Islam and Equality: Debating the Future of Women's and Minority Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, and: Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina, and: The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict (review)

Islam and Equality: Debating the Future of Women's and Minority Rights in the Middle East and North Africa edited by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. New York: Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, 1999, 208 pp., $20.00 paper.

Searching for Life: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Disappeared Children of Argentina by Rita Arditti. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999, 251 pp., $45.00 hardcover, $17.95 paper.

The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict by Cynthia Cockburn. New York: Zed Books, 1999, 247 pp., $65.00 hardcover, $25.00 paper.

The three books under review explore a diverse range of issues and a wide geographical area. In these pages, we find women as activists as well as women as subjects of states and international law. Despite the broad scope, a reader encounters overlapping ideas within the three. Of particular importance are the concepts of transnational organizations, public versus private domains, feminism, and identity. These terms emerge as central to understanding women in contemporary politics. A comparison and contrast of the treatment of these ideas in various settings reveals areas of debate and consensus surrounding women and their role in international politics. Furthermore, throughout all three books, the reader is conscious of the link between the political and the personal, especially for women.

Islam and Equality is a transcript of a 1997 conference on international law, human rights, and Islam sponsored by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. In four sessions, presenters summarized papers that served as a basis for discussion. To fully understand the debate, I advise readers to start with the relevant appendix before reading each chapter. The papers presented, as well as the comments offered span a wide range.

This book is a fascinating exploration of the notion of universal human rights--especially those of women and minorities--as compared to the beliefs and tenets of Islam. A fundamental question at the conference was the complementary or contradictory relationship between the two. To answer this query, the participants examine theoretical aspects of Islam (what does the Koran say about relationships between husband and wife, etc.) as well as applied elements, such as standards and rulings of family law in Islamic countries (e.g., what are parameters about custody). Participants at the conference spoke of women as a unitary group. While there was sensitivity to national differences, discussants did not engage in an analysis that assessed class or race as a factor in Islam and women's equality.

Islam and Equality offers no firm conclusions or assertions, and disagreement exists among Islamists about the content and character of Islam. For instance, some argue an Islamic government could not outlaw polygamy, while others state that the Koran clearly indicated that polygamy should be regulated. Through the give and take of the debate, variations between Islamic regions (i.e., Maghreb and South Asia versus the Middle East) and traditions clearly emerge. Given this diversity, it is not surprising that no consensus evolved.

This book presents an excellent discussion of Islam and equality. Those with some background in Islam might gain more from the discussion then a novice, but even a relative stranger to Islamic theory learns much from a reading of the debates. Islam and Equality would be useful in a class exploring Islam or the comparative status of women.

Searching for Life investigates the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an Argentine non-governmental organization (NGO) related to the better-known Mothers...