On Shifting Ground

In Iran, hundreds of women are producing blogs, sharing their ideas in an Islamic republic that still limits women’s expression. In Malaysia, members of Sisters in Islam are challenging sexist interpretations of Islamic theology and law. And throughout the Arabic-speaking world, satellite TV stations like Al-Jazeera have spawned “new Scheherazades”—women journalists and hosts whose voices have a powerful impact on the public discourse. This unique, cutting-edge book of essays—the first to include work by 2003 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Shirin Ebadi—explodes Western stereotypes about Middle Eastern women. Here, writers from across the Islamic world describe how women are claiming their full voice in politics, religion, and culture, making powerful use of new media—and sometimes facing powerful backlash.