Arab feminisms : gender and equality in the Middle East / edited by Jean Said Makdisi, Noha Bayoumi and Rafif Rida Sidawi.

The papers in this book, originally written in Arabic, were translated into English by Ellen Khoury --Title page verso.

"The chapters in this volume were originally delivered at a conference entitled 'Arab Feminisms: A Critical Perspective, ' helt at the American University of Beirut, 4-7 October 2009"--Introduction.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1 Variety in Understanding Feminist Concepts and Discourse -- 1 What Do Women Want? A Critical Mapping of Future Directions for Arab Feminisms / Mervat Hatem Hatem, Mervat 3 -- 2 Gender Studies in the Arab World: Reflections and Questions on the Challenges of Discourses, Locations and History / Hoda Elsadda Elsadda, Hoda 19 -- 3 Recognition of Difference: Towards a More Effective Feminism / Najla Hamadeh Hamadeh, Najla 31 -- 4 Research Methods and Probing Feminist Thought / Nahawand el Kadri Issa Issa, Nahawand el Kadri 41 -- 5 From Women's Rights to Feminism: The Urgent Need for an Arab Feminist Renaissance / Zeina Zaatari Zaatari, Zeina 54 -- 6 Feminist Discourse in the Arab Theatre / Watfa Hamadi Hamadi, Watfa 66 -- 7 Huqouq alma'a: Feminist Thought and the Language of the Arab Women's Movement / Jean Said Makdisi Makdisi, Jean Said 78 -- 8 Femininity and Feminist Studies: Research, the Researcher and Cultural Constrictions in Lebanon / Noha Bayoumi Bayoumi, Noha 90 -- 9 The Creative Arab Woman: Opposing the Stereotypical Image and Dismantling the Prevalent Discourse / Fawzia Abdullah Abu-Khaled Abu-Khaled, Fawzia Abdullah 108 -- 10 Does Saudi Feminism Exist? / Hatoon Ajwad el-Fassi el-Fassi, Hatoon Ajwad 121 -- 11 Arab Feminism -- Obstacles and Possibilities: An Analytical Study of the Women's Movement in the Arab World / Suad Zayed al-Oraimi al-Oraimi, Suad Zayed 132 -- 12 The Intellectual Frameworks and Theoretical Limits of Arab Feminist Thought / Kaltham al-Ghanim al-Ghanim, Kaltham 145 -- 13 Feminism's Difference Problem / Joan W. Scott Scott, Joan W. 157 -- 14 Feminism as Critique / Nivedita Menon Menon, Nivedita 164 -- Part 2 The Crisis of Feminism in the Context of War, Civil Conflict and Military Intervention -- 15 Feminism Between Secularism and Islamism: The Case of Palestine (The West Bank and Gaza Strip) / Islah Jad Jad, Islah 171 -- 16 Palestinian Feminist Organizations in the Post-Oslo Era: The Binary Nature of Feminist Discourse / Eileen Kuttab Kuttab, Eileen 183 -- 17 Liberation Struggles: Reflections on the Palestinian Women's Movement / Amal Amireh Amireh, Amal 195 -- 18 Indigenizing Feminist Knowledge: Palestinian Feminist Thought Between the Physics of International Power and the Theology of Racist 'Security' / Nadera Sbalhoub-Kevorkian Sbalhoub-Kevorkian, Nadera 205 -- 19 The Developing Role of Colonial Feminists in Iraq / Haifa Zangana Zangana, Haifa 217 -- 20 Afghan Women's Resistance and Struggle in Afghanistan and Diasporic Communities / Elaheh Rostami-Povey Rostami-Povey, Elaheh 230 -- 21 Women Struggling Against the Legacy of Colonialism in East Asia / Mari Oka Oka, Mari 239 -- 22 Conflicts and Wars: Women's Silent Discourse / Anicée al Amine Merhi Merhi, Anicée al Amine 243 -- 23 The Role of Feminist Movements in Establishing Peace and Improving the Condition of Women in Areas of Armed Conflict / Amira Yousef al-Badri al-Badri, Amira Yousef 257 -- 24 Terrorizing Masculinities and Ambivalent Responses in Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched / Dina Georgis Georgis, Dina 269 -- 25 The Child Torn Between War and the Adult World: In the Battlefields by Danielle Arbid / Dalia Said Mustafa Mustafa, Dalia Said 279 -- Part 3 Islamic Feminism: Approaches and Visions -- 26 Sisters in Islam / Zainah Anwar Anwar, Zainah 291 -- 27 Accounting for Affect: Kuwaiti Women Between Freedom and Apathy / Mai al-Nakib al-Nakib, Mai 296 -- 28 Islamic Feminism in Egypt: Between Acceptance and Rejection / Hoda El-Saadi El-Saadi, Hoda 305 -- 29 Islamic Feminism: A New Feminist Movement or a Strategy by Women for Acquiring Rights? / Amal Grami Grami, Amal 317 -- 30 Trends and Directions in Contemporary Islamic Feminist Research / Omaima Abou-Bakr Abou-Bakr, Omaima 333 -- 31 Post-structuralist Theory and Women in the Middle East: Going in Circles? / Marnia Lazreg Lazreg, Marnia 344 -- 32 Two Faces of the Revival of Feminist Qur'anic Exegesis: 'A'isha Abd al-Rahman and Amina Wadud / Husn Abboud Abboud, Husn 355 -- 33 Rokeya in the World: Feminism and Islam in Twentieth-century Bengal / Elora Shehabuddin Shehabuddin, Elora 368 -- Part 4 Feminism in a Global Context -- 34 Tracing Dollars, Mapping Colonial Feminism: America Funds Women's 'Democracy' Training in Iraq / Shahrzad Mojab Mojab, Shahrzad 379 -- 35 Gender in Modern Counterinsurgency / Laleh Khalili Khalili, Laleh 389 -- 36 Reading Between the Lines: Sexual Politics and Publishing in the Age of Public Diplomacy / Vron Ware Ware, Vron 398 -- 37 The Blind Traditional Subject and Suitcase Patriarchies / Kumkum Sangari Sangari, Kumkum 411 -- 38 Black Feminism and the World / Hazel Carby Carby, Hazel 416 -- 39 Between Feminism and Social Engineering: The Troubled Trajectory of International Gender Activism / Deniz Kandiyoti Kandiyoti, Deniz 420.

Translated from the Arabic.