Female Islamic Authority in the Middle East and beyond

‘In many areas of the globe, women speak on behalf of Islam by teaching, preaching, and interpreting Islamic texts. This talk places female religious leadership in historical context, discussing early Islamic precedents as well as the social, cultural, and political trends that have contributed to contemporary trends in Islam leadership, male and female. It presents twentieth-century Egypt as a case study that can enhance our understanding of the emergence and expansion of contemporary forms of female Islamic leadership and authority around the world’