ABSTRACT
This chapter features multiple conversations among Muslim women to undergird a central argument in the book: that the rich tradition arising from women's mosques in central China is inseparable from the Islamic resurgence in China, which lasted well into the late 2010s. Where women touch emotion, evoke sentiment, and inspire devotion to Islamic faith through nurturing traditions of chanting and reciting, in Arabic, Persian, or Chinese, they have enriched and rejuvenated the expressive culture of women's mosques, creating sites of harmony. An ethnographic account of a particularly commanding, charismatic ahong and her depth of scriptural erudition, spiritual aura, and beauty of voice illustrates the transformative capacities of a dedicated space from which women can speak. It contrasts with Muslim communities where no such tradition exists or where, as an extensive conversation among members of a local Islamic religious study group reveals, a resident ahong of the sole village women's mosque uses her authority to exclude those who challenge her leadership.
