic world, will be of great interest to anyone concerned with Islamic society and politics.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A brilliant achievement of feminist historical archaeology! ... an outstanding work of feminist cultural history and politics.' Susanne Kappeler '... fascinating book.' Sunday Telegraph 'The Forgotten Queens of Islam is not merely a well-researched investigation of the past, but a manifesto for the Islamic world in the 1990s. A tersely eloquent discussion of the nature of power in Islam.' New Statesman & Society 'Professor Mernissi's erudition is impressive ... her analyses of the nature of political power, the confrontation between Islam and modern democracy, and the rise of fundamentalism are illuminating.' The Independent '... a very readable broad sweep of history.' Times Literary Supplement 'The book is not only an exciting foray into a subject that begs for more research, but also an exhortation to Muslims to rediscover the democratic and egalitarian roots of their religion.' Far Eastern Economic Review 'The book is an original piece of work which, undoubtedly, constructs a challenging contribution to the official history of women in Islam. The readings generate inspiring knowledge to the debates concerning politics, gender and power.' Sociology 'It is essential reading for all who want to clarify and balance their understanding of Islamic societies through history - Muslims and non-Muslims both.' AJPH --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

'A brilliant achievement of feminist historical archaeology! ... an outstanding work of feminist cultural history and politics.' Susanne Kappeler

'... fascinating book.' Sunday Telegraph

'The Forgotten Queens of Islam is not merely a well-researched investigation of the past, but a manifesto for the Islamic world in the 1990s. A tersely eloquent discussion of the nature of power in Islam.' New Statesman & Society

'Professor Mernissi's erudition is impressive ... her analyses of the nature of political power, the confrontation between Islam and modern democracy, and the rise of fundamentalism are illuminating.' The Independent

'... a very readable broad sweep of history.' Times Literary Supplement

'The book is not only an exciting foray into a subject that begs for more research, but also an exhortation to Muslims to rediscover the democratic and egalitarian roots of their religion.' Far Eastern Economic Review

'The book is an original piece of work which, undoubtedly, constructs a challenging contribution to the official history of women in Islam. The readings generate inspiring knowledge to the debates concerning politics, gender and power.' Sociology

'It is essential reading for all who want to clarify and balance their understanding of Islamic societies through history - Muslims and non-Muslims both.' AJPH --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press (July 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816624399
• ISBN-13: 978-0816624393
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An analysis of female power in Islam, March 4, 1998

By 

J. N. W. Bos "Joan" (Utrecht, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forgotten Queens Of Islam (Paperback)

The 1st part describes definitions of words like power, caliph, queen and harem and how these definitons exclude women from power. The 2nd part describes briefly some Islamic Queens. A chapter with the title "The Queens of Yemen" mainly describes the life and death of Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet, and the Shi'ite - Sunni controversy. The book concludes with some thoughts on a 'Medina democracy'.

Although the book could have focussed more on actual Islamic Queens, it still is a rare book about an interesting, but hardly explored subject.

22 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mernissi and her feminism, October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Forgotten Queens of Islam (Hardcover)

Mernissi is possessed by the insecurity of her traumatic childhood. The very title of the book "Forgotten Queens of Islam" completely discounts the reality that women even in today's Islamic societies weild political power and involvement unparalleled by women in any other society including the West. The reality remains that these "Queens" of Islam were never forgotten [Raziya sultan is still fresh in my mind from my high school history class in India]. The tradition of women ruling muslim countries was rarely broken as is witnessed by women such as Megawati, Vice President of Indonesia [largest muslim county], Benazir Bhutto, ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan [2nd largest muslim country], Shaiyk Hasina and Begum Khalida Zia, Prime Ministers of Bangladesh [3rd largest muslim country], Massumeh Ebtekar, Vice President of Iran [4th largest muslim country], Tansu Ciller, the Prime Minister of Turkey... and the list goes on. To be frank, the idea of feminism is a joke in the realm of Islam. Mernissi is fooling the westerners by selling books about how women are supposedly "oppressed" in muslim countries!!