ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book begins by Sherifa Zuhur, which is the first comparative study to offer an in-depth historical and contemporary analysis of criminal laws, women, and sexuality, and constructions of gender and sexuality in the penal/criminal codes in the Middle East. It explores the contested nature of sexuality through an analysis of competing discourses between various social and political actors, modernists and traditionalists, Islamists and feminists, religious authorities and health professionals. The book looks at the impact of social, demographic and socio-economic transformations on these discourses. It focuses on the impact of militarization, war and nationalist ideologies on the construction of sexuality and gender relations, as reflected in state policies, popular culture and women's lives. The book analyzes diverse issues, debates and discourses on sexuality, as well as the socio-political contexts underlying them, reflecting the diversity in the region.
