This conference, by emphasizing women's participation in the transmission and production of Islamic knowledge from pre-modern to contemporary contexts, is an inquiry into the various ways in which the reconstitution of female authority is advancing egalitarian principles within the Islamic tradition and creating a heightened gender consciousness in Islamic discourses.

CALL FOR PAPERS:

We invite papers that explore one of three central themes: 1) the traditional and emergent representations of women and gender in Islamic intellectual thought; 2) expanded domains of religious authority and knowledge that allow a greater engagement of Muslim women with the Islamic tradition; and 3) how increased interpretative authority among women activists impacts legal and ethical reform in Islamic law and influences conversations of female agency in both Muslim majority and non-Muslim majority countries. Proposals engaging any time period are welcome, but we are specifically interested in papers that contemplate how both “Classical” and “Modern” discussions challenge, re-frame, or confirm present debates on female authority within the Islamic tradition.

SPEAKERS:

Amina Wadud
Professor Emerita of Islamic Studies & Visiting Scholar
Starr King School for the Ministry, Berkeley

Khaled Abou El Fadl
Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Islamic Law
University of California, Los Angeles

Kathleen Moore
Professor of Islamic Studies & Law and Society
University of California, Santa Barbara

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Please submit proposals (300-500 words) and a two-page CV by January 6th, 2013 (note this is an extension from our original deadline of December 20th). Ph.D. students in advanced stages of research and recent graduates are especially encouraged to apply.

Email proposals to UCSBIslamicStudiesConference@Gmail.com