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Title Commodifying “Islamic Feminism”: An Investigation into the Cultural Production of Muslim Women Life Writers in Euro-American Locations

Author(s) Farah Jabeen

Abstract This research intends to investigate how the Muslim women writers living in Western metropolitan centers inscribe the othering of Muslim women to get financial stability in the West and establish their reputation as Islamic Feminists. In doing so, they seem to be writing in line with the concept of “Islamic feminism” which, I argue, has become a highly commodifiable and, thus, a questionable category in contemporary times. This research argues that representation of the Muslim women, especially in post 9/11 times, has become a highly consumable and marketable phenomenon, and most of them championing the cause of Muslim women in the name of Islamic feminism, write with their careerist concerns. That is why, because of their assimilationist mindset, they act as comprador intellectuals. The works I have selected for this research are Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni, Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed and Standing Alone in Mecca: A Pilgrimage in to the Heart of Islam by Asra Q. Nomani. In order to prove my argument, I am using two theoretical lenses i.e. Amina Wadud’s idea of Islamic Feminism, Graham Huggan’s concept of “marketing the margins,” and Kwame Anthony Appiah’s notion of “comprador intelligentsia.” I will invoke these theoretical positions to investigate if “Islamic feminism” is really an independent / autonomous category or it is complicitous with Western feminism to promote its agenda. The research is going to be investigative and qualitative in nature and, because of its interpretive and exploratory design, textual analysis will be used as research method.

Type Thesis/Dissertation MS

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Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2019-09-20

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