I’ve added a new item to the “Readings” sidebar, ”Islamic Feminism and its Discontents: Toward a Resolution of the Debate” by Valentine M. Moghadem (from Signs, v.27 no.24, 2002). It’s largely a response to Feminism and Islamic Fundamentalism: The Limits of Postmodern Analysis by Haideh Moghissi (which I reviewed here). It’s a good and concise overview of scholarship in the field from a more sympathetic perspective to Islamic feminism than in Moghissi’s treatment (although it’s a bit harsh on Moghissi, whose position is I think more nuanced than Moghadem acknowledges here. Although Moghadem’s work was criticized in Moghissi’s book and it’s clear Moghadem felt pretty attacked by that, so there ya go.) It’s also well worth a read for the summary of what Islamic feminists have managed to accomplish within the Islamic Republic of Iran.
But above all, I love an academic paper that comes with its own punchline. Because in the end, Moghadem's “resolution” to the debate between Islamic and secularist feminists is basically that everyone just adopt her own Marxist-feminist perspective, which is that of course we should talk nice about Islamic feminism but still posit complete secularization of the state as the only effective route to women’s empowerment. Except still keep the Islamic injunction against usury as state law, we like that part since it’s anti-capitalist. Problem solved!