Finding Islamic Feminism in Syria: A Comparison of the Abu Noor and Qubaysiyat Women's Revivalist Groups (2010)

Undergraduate: Maryam Al-Zoubi

Faculty Advisor: Sarah Shields
Department: International & Area Studies

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My research analyzes two all-women's Islamic revivalist groups in Syria and questions whether these associations of women that are based on Islamic principles be feminist. I conclude that the women of the Abu Noor mosque are engaging in Islamic feminism, while the Qubaysiyat are not. The Qubaysiyat group cannot engage in Islamic feminism because they limit their ability to critique oppressive practices against women. The Abu Noor women are Islamic feminists because they are working within systems that marginalize them to say no to those who claim to speak for them, thereby engaging in public debate about the proper roles and rights of Muslim men and women to find ways of empowering women. I also found that while it is possible to locate feminism within an association of women based on Islamic principles, not all associations of women would desire to engage in feminism. Not every group will engage in multiple critique, a strategic method of using an individual’s multiple identity consciousness to move between different speaking positions, in this case shifting between speaking as a woman and a Muslim to critique the implementation Islamic practices that oppress women. In my thesis I also analyze how women in Syria are becoming more publicly present, concluding that the specific sociopolitical atmosphere in Syria today has allowed for a new space for women in the realm of religion. This study is ground breaking in the field and aids to give voice for Muslim women in Syria.