ABSTRACT
Under the influence of cultural imperialism and Orientalism, Islam, in much of Western literature, has been viewed as a homogeneous and immutable entity resistant to change. Islam is often essentialized and perceived as a monolithic force residing outside of history. Global changes since September 11, 2001 have ushered in a new era when “Islam” and “Muslim” have begun to acquire new meanings. Once again and with more vengeance, Islam and Muslim are lumped together as a homogenous entity of “terrorist other” vis-à-vis “us” in the West (Abdo 2002). On the other hand, some writings by feminists, both Western and Eastern, have tended to conflate Islam and patriarchy and present the two as an inseparable phenomenon. Whereas the first approach presents Islam in a fundamentally ahistorical manner, the second approach fails to historicize and contextualize gender relations.
