In this episode of the afikra podcast produced in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, we discover the impactful contributions and current challenges faced by Muslim women as Dr Sohaira Siddiqui discusses the vision and mission of the Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women in Qatar. We explore the center’s role as a community hub fostering civic engagement, education, and debate for Muslim women. Dr Siddiqui provides insights into the unique and essential space aimed at creating a sense of belonging and addressing contemporary issues within the framework of Islamic tradition. Learn about the historical context of Muslim women's participation in public life, as well as the center's efforts to support their development and empowerment globally.

00:00 Introduction: Unrecognized Contributions of Muslim Women
00:26 The Vision Behind Al-Mujadilah
01:22 What is Al-Mujadilah
02:00 The Importance of a Dedicated Space for Muslim Women
04:37 Building Al-Mujadilah from the Ground Up
06:28 The Meaning Behind the Name "Mujadilah"
09:15 Civic Engagement and Women's Agency
13:57 Three Pillars of Al-Mujadilah's Work
16:11 Challenges Faced by Muslim Women
21:09 Community Response and Program Offerings
27:57 Understanding Opinions vs Analysis
29:46 Navigating Religious Questions
31:57 Case Studies and Key Scholars
34:53 Historical Context of Islamic Law
38:48 Colonial Impact on Islamic Law
53:05 Future Vision for Al-Mujadilah

Dr Sohaira Siddiqui is the Executive Director of Al-Mujadilah and Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar. Her work focuses on the relationship between law, theology and political thought in classical Islam; Islamic law during British colonization; Islamic law in contemporary Muslim societies; and secularism and modernity in relation to Muslims in the West. She is the author of Law and Politics Under the 'Abbasids: An Intellectual Portrait of al-Juwayni (Cambridge University Press, 2019) and Locating the Shari'a: Legal Fluidity in Theory, History and Practice (Brill, 2019). She has also published numerous articles in Islamic Law and Society, Journal of Islamic Studies, Journal of the American Oriental Society, and Middle East Law and Governance. She has held fellowships at Cambridge University, Tubingen University and Harvard Law School. 

Connect with Dr Siddiqui 👉 https://www.instagram.com/sohairasiddiqui/

Al-Mujadilah is a center and mosque that seeks to cultivate a community of women who are committed to their own growth and that of their communities. It's a community of women who engage meaningfully and sincerely with their histories, who bravely address the injustices they identify, who are inspired by conversation, dialogue and debate, and who are continuously seeking new horizons.

Explore Al-Mujadilah 👉 https://www.instagram.com/almujadilah.qa
https://www.facebook.com/almujadilah.qa
https://x.com/almujadilah_qa

Hosted by: 
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

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