Book Description

There are a variety of conflicts encountered between the traditionalism inherent in Muslim women's culture and the rather radical, pro-feminist orientations and practices of American culture. Demonstrated in this study are the ways in which Muslim immigrant women from different Islamic countries experience the loss of the familiar, and how they view themselves as part of American society, how they regard their faith, how they accept or reject the veil, how they maintain their culture, how they aspire to "traditionalism," and how they keep their own traditions. The experiences of these women may lead to the formation of an integrative curriculum which both meets their needs and prepares new Muslim women immigrants for smoother integration into American society, while also introducing them to a higher order of transformation apart from religious institutions and doctrine.

Praise for this Book

“The book explores with great erudition, sensitivity, and trenchancy the topic of the title with clear relevance to wider cultural and political encounters and solutions.”
~ Riad Nourallah MA (AUB) PhD (Cantab),
The Diplomatic Academy of London, University of Westminster

“Feminism finds a unique Islamic voice in these narratives. Dr. Raouda’s work challenges Western cultural judgments of superiority over Muslim/Arab tradition. Seeking liberation within Islam rather than from it, these women offer a rare glimpse into their struggle with tradition, modernity, and immigration.”
~ Mark Regouby,
Co-founder of telltheirstory.org,
member of the Committee on Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Religion,
Harvard Divinity School

“Dr. Raouda’s valuable research provides insightful understandings on the difficulties faced by Muslim/Arab women as they balance their traditional religious teachings with the demands of the American culture.”
~ Margaret M. Scott, PhD,
School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership,
Oklahoma State University