Saba Mahmood

This week included two readings from Saba Mahmood. The reading entitled the Subject of Freedom began with an interesting sentence.  She states, “[two opposing sides] both share the assumption that there is something intrinsic to women that should be predispose them to oppose the practices, values, and injunctions that the Islamist movement embodies.” (2) This idea goes along with the previous readings and class discussions revolved around Muslim women and if they need to be ‘saved.’ She then goes to write about the women’s mosque movement in which women met and educated each other about Islam and ways in which to live according to the religion.  She speaks of how this movement was/is not popular with Muslim feminist because it draws upon tradition and within those traditions women are second to men, taking us back to the state of needing to be saved. The movement went against everything that the feminists are working toward.

She in parts of her article label those who are shy, quiet, and reserved (to summarize) as being as a proper Muslim woman should be. We learn through her text the opposing sides that Muslim women face. The first side is that of the shy and modest woman she speaks of above, ones that stick to tradition and don’t question their subordinate status in comparison to men. While on the other side, there are these feminist that are being born who question their ways of living. Who embody what a Muslim women should be but with a voice speaking of equality. The tumblr previously linked to this blog demonstrates just that. A Muslim woman modest, but speaking for her rights, seeking to be an equal.