Feminist Readings of Classical Islamic Texts
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Omaima Abou-Bakr (Cairo),
The lecture discusses two specific areas within the broad field of Islamic studies in which a feminist approach, such as examining the representation of women and gender issues and critiquing patriarchal concepts, can contribute both to contemporary Islamic knowledge and to feminist reform. First, drawing on feminist methods of investigation and analysis, one can revisit Islamic history texts with a focus on unearthing women’s presence and voices for present empowerment. Second, within the field of theology, or Qur’anic interpretative tradition specifically, studying the formation of gender issues in the influential exegetical discourses can be done both critically and constructively with the goal of establishing an ethic of gender egalitarianism and justice. The larger framework is how to interact with tradition—that legacy of a cultural and civilizational past—in ways that are meaningful and useful to the present moment, generating an alternative knowledge using the feminist lens.
Organisation: Asien-Orient-Institut - Gender Studies, Universität Zürich