Women, Sexuality, and Islam

Catalog description

This course examines Islamic legal discourse about women and sexuality, focusing specifically on the historical roots of modern practices and beliefs. Students will focus on the processes of constructing Islamic law to evaluate different arguments related to appropriate sexual practice as well as women's roles, rights, and responsibilities. Through detailed, nuanced exploration of contemporary topics, including veiling, divorce, gay marriage, abortion, contraceptives, female circumcision, sex reassignment surgery, and in vitro fertilization, students will investigate the influence of social, cultural, political, and historical contexts on Islamic interpretations of God's will and appropriate practice.