Women Under Islam : Gender, Justice and the Politics of Islamic Law - Christina Jones-Pauly

Women Under Islam

Gender, Justice and the Politics of Islamic Law

By: Christina Jones-Pauly, Abir Dajani Tuqan

Hardcover | 30 April 2011 | Edition Number 1

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In this groundbreaking work, Christina Jones-Pauly and Abir Dajani Tuqan examine the history and practice of Islamic law as it affects women throughout the world. They highlight the diversity of ways in which it has been interpreted, leading both to the progressive family-planning policies of Tunisia and the more conservative personal status laws of Egypt. Seeking to understand how a set of religious laws which initially empowered women subsequently became a tool for their oppression, they shift the debate away from whether Islamic law itself is misogynistic or not, and look instead at the contexts in which it has been applied, both in Arab and non-Arab cultures.

The most important factor in determining whether court rulings are disadvantageous to women is not, they conclude, the conservativeness of the society, it is the institutions of that society, and in particular its pre-Islamic institutional history and the independence of its judiciary. In Pakistan, for example, the higher courts have been unable to resist popular and political pressure to criminalise extra-marital sexual relations, yet interpret the law themselves in a liberal way in keeping with the original spirit of the Qur'an and the Hadiths.

The book also provides innovative insight into the application of Islamic law in countries where Muslims are the minority, exploring how the evolution of Sharia in South Africa's constitutionalist legal framework creates new possibilities for progressive interpretations.

Interweaving legal scholarship and detailed on the ground case studies, Women Under Islam provides both a rich reference resource and new way of understanding gender politics in the Islamic world.
Industry Reviews
'A unique comparative study of women in Sharia, spanning four key countries in the Muslim world. The book is unprecedented, showing how culture, history, tradition, praxis and politics shape Sharia. It is written in the best tradition of ijtihad, the methodology for adapting Sharia to changing realities. It is a must read for human rightists and politicians alike.' - Helena Kennedy, QC, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Human Rights Activist; 'I believe the impressive scholastic endeavour which this book represents will prove to have made a significant contribution to a better understanding, both internationally and inter-faith, of the source and development of some of the sensitive issues relating to the status of women in Islam. I commend it as a challenging but rewarding read.' - Sir Robert Johnson, former Judge in the Family Division of the High Court of England and Wales and former Chairman of the Bar of England and Wales

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