Council for Arabic and Islamic Studies Lecture Series
Dr. Amina Wadud
In the past five decades, the face of Islam and gender has changed comprehensively. Across the globe matters concerning gender equality and Islam—as practiced, adjudicated and believed in—have been subject to discourse over gender. What is unique about this last half-century is the rate of women and women-identified participation and self-representation in these discourses. In this presentation Professor Wadud will take stock of some of the most important trends, developments and implications of these discourses across the spans of my location as a Muslim woman by choice for 50 years. Meaning I have been Muslim only as an adult. While once it was appropriate to say, two steps forward one step backwards, those who linger in a stagnant male-dominant location now find themselves in an increasingly weakened position. The Muslim Women’s movement is strong, ongoing and deeply self-introspective. It has taken authority through its knowledge production and paradigm-shifting radical, mostly inclusive and intersectional scholarship and activism. Gender reform is by far the most successful of all the Islamic reform movements this century. I will conclude with some consideration of the way forward.
Organized and Moderated by Dr. Souad T. Ali, CAIS Founding Chair