Motherhood as Constructed by Us: Muslim Women’s Negotiations from a Space That Is Their Own

According to foundational Islamic texts, motherhood is a key aspect of women’s diverse social roles; however some Muslim religious commentaries position motherhood as the only aspect of women’s contributions to society. The everyday mothering experiences of Muslim women remain absent from these disc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cheruvallil-Contractor, Sariya (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill [2016]
In: Religion & gender
Year: 2016, Volume: 6, Issue: 1, Pages: 9-28
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Islam / Motherhood / Gender-specific role / Holy books / Muslim woman
IxTheo Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
AG Religious life; material religion
BJ Islam
NBE Anthropology
NCB Personal ethics
Further subjects:B Feminism
B Islam
B Reclaiming Faith
B Religion
B Motherhood
B Muslim Women
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:According to foundational Islamic texts, motherhood is a key aspect of women’s diverse social roles; however some Muslim religious commentaries position motherhood as the only aspect of women’s contributions to society. The everyday mothering experiences of Muslim women remain absent from these discussions. This anthropological article will examine Muslim women’s narratives of motherhood and mothering in contemporary Britain. In my research, Muslim women in Britain chose motherhood, firstly, as one of the many fronts on which to challenge patriarchy that is evident in some Muslim texts and to thus ‘reclaim their faith’ as articulated in foundational Islamic texts. Secondly, in their mothering experiences, Muslim women found a space of commonality that they shared with other women - motherhood was something these Muslim women believed they shared with their ‘sisters’ who were from backgrounds different to their own. Within their diverse and multifaceted struggles, Muslim women thus identified a space which they share with other women.
ISSN:1878-5417
Contains:Enthalten in: Religion & gender
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.18352/rg.10126