Arab women are frequently portrayed as oppressed, voiceless, and impoverished, and “Islam” is often cited as the most significant source of such oppression. Western media contribute to this perception by continuing to depict Middle Eastern women as silenced by men and society. While there are various practices and/or beliefs related to Islam that see a difference in the roles that women and men should ideally play in society, the relation between religion and gender is complex. In this course, we will explore the complexities of this relationship in the Islamic Middle East, which will be defined as the Arab world. Students will discover not only what Muslim women have been able to say about their own lives and beliefs, but also how Western peoples have talked about Muslim women in the past as well as in the modern world.
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