Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies
This paper will explore ways in which dynamics of visibility/invisibility of American Muslim women activists are transformed in secular places like USA, while these women struggle surviving on the borderlands. Borderland and boundary are perceived as lived spaces that are culturally hybrid and are s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/11/1023 |
| _version_ | 1797466711968972800 |
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| author | Naila Sahar |
| author_facet | Naila Sahar |
| author_sort | Naila Sahar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper will explore ways in which dynamics of visibility/invisibility of American Muslim women activists are transformed in secular places like USA, while these women struggle surviving on the borderlands. Borderland and boundary are perceived as lived spaces that are culturally hybrid and are seen as a theatre for radical action. In this paper I contend that Muslim women activists in the USA operate from geographies of borderland and while inhabiting this hybrid third space they generate discourses of dissent that challenge stereotypes about them. Hailing from diverse backgrounds and countries, with different cultural roots yet same belief system and faith, American Muslim women activists adapt varied resistance strategies to challenge the Muslim patriarchy and the western hegemony that has persisted to portray Muslim women as an oppressed group of people in need of saving. Tracing Muslim women activists’ emotional and experiential geographies I will look at ways in which dynamics of solidarity between them have moved beyond dichotomous divisions of global-local, global North-global South, and empire-colony. With the discussion of lives and activism of Amina Wadud, Linda Sarsour and Asra Nomani, this paper will contextualize these activists within the spaces of resistance which they inhabit, while navigating their challenges in the context of geopolitical tensions and conflicts which are their lived realities in the USA. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:42:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-edddfa5d6c924ca68af0dbc9921850f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:42:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-edddfa5d6c924ca68af0dbc9921850f72023-11-24T06:35:29ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-10-011311102310.3390/rel13111023Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance StrategiesNaila Sahar0Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Amherst, NY 14260, USAThis paper will explore ways in which dynamics of visibility/invisibility of American Muslim women activists are transformed in secular places like USA, while these women struggle surviving on the borderlands. Borderland and boundary are perceived as lived spaces that are culturally hybrid and are seen as a theatre for radical action. In this paper I contend that Muslim women activists in the USA operate from geographies of borderland and while inhabiting this hybrid third space they generate discourses of dissent that challenge stereotypes about them. Hailing from diverse backgrounds and countries, with different cultural roots yet same belief system and faith, American Muslim women activists adapt varied resistance strategies to challenge the Muslim patriarchy and the western hegemony that has persisted to portray Muslim women as an oppressed group of people in need of saving. Tracing Muslim women activists’ emotional and experiential geographies I will look at ways in which dynamics of solidarity between them have moved beyond dichotomous divisions of global-local, global North-global South, and empire-colony. With the discussion of lives and activism of Amina Wadud, Linda Sarsour and Asra Nomani, this paper will contextualize these activists within the spaces of resistance which they inhabit, while navigating their challenges in the context of geopolitical tensions and conflicts which are their lived realities in the USA.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/11/1023womenresistanceIslamvisibilitydissentagency |
| spellingShingle | Naila Sahar Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies Religions women resistance Islam visibility dissent agency |
| title | Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies |
| title_full | Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies |
| title_fullStr | Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies |
| title_short | Muslim Women’s Activism in the USA: Politics of Diverse Resistance Strategies |
| title_sort | muslim women s activism in the usa politics of diverse resistance strategies |
| topic | women resistance Islam visibility dissent agency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/11/1023 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nailasahar muslimwomensactivismintheusapoliticsofdiverseresistancestrategies |