Shattering the stereotypes: Muslim women speak out

Abstract

Shattering the Stereotypes: Muslim Women Speak Out is a collection of academic and non-academic pieces written by Muslim women in the United States and addresses the most controversial questions surrounding Muslim women post-9/11. In the introduction, Afzal-Khan lays out her two goals: to bring together and juxtapose the diverse views of Muslim women despite diff erences between their outlooks, histories, and cultures, and to enlighten readers about diversities between Muslim women and reveal complexities in order to challenge the monolithic image of Muslim women constructed and institutionalized as the body of knowledge in the West. Shattering the Stereotypes is an anthology, unlike many others on the topic of Muslim women, and is divided into six parts. In the fi rst, “Non-fi ction,” several non-academic and academic essays critically analyze the general stereotyping of Muslims as fundamentalist and terrorist and Muslim women as oppressed victims. Th e book’s claim is that this stereotyping has created a stronger dichotomy of “us” against “them,” legitimizing the Judeo-Christian policies of carrying the burden of “civilization” against “barbarian” Muslims through the war on terror and the emancipation of Muslim women from their Islamic bondage. Th e second section, “Poetry,” includes poems refl ecting the pain, anguish, and fears about war, social injustice, and terrorism within the context of Zionism, imperialism, and fundamentalism, before and aft er 9/11. Th e third section, “Journalism,” is written by Muslim women journalists and reporters who discuss the misrepresentation of Islam and Muslims in the media and counter some of the stereotypes and images about Muslims and Muslim women. Th ey advocate how responsible journalists can work toward enlightening people about Islam and establishing a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. In the fourth section, “Religious Discourse,” American Muslim feminists discuss the Qur anic view of women, their fi nancial rights, their right to work, and inheritance. Th e authors clarify the diff erences between cultural norms and Islamic law. To understand women’s rights