Study of Muslim woman and family: A Bibliography

Abstract

In recent years there has been a steady growth of literature on the subject of Muslim women and families. Some of the areas that have received attention are the status of women in polygamy family law reforms purdah (a misnomer that is universally applied by western writers for the correct Arabic Hijab) motherhood and child care feminism sexual behavior population control and western perceptions of gender-specific cultural traits in Muslim societies. Muslim writers have produced a large number of apologetic works under the rubric of Women in Islam or the Status of Muslim Women. Some western feminist writers have tried to display a sense of sisterhood with Muslim women by exhorting them to get rid of purdah opt for a sexually-liberated life style and stand up for their rights. There is little evidence that western feminism has taken root in Muslim society and that Muslim women are asserting to be biologically morally and physically independent of women. Nonetheless a breed of Muslim women writers has come into being with only limited membership Fatima Mernissi Nawal el-Saadawi Naila Minai and Fatna A. Sabbah have attempted to graft the western model of feminism albeit with little success. This bibliography is selective and concentrates on works that have attempted the study of Muslim women and family from a conceptual perspective.