Women Embracing Islam: Gender and Conversion in the West

Contents

Contents Acknowledgments vii foreword. Conversion and Gender, Two Contested Concepts Willy Jansen ix introduction. Gender and Conversion to Islam in the West Karin van Nieuwkerk 1 part one. contextualizing conversion chapter 1 The Quest for Peace in Submission: Reflections on the Journey of American Women Converts to Islam Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad 19 chapter 2 The Shaping of a Scandinavian “Islam”: Converts and Gender Equal Opportunity Anne Sofie Roald 48 chapter 3 Symbolizing Distance: Conversion to Islam in Germany and the United States Monika Wohlrab-Sahr 71 part two. discourses and narratives chapter 4 Gender, Conversion, and Islam: A Comparison of Online and Offline Conversion Narratives Karin van Nieuwkerk 95 chapter 5 The Shifting Significance of the Halal/Haram Frontier: Narratives on the Hijab and Other Issues Stefano Allievi 120 part three. trajectories and paradigms chapter 6 Female Conversion to Islam: The Sufi Paradigm Haifaa Jawad 153 chapter 7 African American Islam as an Expression of Converts’ Religious Faith and Nationalist Dreams and Ambitions Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons 172 chapter 8 Feminism and Conversion: Comparing British, Dutch, and South African Life Stories Margot Badran 192 part four. transmission and identity chapter 9 How Deborah Became Aisha: The Conversion Process and the Creation of Female Muslim Identity Nicole Bourque 233 chapter 10 Keeping the Faith: Convert Muslim Mothers and the Transmission of Female Muslim Identity in the West Marcia Hermansen 250 Notes on Contributors 276 Index 281 vi wo m e n e m b r a c i ng i s l a m ...