Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
This interdisciplinary workshop, will be held in 13 September 2018, aims to facilitate a dialogue and scholarly exchange on the topic of Islamic female scholarship and leadership.
The rise of female Islamic scholarship and leadership in the non-Muslim world is a relatively recent phenomenon that is garnering increasing public attention. Growing opportunities for women to train as scholars, both abroad and across Europe and the US, have facilitated this process and given rise to a number of institutions – for example, the Women’s Mosque in California, the Muslim Women’s Council in Bradford, England, and the Maryam Mosque in Copenhagen – which actively promote and disseminate female scholarship. Exchanges between female scholars and teachers in North America and Europe do occur, but there are also differences in the experiences, opportunities, forms of teaching, and modes of authority of these public figures across the two continents. Despite public attention devoted to this topic, academic research has been limited. Furthermore, and reflecting a broader trend in the literature on Islam in the West, there is little comparative work on female Islamic scholarship across the two continents.
This interdisciplinary workshop aims to facilitate a dialogue and scholarly exchange on the topic of Islamic female scholarship and leadership. We invite scholars and practitioners from a range of fields and disciplines to submit abstracts (of no more than 200 words) that explore these topics and shed light on female Islamic leadership in Europe and North America. Each presenter will have 30 minutes (including 10 minutes for questions) and presentations do not need to be in the style of an academic paper – we welcome different styles and formats.
Important Dates
For submission and further details please contact: muslimwomensleadership@gmail.com
Deadline for submission: Tuesday 3rd April 2018 5pm (GMT)
Venue: University of Edinburgh
Conference Date: 13th – 14th September 2018
Organisers: Khadijah Elshayyal (Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh), Giulia Liberatore (Sociology & Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies/Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh) and Tazeen Ali (Religious Studies, Boston University).
The programme will include keynote lectures, panel presentations and a roundtable discussion featuring both academics and practitioners.
