Beyond the Poisoned Wells
This chapter explores the way hegemonic othering, patriarchy, and androcentrism impact Islamic feminist approaches to the Islamic tradition and to interreligious feminist engagement. To provide a concrete illustration, it surveys prominent positions adopted in the debate over the validity and referent of “Islamic feminism” and connects this to the main interpretative strategies Muslim women scholars in the United States use to negotiate and assert authority. Building on more recent critiques of the, the chapter then argues for the necessity of a new model of interreligious feminist engagement that goes beyond the story of “poisoned wells,” a new model that can address obstacles in interreligious feminist engagement; grapple with hegemony, patriarchy, and androcentrism; and respond to Islamic feminist calls for new approaches. The chapter concludes with an overview of the remaining parts of the book.