New Book Seeks To Get British Muslim Women's Voices Heard
10 August 2012
Dr Sariya Contractor, whose new book,Muslim Women in Britain, Demystifying the Muslimah, has recently been published.
In reinstating the Muslim woman as her own storyteller I heard stories of love, sadness, aspiration and challenges; simple stories that presented a powerful message of commonality between women irrespective, and in spite of, difference in religion.
”British Muslim women discuss feminism, faith, prejudice and glass ceilings in a new book giving a rare insight into their daily lives, written by a University of Derby expert.
Sociologist Dr Sariya Contractor - who is herself a Muslim - spent three years interviewing British Muslim women about their lives and opinions, to give a voice to people she felt were seldom heard from and often misrepresented in the media.
The PhD research project has now been turned into a book - entitled Muslim Women in Britain, Demystifying the Muslimah - which has been published by Routledge and is now available through online booksellers.
Sariya said: "I wanted British Muslim women to speak for themselves and to say what it means to be a British Muslim. In doing so I discovered proud, educated women, with strong opinions, women not subjugated by their faith, but strengthened by it.
"By talking with these women on issues such as femininity, Britishness, and social cohesion, I found far more commonalities than differences between them and women of other faiths. We are all essentially women, balancing careers, families and parenthood, and women's rights."
Her new book features extracts from interviews with more than 50 women from around the UK, and gives an insight into the barriers and challenges they face in today's society.
Many are the same as those that face all British women, a glass ceiling at work, equal pay, and a struggle to balance childcare, family and work.
Interviewee Samima said: "There are certain challenges in terms of equal pay and equality in the home which I think are across the board. The differences between a Muslim woman and a non-Muslim woman are not much, and the day-to-day challenges are the same."
The research did discover that some of the difficulties that British Muslim women experienced in society were caused by prejudice in reaction to the headscarf; the hijab, niqab and jilbab.
"When I began this piece of work I did not want to write about the hijab at all," said Sariya. "But in a society that remains suspicious of religion, an external symbol like clothing has far reaching effects.
"Many of the women I spoke to gave examples of being judged by their clothing, for example, that people had made assumptions about their ability to speak English, their level of education and that they are oppressed."
The research also found that these issues were confounded by representations of British Muslim women in the media.
Interviewee Shamsia said: "I haven't actually seen any Muslim women being portrayed in the media like me, they don't talk about normal people who go to school and colleges and work."
Interviewee Ayesha added about women who wear the hijab: "I really want to get this point across that we are not oppressed or anything. I hope to see this message portrayed in the media."
According to Sariya, however the news is good. "In reinstating the Muslim woman as her own storyteller I heard stories of love, sadness, aspiration and challenges; simple stories that presented a powerful message of commonality between women irrespective, and in spite of, difference in religion," she said.
"I hope that this book gives a fresh perspective on Muslim women in Britain, and encourages more British Muslim women to speak up, and for more people to hear their voices."
Dr Sariya Contractor is a sociologist at the University of Derby, specialising in the Sociology of Religion. She is currently working with Derby's Professor Paul Weller, and the research team from the universities of Derby, Manchester and Oxford on an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)/ Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Religion and Society project exploring "Religion and Belief, Discrimination and Equality in England and Wales: Theory, Policy and Practice (2000-2010)".
She is about to begin an ESRC funded follow-on project entitled; "Collaborative partnerships between universities and Muslim institutions: dismantling the roadblocks," which builds on previous research to facilitate increased collaborative partnerships and linkages between UK universities and Muslim institutions leading to economic and social benefits for students, institutions and various stakeholders.
The book is available from Routledge via website www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415669962/
For more information on studying Sociology at the University of Derby visit website www.derby.ac.uk
