The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women's Rights in Islam

I have to reiterate: the reveiwers which condemn this book because they don't agree with it are crazy. If you buy one book on Islam, let this be it. That said, Fatima Mernissa, a Muslim herself, has certainly left no stone unturned with her analyses of the Hadith's. This woman has done her reasearch. From explaining why it's not "un-Islamic" to check on the veritablness of a Hadith, to picking apart two Hadith's with a fine toothed comb, to explaining just why wearing a veil is not only unrequired by the Koran, but is unIslamic in itself, she covers just about everything in this book. Having grown up in a Muslim family myself, I've obviously been subjected to the mindframe of your typical Muslim male - that women are inferior for, well, being women. It's the sole reason I renounced the religion at a young age. The rest of the females in my family remain Muslim, and with this book, I can finally explain to them just why it is that, as I had always suspected, the "words of God" have been twisted by men for their own agenda - mainly to remain the dominant gender in the Middle East.

Fatima Mernissi's book is a fascinating excursion through her own journey of discovery. She takes us from a man's put-down of her with the Hadith "those who entrust their affairs to a woman will never know prosperity", to an enlightened understanding of the historical context in which the oppressive traditions of Islam arose. After explaining her background in the introduction she deals with the above hadith and how it came about, she analyzes the role of women in early Islam and especially the prophet's apparent view of women and a very in-depth and detailed discussion of how the veil, or hijab, came into being for Muslim women.She shows that the denial of women's rights was not the intention of Allah, as the source of Holy Law, nor of Mohammed, but arose in the context of the pre-existing social values of the Arab world of the time, and of the vested political interests and power struggles of the period following Mohammed's death. The study is very detailed and quite arcane, and although Ms Mernissi takes a lot of care to explain terminology and context, it really requires some background knowledge of Islam and Arabs. The book's main target audience is Moslem women, to show they do have rights within Islam, and possibly Moslem men. I believe westerners can learn from it, but are probably better served by reading more general books on Islamic history and culture. In particular non-Moslems need to understand that Islam is not a single culture, but in reality many traditions under one umbrella, in much the same way that Christendom encompasses many religious and cultural traditions.

I used this book 6 years ago for my thesis on Islam and feminism. It cleared up many preconceptions I had about Muslim women and the religion of Islam itself. I never revisited my research about Islam until September 11, 2001. This books shows the historical reasons behind oppressive interpretations and explain Muhammad's egalitarian vision. I use this book to educate people and show that the violent, woman-oppressing Islam is a product of hisotry and culture and not religion. This is not a time for merciless overreaction; it is a time to learn about those things few understand.

This is the Indian publication of Mernissi's "The Veil and the Male Elite," which is an excellent book. It isn't for those unfamiliar with Islam, however. It does set forth some very satisfying and well-supported views on the role of women in Islam, which -- contrary to popular belief -- has never meant to be subservient or oppressed. This is a thoughtful and passionate discussion of women's rights in Islam, as well as a defense of Islam as a proponent of women's rights. Recommended, either in this version or in the U.S. publication (the latter of which is actually of much nicer material).

I find it interesting that another reader found, within the pages of this book, justification for a Muslim woman wearing a piece of cloth to cover her head. My perception of Ms. Mernissi's views is quite the opposite. What she was trying to say throughout the whole book can be summed up in one of the final questions she asks in her conclusion: "How did the tradition succeed in transforming the Muslim woman into that submissive, marginal creature who buries herself and only goes out into the world timidly and huddled in her veils?" Mernissi then questions why a Muslim man needs such a "mutilated companion." These ideas are what make this book so important. Mernissi clearly reveals the reasons why the tradition of hiding under a veil came about. Many Muslim women feel honored to wear a hijab (head covering) because, for one reason, they feel it earns them greater respect. Mernissi's view is that when the tradition first started, most (if not all) women were considered slaves. The covering of the head signified a woman was not to be considered a slave, but someone who had converted to Islam. I highly recommend this book to every woman, Muslim and non-Muslim, (and man, for that matter) who questions the present treatment of women in the Islamic religion.