Using primary sources the political; military; social; cultural and religious histories of Ancient Greece are covered. There are relevant time lines; maps; plans and photographs. Particular attention is also given to the society; literature and architecture in its golden age.
#118293 in Books Leila Ahmed 1993-07-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x .82 x 5.97l; 1.02 #File Name: 0300055838304 pagesWomen and Gender in Islam Historical Roots of a Modern Debate
Review
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful. Excellent scholarship; but ultimately too narrow in scopeBy doc petersonLeila Ahmed's study of women in Islam initially impressed me tremendously. The opening chapters discuss women in the Near East prior to Islam; pointing out that many of the institutions that are associated with Islam (the veil; the harem and concubines; for example) pre-date Islam by thousands of years. Similarly; the cultural subordination and objectification of women in the Near East also predates the birth of Islam by hundreds of years. In fact; Ahmed shows; jahaliyya (pre-Islamic) Arabia was remarkably egalitarian in terms of gender roles. Her scholarship in this regard is top-notch; and was a real eye-opener for me.Ahmed goes on to show how; as Islam spread beyond the Arabian peninsula; there was a gradual acculturation that placed women in increasingly subordinate positions - causing conflict within the faith; due to its explicit admonitions that both genders are equal in the eyes of God. How this conflict played out and how the issue was eventually resolved were other strong points in the book.I was therefore disappointed by her close examination in the last chapters of the book of women in Egypt; at the expense of a broader study of women throughout the Islamic world. To be fair; Ahmed explains her decision; holding that Egypt (after the Mongol invasion) was less influenced by the Ottoman Turks; and that it was also among the first Islamic states to come into close economic and social contact with the west. I had rather hoped that she would address the broader issues around gender across Islam; though; given its title.Another disappointment was Ahmed's lengthy disucssion of the veiling of women in Islam. While the custom is certainly a symbol to Westerners of gender differences; I had hoped more attention was given other issues - such as equality before the law; differences in custom by region; and economic and educational opportunities for women in the Islamic world; rather than focusing so deeply and narrowly on this one topic.The book is a worthwhile read; particularly for its discussion of the roots of gender identity in the Muslim world. I was also impressed with the way in which Ahmed analyzed data and related it to the conclusions she made. However; I had hoped for a broader discussion of issues across a broader cross-section of the Islamic community.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Two StarsBy Gail Mossway too academic and dry0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Would be a difficult read for someone unfamiliar with the ...By KelseyWould be a difficult read for someone unfamiliar with the Quran; but well worth the effort to discover how recent male interpretations of the Quran are designed to meet chauvinistic needs.
