Muslim Women in America: Ideals and Realities

This presentation looks at the role and status of women in the Islamic tradition and analyzes why and how the lived realities of Muslim women are at times in contradiction with normative sources.

Stereotypes about Muslim women in the West abide: Hidden behind the veil, voiceless, oppressed, uneducated, brainwashed and bereft of rights. This image is familiar to many largely because Western media continues to portray Muslim women in a one-sided way. This evening presentation looks at the role and status of women in the Islamic tradition and analyzes why and how the lived realities of Muslim women are at times in contradiction with normative sources. 

Zeyneb Sayilgan is Visiting Assistant Professor of Islamic Theology and Religious Pluralism at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in Alexandria. Previously, she served as the Senior Fellow for Peace and Reconciliation in the Center for Anglican Communion Studies at VTS. Her current research focuses on the intersection of religion and immigration particularly in relation to Muslim communities in the United States and Europe. She is the co-editor of The Companion to Said Nursi Studies (2017) and Faithful Neighbors: Christian-Muslim Vision & Practice (2016). Zeyneb is passionate about interreligious engagement since her personal experience of being raised as a Muslim child in Germany’s diverse context.

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