Sexuality in Muslim Contexts: Restrictions and Resistance

The book explores women's resistance against the policing of sexuality in Muslim societies. Many Muslim majority countries still use religious discourse to enforce stigmatization and repression of those who do not conform to sexual norms. In this context, Islam is often stigmatized in Western discourse for being intrinsically restrictive with respect to women's rights and sexuality.This insightful collection shows that conservative Muslim discourse does not necessarily match practices and that women's empowerment is facilitated where indigenous and culturally appropriate strategies are developed. Using case studies from Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Israel, and India, it argues that Muslim religious traditions do not necessarily lead to conservative agendas but can promote emancipatory standpoints.