Motherhood as Constructed by Us: Muslim Women’s Negotiations from a Space That Is Their Own

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor

doi:10.18352/rg.10126

Abstract

According to foundational Islamic texts, motherhood is a key aspect of women’s diverse social roles; however some Muslim religious commentaries position motherhood as the only aspect of women’s contributions to society. The everyday mothering experiences of Muslim women remain absent from these discussions. This anthropological article will examine Muslim women’s narratives of motherhood and mothering in contemporary Britain. In my research, Muslim women in Britain chose motherhood, firstly, as one of the many fronts on which to challenge patriarchy that is evident in some Muslim texts and to thus ‘reclaim their faith’ as articulated in foundational Islamic texts. Secondly, in their mothering experiences, Muslim women found a space of commonality that they shared with other women – motherhood was something these Muslim women believed they shared with their ‘sisters’ who were from backgrounds different to their own. Within their diverse and multifaceted struggles, Muslim women thus identified a space which they share with other women.

Highlights

This article examines young Muslim women’s experiences and understandings of motherhood in contemporary Britain
This article focuses on the influence of religious belief on Muslim women’s mothering experiences
As an ‘Abrahamic faith’, Islam shares key aspects of its history, theology and socio-cultural values with Christianity and Judaism, and within Muslim cultures, as in Jewish and Christian narratives, dominant social discourses around motherhood tend to centre on self-sacrifice and domesticity

Summary

Introduction

This article examines young Muslim women’s experiences and understandings of motherhood in contemporary Britain. Motherhood may be studied as an institution that is determined by social norms, cultural practices and religious structures As mothering, it may be understood as the everyday lived experiences of women who are mothers (O’Reilly 2004; Rich 1976). It has become evident that the field has moved on, but while much has been written about Christian mothers, there is hardly any academic engagement with the mothering experiences of women who adhere to non-Christian faiths. This article provides a critical examination of the theological discourses that underpin Muslim women’s, and Muslim societies’, expectations of motherhood In addressing both textual and lived understandings of Muslim motherhood, this article adds to the debates that Muslim women (and Muslim societies as a whole) are having about how religious texts are interpreted and implemented in everyday life.

For example

Findings

Conclusion