CIMS hosts its second workshop on ‘Muslim Engagement with Gender and Sexuality’

March 4, 2024

On the 4th and 5th of March 2024, AMI held its second Muslims, Societies, & Cultures academic workshop, looking at the theme of Muslims and their societal experiences with the themes of gender and sexuality. This ‘closed-door’ workshop sought to advance discussions into the academic arena, on issues that affect Muslims – across the denominational spectrum – and tackle the challenges in an impactful manner.

The Workshop, held at Al-Mahdi Institute, successfully managed to assemble a remarkable range of scholars, who had carried out noteworthy sociological research in the different spheres of Muslim societies. The theme of this opening workshop was, of course, a politically and religiously sensitive one, and so each of the scholars was handpicked for their expertise in the aforementioned theme. Workshop delegates presented their respective research findings, largely from Muslim communities in diasporic or minority contexts.

Papers presented at the workshop included subthemes to do with gender roles and expectations in Muslim societies, managing unorthodox positions on sexuality within Muslim communities and the challenges of sexual abuse in Muslim religious spaces. Beyond the regular format of paper presentations, the second day of the work included three concurrently running breakout rooms, discussing the above subthemes.

While the presenting delegates were all academicians of sociological disciplines, non-presenting invited delegates included Muslim community leaders and religious practitioners, those involved in pastoral care, chaplains, theologians and those involved with Muslims’ physical and mental healthcare. Over the two days, presenters and participants enjoyed lively discussions and fruitful debates on the theoretical, philosophical and sociological aspects of Muslim societal engagement with gender and sexuality.

While the two-day workshop itself was held behind closed doors, an edited volume ensuing from the workshop’s valuable presentations is due to be published by AMI Press, in 2025.

Resources:

Presenter Name & Affiliation	Title of Paper (Click to View Abstract)
Dr Shanon Shah (Kings College London)	Sexual Diversity in Islam: Trends in Lived Religious Innovation
Professor Momin Rahman (Trent University, Ontario, Canada)	Queer/Muslim/Canadian: Understanding Queer Muslim Experiences and Finding Pathways to Belonging
Dr Laurens de Rooij (Al-Mahdi Institute)	Digital Crossings: Navigating Muslim Identity Negotiations in Transnational Marriages Initiated Online
Dr Tessie Bundgaard Jorgensen (University of Copenhagen)	Mutʿah Captivity: Gender-Discriminatory Norms in Marriage-like Relationships among Danish Shīʿī Women
Dr Krista Riley (Vanier College, Montreal)	“God is Greater than our Limited Understanding”: Muslim Feminist Strategies and Sexual Diversity
Dr Shabana Mir (American Islamic College, Chicago)	Muslims in Recovery: Seeking Authentic Muslim Lives After Stigma and Abuse
Dr Saskia Glas (Radbound University, Netherlands)	How Muslims Relate their Religiosity to Support for Gender Equality around the Globe: Context Matters
Professor Eman Abdelhadi (The University of Chicago)	American Muslims’ Views on Homosexuality: Explaining Variation and Change
Dr Ali Kassem (The National University of Singapore)	Thinking Un-Straight Lives in the Hawza, the Islamic(ate), and Queer Refuge: Sociological Reflections from Contemporary Lebanon
Dr Muhammed R. Tajri (Al-Mahdi Institute)	Dealing with Dichotomy: LGB Persons from Shīʿa Muslim Backgrounds
Professor Ingrid Mattson (Huron University College, London, Ontario)	Spiritually Abusive Sexual Misconduct in the Muslim Community: Findings from the Hurma Project