Islam and Democracy
Islam and the Challenge of Democracy: can individual rights and popular sovereignty take root in faith? by Khaled Abou El Fadl, Boston Review, April-May 2003 Issue

“Effectively, a religious state law is a contradiction in terms. Either the law belongs to the state or it belongs to God, and as long as the law relies on the subjective agency of the state for its articulation and enforcement, any law enforced by the state is necessarily not God’s law. Otherwise, we must be willing to admit that the failure of the law of the state is in fact the failure of God’s law and, ultimately, of God Himself. In Islamic theology, this possibility cannot be entertained.” Read more..

Islamic Feminist Theory
Understanding a Difficult Verse by Kecia Ali (New)

This essay examines the discourse on "women's status in Islam" by looking at one particular verse in the Qur'an, which is verse 34 from Surah An-Nisa (4:34). The author looks at how this verse has been interpreted differently by a wide range of scholars - medieval, contemporary, traditional, modern, feminist. Her main contention is that when reading verses from the Qur'an, or indeed from any central text of any religious tradition, one must always be mindful of their full social and scriptural context. Read more..

These articles do not indicate our endorsement of any author. We are merely highlighting articles that are part of the discourse on Islam and women, including some that are useful for background information and others that provide analyses and opinions considering various social, political and cultural frameworks. We are continuously adding to this list and appreciate comments and suggestions.