Feminism in Islam

The Iranian theologian and feminist Sedigheh Vasmaghi

A revolution in Islamic law

With her work, Iranian feminist and legal scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi is putting an end to male dominance in Islamic jurisprudence, striking at the very heart of the Islamic Republic.
Feminist art from Pakistan

Thoughtful, provocative, chic: Shehzil Malik's fresh aesthetic seeks social transformation in a conservative, male-dominated society – sometimes by deliberately flaunting social conventions
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia

Aisha al-Mana – the first woman to drive a car in Riyadh

When people talk about feminism in the Middle East, they usually mean women in Cairo, Beirut or Damascus. Saudi-Arabia, on the other hand, rarely gets a mention. Local activist Aisha al-Mana proved a trailblazer for women in the region
Marriage, religion and love in Egypt

The long road to modernising marriage

American historian Kenneth M. Cuno talks to Qantara.de about the decline of polygamy in Egypt, the emergence of love when choosing a marriage partner, and what role Muhammad Abduh and Qasim Amin played in promoting new ideas about marriage and the family
Nobel peace prizewinner Narges Mohammadi

Change in Iran 'irreversible'

Rights campaigner and 2023 Nobel Peace laureate Narges Mohammadi said in a September 2023 interview that she retained hope for change in Iran, despite having no prospect of release from prison and enduring the pain of separation from her family
Equality in the Arab world

Lebanon's 'dangerous' Khateera feminists

A popular Beirut-based media platform is tackling some of Arab society's most sensitive subjects – such as sex, love, desire and gender roles – with distinctive humour. Diana Hodali reports
Iran protests

Women defying hijab laws forced into psychiatric treatment

Authorities in Iran are trying to enforce laws obligating women to cover their hair by sending them for psychological treatment.
Iran's authoritarian dress code

Tehran seeks to enforce hijab rules again

The hijab is not just a piece of clothing. This traditional headscarf holds deep cultural and political significance in Iran. The Islamist regime demands that women wear it for the sake of morality and order. Nonetheless, a considerable number of women have stopped doing so entirely. By Shora Azarnoush
Islamic feminism

Evolving gender rights

In her latest book – "Journeys Toward Gender Equality in Islam" – legal anthropologist and activist Ziba Mir-Hosseini talks to six leading Muslim reformists about gender, women's rights and the latter's evolution over time. Interview by Tugrul von Mende
Iraqi YouTube star's murder

How to end domestic violence in Iraq?

In Iraq, the murder of another young woman by a family member has led to renewed calls for the country's government to finally enact a law on domestic violence, one that has been stuck in parliamentary limbo for years. Cathrin Schaer reports
Yemen’s other war

Female politicians targeted on social media

With more than two hundred thousand followers on Facebook and about 54 thousand followers on Twitter, I am one of the most prominent Yemeni politicians on the ground and online. Yet not a day passes without me having to fight in the virtual world because I decided to have a voice. Activist Nora Al-Jarawi gives a personal account
Referendum on a new constitution for Tunisia

Rolling back the achievements of the revolution

Tunisians are set to vote on a new constitution on 25 July. The prominent lawyer and women's rights activist Yosra Frawes fears the referendum could facilitate a return to dictatorship. This would also endanger progress on women's rights achieved since 2011. Interview by Claudia Mende for qantara.de