Review: Gender and Sexuality in Muslim Cultures

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, here is the first paragraph of the review:

In Gender and Sexuality in Muslim Cultures (hereafter, GSMC), Gul Ozyeing brings together 19 chapters by international scholars from a variety of disciplines (such as history, feminist studies, anthropology, sociology) to examine intersections between gender and sexuality in Muslim contexts with the goal of providing an understanding of what constitutes a Muslim identity. As a scholar that has previously worked on gender and sexuality in Muslim societies, I find that GSMC contributes to this body of literature by engaging in current and past debates and, thus, is helpful to build an understanding on these issues among those who are not familiar with Islamic studies while expanding the knowledge of those who have been previously interested in these topics. The book is itself an example of the many nuances of a Muslim identity in countries such as Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Pakistan, among others. It is organised into five thematic sections, each exploring different fields in relation to gender and sexuality through chapters based on in-depth ethnographic and historical research. In presenting the argumentative structure of this volume, my focus will be on those chapters I consider most ground-breaking.