In Search of Islamic Feminism: One Woman's Global Journey [Paperback]

Elizabeth Warnock Fernea (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 1998

"Islamic feminism" would seem a contradiction in terms to most Westerners. We are taught to think of Islam as a culture wherein social code and religious law alike force women to accept male authority and surrender to the veil. How could feminism emerge under such a code, let alone flourish? Now, traveling throughout Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as Islamic communities in the United States, acclaimed Arab Studies scholar and bestselling author Elizabeth Fernea sets out to answer that question.

Fernea's dialogue with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances prompts a range of diverse and unpredictable responses, but in every country she visits, women demonstrate they are anything but passive. In Iraq, we see an 85 percent literacy rate among women; in Egypt, we see women owning their own farms; and in Israel, we see women at the very forefront of peacemaking efforts. Poor or rich, educated or illiterate, these women define their own needs, solve their own problems, and determine the boundaries of their own very real, very viable feminism. In Search of Islamic Feminism offers a groundbreaking new interpretation of the status and vision of Muslim women that will open up a new world to its readers, even as it challenges our own sense of what feminism means.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

To the West, the Islamic world often appears homogeneous and monolithic; the Islam practiced in Iran or Saudi Arabia is our model for Islam everywhere: heavily veiled women, strictly segregated schools and workplaces, the harsh law of sharia demanding a thief's hand cut off or an adulterous woman stoned to death. In reality, the practice of Islam varies widely from place to place and culture to culture; in Turkey, for example, Islam may be the religion of the majority, but the political and legal systems are strictly secular. In Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, politics and religion are one, represented by the power of the mullahs and the ruling family. Uzbeki Muslims are different from Senegalese Muslims, and North African Islam has more than a little sub-Saharan influence to thank for its pantheon of djinns, afrites, and holy saints. Just as religious practices differ from country to country, so does the impact of Islam on women. Muslim women in Morocco, for example, have the legal right to drive a car, while women in Saudi Arabia do not. This being the case, is it even possible to define an Islamic brand of feminism? Elizabeth Warnock Fernea, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Texas, Austin, certainly tries and, in many cases, succeeds. Her book, In Search of Islamic Feminism, is both an account of her many years spent living and traveling in the Middle East and an attempt to define the issues facing Islamic women today. Though Fernea occasionally comes off as naive, she also makes valuable points about the many faces of Islam and feminism. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Feminism, like democracy, is not an easy sell in many parts of the world, especially in traditional societies with autocratic regimes. However, feminism today enjoys an advantage in that it can adapt to local cultural forms and practices; hence the author's concept of Islamic feminism. Fernea, who has written numerous books on the Middle East (e.g., Children in the Muslin Middle East, Univ. of Texas, 1995) has firsthand experience of the cultural context she treats in this investigation. Starting in the mid-1950s, she has traveled repeatedly with her family to the Middle East, spending years at a time there. Here she sets out to answer basic yet sometimes complex questions about Middle Eastern women: their predicament, what feminism means to them, whether its ideas are helpful, and the alternatives in traditional societies. The last chapter is on Muslim women in the United States. Although the author states in conclusion that Islamic feminism seems to her to be alive and well in the countries she visited, gender equality is still a long way off. Highly recommended for all libraries and essential for women's studies collections.?Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (November 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385488580
• ISBN-13: 978-0385488587
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the other reviews turn you off ---, June 10, 2001

By 

steve estvanik (seattle, wa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Search of Islamic Feminism: One Woman's Global Journey (Paperback)

A superb book, describing the authors travels to several Middle Eastern countries emphasizing the role of women in each country. In her discussions with local women, she explores the various images of women, in those countries and in the West, and looks for how feminist ideas interact with Islamic cultures. I lead tour groups to the Middle East, and one of the most common questions I hear from prospective travelers is the perception that women in all Islamic countries are oppressed and undervalued. Fernea and her associates dispell this idea, and show the wide range of responses and possibilities. As in the West, many people have a reluctance to even use the word 'feminism', when in fact there is substantial agreement on the actual ideals of equality and other principles that transcend other cultural or religious artifacts and obstacles. On our trips, we don't often have the chance to get as involved in discussions as Fernea, with her years of experience and contacts does, but, in what I have experienced (in Morocco, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Uzbekistan and Turkey), her discussions here ring true. Along with Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain, these are 2 of my highest recommended books as glimpses of modern culture in the Middle East. It was particularly interesting to read some of the negative reviews on Amazon -- I find it hard to believe those people were reading the same book I was!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Long journey, December 3, 2000

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Search of Islamic Feminism: One Woman's Global Journey (Hardcover)

This book describes Fernea's personal quest for Islamic feminism throughout the Middle East. Each chapter describes her experiences in a different country. It is never made clear whether the ordering of the chapters corresponds to the chronology of her visits, although she mentions in the beginning that she began in 1994, and the most recent entries seem to be from about 1997. Although some of the visits seem to be specifically for this project, others appear to have been incidental, where she did research for the project while on various lecture tours arranged for other purposes.

Fernea writes from a very personal point of view in this book. Indeed, the book, with its details of such things as the food she ate and her misadventures with her hostesses' dog, comes across more as a travel journal than an academic survey. Throughout, she seems to go out of her way make it clear that she does not consider herself an expert on the topic, but rather as a curious seeker. She also laments frequently her limited ability in Standard Arabic. Coming from an author of her stature, this is a bit surprising. But then again, this is in line with her previous ethnographic studies on the Middle East, which described her and her family's personal dealings with the culture as much as they described the culture itself. And perhaps given the topic and the ethnicity of the author, this was the only possible approach for a book exploring these questions.

Fernea presents few clear conclusions in her search for Islamic feminism. Those generalities that are mentioned come mostly from the mouths of the women she interviews. The clearest message is that women in the Middle East seem leery of the term "feminist". To them, "feminism" seems to represent attitudes of Western women (of perhaps questionable morals) who want to subvert their culture. On the other hand, virtually all the women interviewed in the book are concerned about women's issues and would like to improve the lives of women in their communities. Several of the women stressed that there is no overall "Islamic" culture; each Islamic country has its own culture. The issues that are important for women in any given country arise more from the culture than from the religion. Nevertheless, the religion does provide certain rights and expectations for all Islamic women; whether the women can take advantage of these rights depends on the conditions prevailing where they live.

This book represents yet another chapter in the Fernea's growth in understanding about the women in this region. As such, it will be a welcome addition in the library of anyone who has read her previous books, or for anyone else who is exploring women's issues and Islam.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nice as a travel book, May 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: In Search of Islamic Feminism: One Woman's Global Journey (Paperback)

This book is nice as a travel book. Description of the "adventures" was really enjoyable. But that was it! The author seemed so much interested in the external appearances rather than the core. For example, I noticed the way she handled the Islamic dress code. As a feminist, she obviously has her biased stand against it. There's much more in the life of a Muslim woman than the way she dresses, but it seemed that this issue was one of the author's most primary targets. She handled the issue in such a naive way and displayed any positive views expressed by some Muslim women in a disagreeable manner.

I was astonished to learn from the book that Mrs. Fernea doesn't know standard Arabic. This means she doesn't have direct access to all the Arabic written material. All her sources must be second hand. If this is the case, then I wonder how she can be described as an "acclaimed Arab Studies scholar." Neither her short visits to Arab and Muslim countries, nor her stay with her husband in a remote village in Iraq qualify her to be an authority in Arab studies.