VIDEO: Sexism, Sharia and the Spectre of the Arab Muslim Man

Is sexism inherent to Islam? Where does the menacing stereotype of the sexist Muslim come from and how is it perpetuated? In this armchair debate, sociologists Sarah Bracke and Zakia Salime address these questions in order to explore the alleged sexism of Arab Muslim men and Islamic Sharia law. They also expand the discussion to include questions of whether religious law is compatible with the universal human rights. They do not only address whether this is possible, but also if it is desirable.

20:30 –  Introduction by Iman Lechkar (VUB)
20:40 – Zakia Salime (Rutgers University): La patriarchie, est-elle propre à l'islam?
21:00 – Conversation with Sarah Bracke (Universiteit Amsterdam), Mohamed Ikoubaân (Moussem) and Zakia Salime (Rutgers University). Moderated by Rachida Aziz (Le Space).
22:30 – End

• Sarah Bracke is a sociologist at the University of Amsterdam and is specialized in gender, religion and secularism, as well as enculturation and racialization processes. Zakia Salime (Rutgers University, USA) is likewise a sociologist and conducts research into the political economy of the war on terror and Islamic societies and movements.

• Moroccan sociologist Fatima Mernissi (1940–2015) laid the groundwork for the development of feminism in the Muslim world. Her works explored the tension between power, gender and Islam and built bridges between the West and the Arab world. After a successful tribute to her thought and legacy at the Kaaistudios, the VUB launched the Fatima Mernissi Chair in January 2017, likewise at the Kaaistudios.