Muslim Women of Power

Clinton Bennett is history and biography editor for the New World Encyclopedia and teaches Religious Studies at the State University of New York at New Paltz, USA.

‘This is a book I would have wanted to write myself ... The question of Muslim women leaders' impacting the lives of ordinary women is an undeniable fact, although the world stage remains dominated by men. These women have inspired a generation of women not to give up, even when facing the strongest prejudice long held in western society, the backlash of Islamaphobia, as well as the rise of the extreme Right and zealots. We have much to learn in the West from these women leaders about mobilisation of women in countries where the primary duties and obligation for women are to survive the degradation of poverty and need for survival. We can and must judge their leadership in the context of their political and social achievements. Having been in politics in the west and seeing first hand the level of prejudice and discrimination at the heart of mother of democracy, I salute these amazing leaders.' - Pola Manzila Uddin, House of Lords, UK

• 1. Introduction; 2. Women leaders: The debate; 3. Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan; 4. Tansu Ciller and Turkey; 5. Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh; 6. Khaleda Zia and Bangladesh; 7. Megawati Sukarnoputri and Indonesia; 8. Conclusion: Reflections of gender, culture and power-politics in Islam; Bibliography; Index.