Congrès Mondial des Études sur le Moyen-Orient et l'Afrique du Nord

Barcelone, du 19 au 24 julliet 2010

· NOT_DEFINED institution: University of Leeds, UK

· NOT_DEFINED organizer: Zahia Smail Salhi

· NOT_DEFINED language: English

· NOT_DEFINED description: The Papers in this panel revolve around issues relating to Muslim women and globalisation. While the first two papers explore issues of gender and identity in the Diaspora and the mechanisms used by these women, whether consciously or unconsciously, to transpose cultural patterns into the Diaspora space, the third paper examines mechanisms used by women in Tehran to transgress the boundaries of their private sphere not to enter the Iranian public sphere but to move into the cyber space as a new space which offers them wider opportunities for empowerment. In fact all three papers propose to examine women’s empowerment in their new spaces be they in the Diaspora or in the cyber world.

Chair: Zahia Smail Salhi (University of Leeds, UK)

Paper presenter: Zubeida Metlo (University of Leeds), “Perceptions of Honor in the Pakistani Diaspora living in Watford, UK”
A large number of Pakistanis living in Great Britain and in the West continue to transmit many traditional beliefs and practices they brought from Pakistan. Previous research shows that, Pakistanis (like other Asian ethnic communities living in the West) maintain a strong belief in the concept of family izzat (honour, prestige and reputation). Theoretically, some cultural or family traditions may be linked to patriarchy, which resulted in parental control, gender discrimination, and increased domestic violence. It has to be highlighted, however, that patriarchy exercises greater effects on the lives of young women and their ability to make choices about their lives than on young men.
Some academics have asserted that the notion of honour is particularly related to women’s bodies and behaviour. This paper will explore this idea in the context of the British Pakistani diaspora and try to understand how the notion of honour may have been maintained and promoted through the first and second generation migrants and to see whether there is resistance among the younger generation to honour culture. Also this paper intends to explore how the concept of honour may be linked to phenomena such as gender discrimination, forced marriage and domestic violence in the Pakistani diaspora and may have broader significance in tackling these social problems both in the UK and abroad.

Paper presenter: Ameena Al-Rasheed Nayel (University of Leeds), “Triple Jeopardy /Treacherous Citizenship for immigrants: African Muslim Women, in the UK”
This study is yet another attempt to provoke and stimulate minds, to seek an alternative – and more accurate - understanding of the multiple nature of Islam by situating knowledge, mapping the history, and including a minority of minorities. Muslim women of African descent, represented in this study by Sudanese women living in West Yorkshire, live in Europe in a silent existence. They face the position of double/triple jeopardy generated from the interplay of racism, sexism and dominant policies. They are labelled and categorized within the dominant mainstream Islam. The intersection of their gender relations, migration, and their religion need to be properly situated within their specific culture and identity. Investigating the performativity of Muslimness among these women would demarcate and establish the truth about yet other African Muslim women identities in the UK.

Paper presenter: Vahideh Golzard (University of Leeds), “Women, Globalisation, and Empowerment: Gender Perspectives of Women Internet Users in Tehran”
The aim of this paper is to explore the question of: What are the main themes that constitute the focus of Internet discussions among Iranian women?
The purpose of this research is to attain information on women’s use of the internet and their perception about empowerment, mainly focusing on whether the use of the internet contributes to their empowerment and in which ways does this occur. Tehran is selected as a field site because nearly one-fifth of the urban population in Iran lives in Tehran, in which it is estimated there are more than 12 million residents. Thus, Internet access, particularly in Tehran, has even developed in recent years to a level of sophistication that exceeds that of some European nations. Therefore, using open-ended interview questions such as has the internet changed their life, and if so, how? Or is the internet an empowering tool for them or is it not? Will be conducted. The analysis will inform the ways in which Iranian women define the meaning and terms of their internet use. It is going to reveal the subtle ways in which Iranian women are becoming more visible in the public sphere and their increasing interaction with their society.