What inspired you to pursue this fascinating project on women and the Islamic world? I was inspired by the many brave people I have met across the Islamic world over the past decade who have devoted their lives to improving the situation for women. Not only do they often struggle against deeply held customs and traditions, but they also run up against conservative religious interpretations used to justify those practices. I became intrigued by their efforts to work with religion rather than against it, to seek an accommodation between women's rights and Islamic values. Is feminism a core Islamic value? There are many Islamic scholars and Muslim believers who assert that feminism is a core Islamic value. They insist that at its birth, Islam was radically progressive for women and they want to recapture that spirit. They focus on Islam's demand for justice, claiming that gender equality is essential to achieving that justice. Today, more and more women are reading the texts for themselves, and applying the Islamic tradition of ijtihad, or individual reasoning, in a search for justice. How can Islamic feminism transform Muslim societies? The power of Islamic feminism lies in the broad range of actors working to achieve gender equity. When I look across the Muslim world, I see change where I would not expect it, like the mullah in rural Afghanistan who has opened his mosque as a girls' school. Some pursue change at a national level. Others advocate for change at the most local level, within families and communities. This ability to bring change in all its forms—from a father promoting his daughter's education to a nation instituting legal rights for women—is transforming the Middle East. How will the future of Islam be shaped by today's feminist pioneers? These activists, both women and men, are promoting progressive interpretations of Islam that will shape the future of Muslim society. Many Islamic feminists are working to promote the greatest driver of change: knowledge. With knowledge, women are more able to demand their rights, and push for reforms that can lead to more open, just and tolerant societies, for men and women. Why is Islamic reform vital for the world? The rise of religious extremism is one of the most urgent crises facing the world today. Those promoting reform within Islam, like the Islamic feminists I write about in the book, are critical to a broader reform movement within Islam. Ultimately, reform is vital for achieving compatibility with the modern world, promoting tolerance and peace.
