WUNRN
Book Review: SEXUALITY IN
MUSLIM CONTEXTS: RESTRICTIONS AND RESISTANCE
Edited by Anissa Helie and Homa
Hoodfar
Using
case studies from
Sexuality in Muslim Contexts: Restrictions and
Resistance. Anissa Helie and Homa Hoodfar (eds). Zed Books. October 2012.
In Sexuality in Muslim Contexts:
Restrictions and Resistance, a new book by editors Anissa Helie
and Homa Hoodfar, issues
surrounding the policing of sexual rights in diverse Muslim settings are
explored. The book offers an original insight into the relationship between
sexuality and bodily rights and discusses ways sexuality is restricted in
Muslim contexts but also the ways women are combating these and resisting traditional
understandings of sexuality. The editors argue sexuality is stigmatsed in
Muslim contexts and detail culturally appropriate practices to combat this. The
editors are clear to explain that religious identity is not the main focus of
this book and that there are multiple reasons for sexual restrictions. The
book’s main aim therefore is to share a more fluid understanding of Islam that
encompasses issues over time and space. The book contains contributions from a
wide range of actors from judges to activists to academics to create a book
full of rich case studies and varied inputs.
The book is divided into two parts. Part I “Tools of
Policing: The Politics of History, Community and Law” explores the history and
context of Muslim countries. The chapters in Part 1 are about restrictions and
investigate how people have used the term Muslim as a framework for control of
sexuality in both Governmental and everyday cultural contexts. Part II “States
of Contestation: Reclaiming Public Spaces”, explores the importance of public
spaces and presents evidence of how Muslim societies are redefining and
resisting constructions of sexuality and gender (p. 11). Resistance is
important as in many Muslim countries sexuality is visibly restricted,
therefore it is important and a strength of this book to detail the public
spaces of resistance.
Understanding
the restrictions placed on women’s sexuality are a key part of this book and in
Chapter 3: “Moral panic: the criminalization of sexuality in
In
Chapter 7, “Veiling transcripts: the private debate on public veiling in
When
examining how women resist sexual oppression, in Chapter 10, “Living
sexualities: non-hetero female sexuality in urban middle class
In the
final chapter “Risky rights? Gender equality and sexual diversity in Muslim
contexts”, editor Anissa Helie’s chapter asks us to consider the different ways
that deny women and gay people rights. Helie explores why many Western views
surrounding Muslim sexualities are often biased and urges us to challenge this.
A crucial argument made by Helie is that when we declare ‘Muslim women’ victims
we must also understand that there are many factors other than religion that
oppress women. Helie writes that the policing of sexuality is not unique to
Muslim societies and that gender equality is not a solely Western reform,
sexual plurality existed in Muslim societies prior to their encounter with the
West. Intersectionality matters Helie argues and sexuality is a contested and
highly patrolled terrain in all societies (p. 307).
In
conclusion, this book is one that should be read by all those interested in
sexuality, religion, Islam, or gender. The wide range of case studies make it
suitable for both an academic and general audience while the examples make it a
stimulating and accessible read. This book urges the reader to consider Muslim
sexuality from the local to global level and to understand there are both
restrictions and resistance that are interwoven with not just religion but a
wide range of factors. The only criticism to wage at this book is its tendency
to focus overly on patriarchy as the main problem, with men overly blamed.
While reasons for this are explained throughout when discussions of sexuality
and gender are made, it urges the reader to question the relationship between
patriarchy and religion. My concluding comment is that however you currently
understand sexuality in Muslim contexts this book will definitely change it for
the better.