Muslim Women Speaking Persistently

This book highlights the resilience and courage of Muslim women who have spoken out under challenging circumstances across history and geography. From the exploration of the Andalusian poet Wallāda Bint al- Mustakfi in the Middle Ages to contemporary British diaspora writers, Afghani women, Chic Lit authors and playwrights, and discussions on Hindutva issues, this book showcases the diverse and persistent voices of Muslim women. The chapters in this book challenge the notion of women as subaltern by illustrating how Muslim women emerge as empowering figures socially, politically, and academically. Through essays that defend the veil as a symbol of identity and explore themes of rights and resistance, this collection is a testament to the indomitable spirit of Muslim women authors.

This constellation of essays is an essential resource for students, scholars, and general readers interested in feminist studies, post- colonial theory, and global literature. It is particularly relevant to those studying subaltern studies, gender studies, and Islamic culture. The essays span a wide range of subject areas, including historical perspectives on Arab women in the Middle Ages, contemporary British diaspora literature, Chic Lit, and political and social resistance in the context of Muslim women’s lives. With its vast comparative scope, this collection offers valuable insights into the persistent voices of Muslim women across time and space.

Many of the chapters in this book were originally published in Women’s Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal and are now accompanied by four new chapters and an updated introduction.

Feroza Jussawalla is Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA. She is the author of Family Quarrels: Towards a Criticism of Indian Writing in English (1984) and has edited and co-edited several influential works, including Conversations with V.S. Naipaul (1997), Interviews with Writers of the Postcolonial World (1992), Emerging South Asian Women’s Writing (2017), Memory, Voice and Identity: Muslim Women’s Writing from Across the Middle East (Routledge, 2020), Muslim Women’s Writing from South and South East Asia (Routledge, 2021), and Sing Slivered Tongue (2025). Her poetry collection, Chiffon Saris (2002), was published by Kolkata’s Writer’s Workshop and the Toronto South Asian Review.

Doaa Omran is Adjunct Faculty member in the English Department at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA. Her research focuses on transnational and transhistorical feminisms, with a particular emphasis on post- colonial feminist theory. A Medievalist, she specialises in the Middle Ages and its resonances in contemporary literature. She co-edited Memory, Voice, and Identity: Muslim Women’s Writing from Across the Middle East (Routledge, 2021) and Muslim Women’s Writing from Across South and Southeast Asia (Routledge, 2022). Dr. Omran is the author of eight articles and book chapters and serves as the administrator of the Facebook group “CompLitScholars,” which connects a community of over 5,200 international researchers.