Is there such a thing as the Muslim world? Is the "veil" a sign of submission or courage? Is our Western concern about women in Islam really a concern for the well-being of women? Our guest, Egyptian-American Leila Ahmed, challenges current thought on these and other questions.
Listen to photojournalist Diana Matar describe her exquisite series of images portraying a new generation of Muslim women in Cairo. These women are reclaiming and redefining the veil as a symbol of political dissent, piety, and fashion in contemporary Egypt. Or view the images without the audio by clicking the thumbnails below.
Read a fascinating chapter from Leila Ahmed's ground-breaking work, Women and Gender in Islam: Historial Roots of a Modern Debate. Here she explores the long story of westerners' inclination to interpret the veil as a proof of an innate backwardness in Islam.
Arab Identity and British Colonialism
(RealAudio, 10:24)
In this clip not included in the final broadcast, listen to Leila Ahmed discuss the creation of Arab identity as a legacy of British colonialism, and the similarities with the perception of Muslim identity in our age.
“When we watch you, you make us proud to be Egyptian.” A working-class television chef has become a celebrity by building national pride with affordable regional recipes that applaud the new post-revolutionary Egyptian cultural identity.
An Iraqi woman wears a headscarf, the hijab.
Hello, I am reaching out to your Center in hopes you could assist me. I am a student at San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science. I am taking a class in Grants and trying to procur a grant for the Pasadena Public Library. It is called Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys Bookshelf. I am seeking a knowledgeable person who could speak at an event next Fall 2013 on the Muslim culture to introduce the books and films we will be receiving. One of the books will be A Quiet Revolution by Leila Ahmed.
Ahmed is Victor S. Thomas Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School and author of several books, including Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate and A Border Passage.
Host/Producer: Krista Tippett
Executive Editor: Bill Buzenberg
Managing Producer: Kate Moos
Senior Producer: Mitch Hanley
Associate Producer: Colleen Scheck
Associate Producer: Jody Abramson
Online Editor: Trent Gilliss
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