Thinking for Oneself? Forms and Elements of Religious Authority in Dutch Muslim Women’s Groups

Abstract

This chapter argues that even though Muslim women in the Netherlands organize in many ways and are arguably more active today than ever before, their scope for obtaining and exercising religious authority is limited. It attempts to show the limited extent to which individual ijtihad, as advocated by Muslim scholars such as Asma Barlas and Amina Wadud, is exercised by Muslim women in the Netherlands. This chapter distinguishes two ways of judging the merits of religious arguments and practices in mosques and local groups: one is oriented toward providing evidence on the basis of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, while the other is based on the moderateness of the interpretations that allow one to combine being a good Muslim with taking part in Dutch society. Keywords:Ijtihad; mosques; Muslim women; Netherlands; religious authority