The "modern" muslim woman in the Arab peoples' revolution of freedom and dignity

Nathalie Grima

pp. 219-231

in: Carmel Borg, Michael Grech (eds), Lorenzo Milani's culture of peace, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

Abstract

In this article, I question the discourse and perceptions that place Arab women within the traditional-modern dichotomy. In the case of Muslim women, this is very often associated with whether they are following the Islamic dress of hijab or niqab , or whether they have rejected these garments. Apart from the simplistic association with tradition, Islamic dress is very often equated with gender oppression. My fieldwork with Arab Muslim women living in Malta has shown me that their situation is a much more flexible situation, which can be understood by looking at their perspectives rather than sticking to a rigid view. My respondents' narratives reveal that in general they tend to reject the idea that the only solution for gender equity is the one that is based on a Western, feminist, and apparently secular model. They rather tend to project the idea of a "modern" woman that can also be a practicing Muslim.