RT Article
T1 The Religious Conversion of Iranian Asylum-Seeking Women in the Process of Searching for Identity: The Case of Eskişehir
JF Journal for the academic study of religion
VO 38
IS 1
SP 1
OP 24
A1 Mozafarian, Rayehe
A2 Güllüpınar, Fuat
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1929272650
AB This article explores the experiences of Iranian women who converted from Islam to Christianity, particularly focusing on the challenges they faced in their home country and as immigrants. Following the 1979 Iranian revolution, women, especially those from minority groups, endured significant oppression. Many women fled Iran in pursuit of freedom, but their difficulties persisted as immigrants, now compounded by their minority status in a new context. Based on qualitative research, including in-depth interviews with twenty-seven women in Eskişehir, Turkey, the study uncovers how patriarchal norms, domestic abuse, early marriage, and a lack of educational opportunities in Iran pushed these women toward Christianity, which offered them not only a new faith but also a sense of personal and spiritual autonomy. The research highlights the complex interplay of identity, religion, and agency, demonstrating how these women’s conversions were both an act of defiance against oppressive systems and a path toward personal liberation.
K1 B; Religion
K1 Christianity
K1 Eskisehir
K1 Iranian women
K1 Islam
K1 Religion/Women's Studies
K1 Turkey
K1 Feminist
K1 Religious Conversion
DO 10.1558/jasr.30211