Muslim Women in Europe

In/Between Worlds

Abstract

This work argues that European Muslim women face a dual marginalization shaped by longstanding European Islamophobia and patriarchal interpretations within many Muslim communities. It traces how medieval European depictions of Islam and Muslim women continue to inform contemporary stereotypes, including the treatment of the veil as a symbol of oppression. The analysis contrasts these portrayals with the diverse realities of Muslim women’s lives and the social double-binds they navigate. Turning inward, the study critiques classical Qur’anic exegesis for masculinizing God and misreading a small number of verses as mandating gender hierarchy. It proposes that the Qur’an’s core theological principles — divine unity, incomparability, and justice — support an egalitarian and antipatriarchal interpretation. Ultimately, the work calls for renewed, ethically coherent Qur’anic schloarship in which Muslim women play a central role.