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An Author ("Prophecy
and the Fundamentalist Quest", "Islam,
Women and the Challenges of today", and "Echoes
from the Abyss"), a Freelance writer, Women's rights activist,
Musician, M.A., MBA, EdD.
A Reader's Review
There have been several calls for an Islamic Reformation since 9/11
and yet few Muslim scholars and activists have been able to grapple
with the most intractable theological tenets within the Faith.
Farzana Hassan has admirably filled the void by reviewing the toughest
issues in Islamic theology that challenge modernity, such as domestic
abuse, the laws of inheritance, polygamy and matrimonial norms. The
fulcrum of reform movements in Islamic societies is around contested
notions of feminism. Farzana has attempted to find solutions to social
inequities from within the existing ideological framework of Islam and
has consistently worked towards eliminating these from Muslim
societies. No doubt, her views are considered controversial and have
already been rejected by many mainstream clergy. However, reform
movements frequently encounter such initial dissent and only through
persistence can Islamic inertia be confronted from within the ranks of
the Faithful. As a committed Muslim, Farzana has greater legitimacy
than many other scholars in this field and her voice is beginning to
resonate beyond her Canadian base. One can only hope that her efforts
will not be co-opted by Islamophobes in the West nor become fodder for
the conspiracy theorists within Islam.
(Vermont, USA) -
Book review
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