Women in the Islamic World: From Earliest Times to the Arab Spring

Schneider, a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Göttingen, Germany, covers the past and present of gender roles and the status of women in the scripture, law, politics, literature, and cultures of the Islamic world. The scope is ambitious, particularly for a book positioned as an introduction to the subject, but Schneider’s choices of topics are savvy; she covers the foundations, such as the instructions for women found in the Qur’an, and contemporary Muslim feminist movements, as well as a sampling of narrower topics, like Morocco’s family law reforms or the roles of women in literature. This variety of subjects both showcases the diversity and historical variation of women’s roles in the Islamic world and pushes the discourse about Muslim women away from simplistic clichés. Though the tone is occasionally dry, and Schneider sometimes struggles with the right level of detail, the book is meticulous in her treatment of a very complex subject, and should serve as a valuable and accessible introduction to the topic for both new and more expert readers. (Apr.)