Body in Text: Politics of Gender in Islam

This module examines gender and other related concepts such as the body through the lens of politics. Islam is the context and the approach is case study based. A wide range of religio-political movements within specific Muslim contexts, past and present, will be explored during the module, for example: the early gender egalitarianism of the Kharijite protest movements (especially 7th to 9th Centuries); the mystical (Sufi) contestations of dominant gender norms in the late classical period (13th to 16thth Century); the politicisation of gender in nation-based Islamism since the Iranian revolution in the 20th Century; and the rise of transnational Islamic feminism in the 21st century and the challenge of decolonial critique. These case-studies will enable students to understand the broader impact of relations of power on the production and life of particular readings of gender in Islam. The module will be delivered in weekly workshops, consisting of a lecture followed by workshop style discussion of designated readings, films, and documentaries.