What Is Veiling?

Acknowledgments

xi Acknowledgments I could not have completed this book without the unfailing support of family, friends, and colleagues, and I wish to express my most sincere gratitude to them. I am mentioning only some people here; others are not named for reasons of privacy, even though their support and help has been equally instrumental to my writing over the last two years. They will no doubt recognize themselves in some of the stories recounted in the following pages. To them also goes my deepest appreciation. First of all, I would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers of the University of North Carolina Press whose close reading and countless suggestions have helped me strengthen, clarify, and deepen some of the points I was making in earlier chapter drafts. I also thank my wonderful editor, Elaine Maisner, whose vision, unswerving encouragement , cheerfulness, and invigorating conversations over lunches and coffees helped me stay the course and keep to the schedule of publication . Her assistant editors, Caitlin Bell-Butterfield and Alison Shay, have both been models of organization, patience, and punctuality. My project manager, Paul Betz, and copyeditor, Petra Dreiser, have helped with all details, big and small, of editing and production. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of the College of Arts and Science, the Heloise Catherine Merrill Faculty Excellence Fund, the Center for European Studies, the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, and the Department of Global Studies for research leaves, funds, and assistantships that supported the completion of this book. My research assistant, Jessica Tobin, has been a true gem in helping me organize and obtain illustrations and copyright permissions . Her IT skills, persistence, and laughter have facilitated immensely the entire process. I would like to thank the many colleagues across the country and abroad who have invited me to speak about veiling practices on their campuses or at conferences, as well as the engaged audiences I had at each one of these events. I also thank my students, especially those who enrolled in my “Muslim Women and Veiling” class at the University of xii Acknowledgments North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the K–12 teachers I worked with at numerous outreach events.Their interest in my work, the questions they asked, and their genuine desire to learn about Islam and Muslim women have always been motivating and a veritable source of inspiration. My family, friends, and colleagues have all sustained and nourished me intellectually, mentally, and physically throughout the process. My late father, Mohamed Amer; my mother, Hoda Mostafa; my sisters, Noha, Ghada, and Nadia; and my nephews and nieces, Magued, Walid, Inès, and Norah, have always been my most solid cheerleaders throughout my academic career. They have sent me countless articles, images, cartoons, jokes, and stories to ensure I had seen all sorts of possible resources related to veiling. My father, until his last breath, and my sister Noha, like my good friend Muriel Davis, tirelessly read and commented on multiple versions of earlier chapters. My friends and colleagues (listed here in alphabetical order) encouraged me through all the ups and downs of my research and writing: Carolyn Allmendinger, Isabella Archer, Rose Aslan, Liz Bucar, Karen Carroll, Chris Currie, Eglal DossQuinby , Todd Drake, Nahed Eltantawy, Carl Ernst, Sandrine Gil, Banu Gökariksel, Colette and Michel Guggenheim, Regina Higgins, Carla Jones, Kenny Levine, Christilla Marteau d’Autry,Tariq, Laura, and Nadia Nasir, Oana Panaite, Lisa Pollard, Cara Robertson, Sarah Shields, Nour Soufi, Candy Walter, and Ali Yedes. Last, but not least, my dearest friend, Martine, has helped me stay sane when things have become chaotic, has cheered me on when the writing has been slow, and has read and reread every chapter in its new execution. I could not have begun or finished this book without her ceaseless support and endless affection. What Is Veiling? This page intentionally left blank ...