| The programme will study the voices of Moroccan Muslim women who, both individually and through organized efforts, claim various forms of full citizenship (religious, national, ethnic) by appropriating/reinventing traditions from 'the Islamic heritage'. Integrating literary, anthropological and philosophical perspectives, the project aims to (1) explore the discursive practices through which such claims are made and (2) analyse the cultural dynamics involved in such articulations. In order to study the situated politics of belonging and the possible fusion of horizons, the project focuses on Moroccan women in Morocco and in the Netherlands. The central research questions are: (1) How are ideals of gender equality presented in terms of 'the Islamic heritage'? (2) How are such claims informed by processes of migration, individualization, and the spread of communication technology and what are the similarities, differences and relations between the discourses of Moroccan women on either side of the Mediterranean? (3) Do current Muslim gender equality claims have an impact for the basic assumptions of mainstream Western feminism and do they open up new perspectives for more inclusive emancipatory programmes and policies? By answering these questions, we aim to contribute to the articulation of new perspectives and practices for (Dutch) emancipatory policies which are more inclusive to Muslim women. |
