Review of: Markus Gamper: Islamischer Feminismus in Deutschland? Religiosität, Identität und Gender in muslimischen Frauenvereinen. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2011.

Abstract

Using qualitative and quantitative data, this sociological study analyzes the meaning of religiosity, identity, and gender in Muslim women’s societies in Germany. Markus Gamper connects the findings to approaches from the field of cultural theory by Stuart Hall and Homi K. Bhabha. Furthermore, he advocates the proposition that Islamic feminism exists in Germany. He states that the women who are organized in these societies succeed in developing counter discourses to German mainstream society as well as to the androcentrically coined Muslim communities, thus, making a stand against discrimination. In the analyzed societies, the author encounters – instead of “suppressed Muslim women” as they are presented by the media – highly educated women, who, confidently and independently, lead a religious life.