In Search of Islamic Feminism

A superb book, describing the authors travels to several Islamic countries emphasizing the role of women in each country.  In her discussions with local women, she explores the various images of women, in those countries and in the West, and examines how feminist ideas interact with Islamic cultures.

When I lead tour groups to the Middle East, the most common questions I hear from prospective travelers is the perception that women in all Islamic countries are oppressed and undervalued.   Fernea and her associates dispel this idea (while not ignoring the many real problems), and show the wide range of responses and possibilities.  As in the West, many people have a reluctance to even use the word 'feminism', when in fact there is substantial agreement on the actual ideals of equality and other principles that transcend other cultural or religious artifacts and obstacles.   On our trips, we don't often have as intense an interaction, as Fernea, with her years of experience and contacts does; but, (from my experiences in Morocco, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Uzbekistan and Turkey), her discussions here ring true.   Along with Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain, these are 2 of my most highly recommended books as glimpses of modern culture in the Middle East.

 

Also by Fernea - A Street in Marrakech

Antarctica - Reading this book as we approached Antarctica on our cruise, Robinson's done it again - his geology is rock solid, [only John McPhee can write so captivatingly about plate tectonics] so much so, that once again, I started thinking of his fictional Antarctica as the real thing. As we drove thru the Beech tree forests of Tierra del Fuego, it conjured his images of a former Antarctica covered with hardy Beech forest, to be re-discovered as fossilized beech leaf mats by Robinson's scientists. Elegantly weaving in Antarctic history, Robinson's story proceeds on multiple lines, with the modern day plotlines paralleling the explorers. The science is least fictional of any of his works, but the climbing and trekking scenes are riveting; the crevasse scenes are white knuckle memory time for anyone's who's ever traversed a glacier, even though his mountaineers have tracking toys we never dreamed of.