| Feminism and Islamic Fundamentalism: The Limits of Postmodern Analysis Contributor(s): Moghissi, Haideh (Author) |
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ISBN: 1856495906 ISBN-13: 9781856495905 Publisher: Zed Books OUR PRICE: $40.54 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 1999 Annotation: An accessible introduction to postmodernism, feminist theory and Islamic fundamentalism, this book is a highly controversial intervention into the debate on postmodernism and feminism which looks at what happens when they are jointly employed to illuminate the sexual politics of Islam. The author describes the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the West's response to it. Postmodernism has exposed the vested interests implicit in racist stereotyped and colonial images of Islam, particularly radical Islam. However, the author argues that regardless of the sophisticated argument of postmodernists and their suspicion of power, as an intellectual and political movement, postmodernism has put itself in service to power and the status quo. She brilliantly demonstrates how this has given rise to a neo-conservative feminism--or a new feminist orientalism, asking some hard questions of those who denounce the racism of Western feminism but uncritically embrace the Islamic identity of Muslim women. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Feminism & Feminist Theory - Religion | Islam - General - Social Science | Women's Studies |
| Dewey: 305.486 |
| LCCN: 99022771 |
| Physical Information: 0.41" H x 5.5" W x 8.5" (0.51 lbs) 176 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Islamic - Sex & Gender - Feminine |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: A highly controversial intervention into the debate on postmodernism and feminism, this book looks at what happens when these modes of analysis are jointly employed to illuminate the sexual politics of Islam. As a religion, Islam has been demonized for its gender practices like no other. This book analyzes that Orientalism, with particular reference to representations of Muslim women and describes the real sexual politics of Islam. The author goes on to describe the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the West's response to it. She argues that regardless of the sophisticated argument of postmodernists and their suspicion of power, as an intellectual and political movement postmodernism has put itself in the service of power and the status quo. Moghissi brilliantly demonstrates how this trend has given rise to a neo-conservative feminism. A major feminist critique of Islamic fundamentalism, this book asks some hard questions of those who, in denouncing the racism of Western feminism, have taken up an uncritical embrace of the Islamic identity of Muslim women. It is urgent reading for all those concerned about human rights, as well as for students and academics of women's studies, political science, social theory and religious studies. |