10/03/2006: 'Inter-Religious Marriages Among Muslims: Negotiating Religious and Social Identity in Family and Community' is edited by Abdullahi A. An-Na'im. (Islam Interfaith)

This book presents interdisciplinary studies of marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims (as well as between members of different Muslim communities) in locations in three societies: Bombay, India; Dakar, Thies, and Ziguinchor in Senegal; and Istanbul, Turkey.

The country studies are united by a distinct theoretical approach, detailed in the Introduction. This approach proposes that the phenomenon of inter-religious marriage is a unique prism through which we can understand the complex processes and dynamics by which religious, cultural, and social identities are negotiated at the level of individuals, families, and communities.

The country studies combine an emphasis on the contextual nature and understanding of identities with the narratives of the agents and actors in inter-religious marriages. Each study locates the phenomenon of inter-religious marriage with respect to law, sociocultural practices and norms, history of community relations, and other factors such as political events, that provide the broad context within which inter-religious marriages take place in that society. At the heart of each study is an analysis of interviews conducted with spouses in an inter-religious marriage.

The book represents an important contribution to the academic literature on the topics of marriage, inter-marriage of any kind (inter-ethnic, inter-racial, inter-religious, and so on), and inter-religious marriage in particular. It also makes a significant contribution to the academic discourse on inter-faith relations and enriches our understanding of social relations and practices in the country locations. The book will be of interest to scholars in a range of disciplines including law, sociology, history, women's studies, Islamic studies, postcolonial studies, and cultural studies. It is also an invaluable resource for journalists, activists, NGOs, and policymakers.

ISBN: 81-88869-17-1, Rs. 650 (India), Elsewhere: US$ 35 Published by Global Media Publications.

About the Author

Abdullahi A. An-Na'im is Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law and Director of the Religion and Human Rights Project at the Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, USA. He is the author of Toward an Islamic Reformation: Civil Liberties, Human Rights and International Law (1990) and the editor of numerous books including Human Rights Under African Constitutions: Realizing the Promise for Ourselves (2003); Cultural Transformation and Human Rights in Africa (2002); Proselytization and Communal Self-Determination in Africa (1999); and The Cultural Dimensions of Human Rights in the Arab World (in Arabic) (1993).

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