Women in Islam

The Women's Center has comparatively limited sources on Muslim women (these are listed below) so do try the Howard Tilton Library (they really have a good amount of sources on many different subjects within this topic).

As a general reference on the conditions of women in the world ask the Women's Center librarian for:
Seager, Joni. The State of Women in the World (Atlas). Hong Kong: Penguin Reference, 1997.

At the Women's Center some books on Muslim Women:

CT 2678.M47 A3 1994 Dreams of Trespass: Tales of A Harem Girlhood
HQ 1170.B76 1995 Nine Parts Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women
HQ 1170.M53 Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak
HQ 29.A3613 1984 Women in the Muslim Unconscious
HQ 1170.W56 Women in Islam
HQ 1170.M55 413 1988 The House of Obedience: Women in Arab Society
HQ 1170.J43 Frogs in a Well: Indian Women in Purdah

At the Howard Tilton Library there are books on Muslim women available concerning various topics. Following is a list of a handful of such books to give the researcher an idea of these topics. The researcher is advised to use the call numbers as a starting point for researching on the different subjects.

HQ 1784.A67 1992 Women & Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate
HQ 1170.F35 Faith and Freedom: Women's Rights in the Muslim World
HQ 1170.M848 1994 Muslim Women's Choices: Religious Beliefs & Social Reality
GN 650.H53 1993 Infibulation: Female Mutilation in Islamic North East Africa

Case Studies/Conditions of Muslim women in various countries:
HQ 1784.S47 1991 Both Right & Left-Handed: Arab Women Talk About Their Lives
HQ 1742. L39 1990b Muslim Women in India: Political & Private Realities 1890- 1980
HQ 1793. B33 1995 Feminists, Islam & Nation: Gender & the Making of Modern Egypt
HQ 1793.Z67 1992 Revealing Reveiling: Islamist Gender Ideology in Contemporary Egypt
HQ 1796.5.W 3613 1989 Three Swahili Women: Life Histories From Mombasa, Kenya
DT 515.45.H 38C35 1987 Muslim Women in Nigeria: Tradition & Change
HQ 1735.2. W 653 1985 Women & the Family in Iran

Cultural Literature:
PK 2199.H297 M3213 Voices of Silence: English Translation of Khwaja Altaf Hussian Hali's Majalis Un-Nissa & chup Ki Dad
BJ 1292.W6 T4713 1990 Perfecting Women: Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi's Bihishti Zewar: A Partial Translation with Commentary

Islam and Feminism:
HQ 1735.2 M65 1995 Populism & Feminism in Islam
HQ 1170.F46 1996 Feminism and Islam: Legal and Literary Perspective

Biographies of Muslim Women:
BP 80. A 52 S64 1995 Politics, Gender and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of AŽisha Bint Abi Bakr
HQ 1170.Z24 1990b Women & Politics in Islam: The Trial of Benazir Bhutto

Law:
HQ 1170.W84 1996 Women, the Family and Divorce: Laws in Islamic History
HQ 1726.5 E 86 Women in Muslim Family Law

While looking up effects of society on Muslim women, books by Fatima Mernissi are available:
CT 2678.M47 A3 1994 Dreams of Trespass: Tales of A Harem Girlhood.
HQ 1170.M4613 1996 Women's Rebellion and Islamic Memory
BP 163.M47 1992 Islam & Democracy: Fear of the Modern World
BP 135.8.W67 M4713 1991 The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women's Rights in Islam
HQ 1170.M46 1987 Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society

NOTE: The most recommended source for research on women in Islam, especially Islamic law concerning women, is the Quran:
(at HT) BP109 1989b The Holy Qur-an: English Translation of its Meanings and Commentary
also the following book is very helpful in understanding the role of women in "pure" Islam (at HT):
BP 134. W6 S 76 1994 Women in the Qur'an, Tradition and Interpretation
In looking up articles on Muslim Women, try MUSLIM WOMEN at the HT library DNEW with K=Muslim Women.

Some examples of articles on Iranian women include (all at HT):
Bogert, Carroll. "A Protest From Women," Newsweek.v. 129 (June 9, '97): p 48.
Sciolino, Elaine. "The Chanel Under the Chador," The New York Times Magazine. May 4, 1997: 46-51.

On articles concerning Afghani women:
Horner, Sarah. "Fear Behind the Veil: Kabul's New Hard-line Rulers Face a City's Anger," Maclean's. v. 109, Oct. 21 1996: 36.

In the Arab Emirates:
Jehl, Douglas. "In Changing Islamic Land, Women Savor Options," New York Times (Late New York Edition). July 20 1997: Sec. 1: 3.

Some good websites on the internet are listed below but the researcher should search under MUSLIM WOMEN as well.

For "explanations" or "positive" opinions on women in Islam probably the best website is:
http://www.albany.edu/~ha4943/sisters.html (this lists a large number of websites on women in Islam and is quite comprehensive in the material it covers)
as well as: //syed.afternet.com/women/Marywalk.htm
To look up criticisms of Muslim women one would be better off looking up book reviews by writers like FATIMA MERNISSI and TASLIMA NASREEN.