WISE - Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality

KUALA LUMPUR: The appointment of the first two women judges to Malaysia’s Islamic courts was hailed Thursday as a move to address the gender imbalance in the country’s religious judiciary.  Premier Najib Razak announced the appointments, made by the king in May, as an example of the government’s commitment to transforming the Sharia judiciary.

Margot Badran, historian and gender studies specialist focusing on the Muslim world, discusses her selection of the best five books on Islam and Feminism:  Islam and Democracy: Fear of the Modern World by Fatima Mernissi, Secular and Islamic Feminist Critiques in the Work of Fatima Mernissi by Raja Rhouni, Inside the Gender Jihad: Women’s Reform in Islam by Amina Wadud, Counter Legal Draft of the Compilation of Islamic Law, foreword by Siti Musdah Mulia and Iranian Women’s One Million Signatures: Campaign for Equality by Noushin Khorasani.

Women imams could be leading prayers in British mosques within 15 years, according to a leading Muslim. However, resistance from traditionalists means that although women may lead other women, it could be decades before they lead mixed congregations. The number of female Islamic scholars, or alimahs, is soaring. Until recently there were very few. Now there are five seminaries for women against two for men. Hundreds of women are now qualified to advise and counsel both men and women in Islam.