Framing Muslim Women: Narratives and Counter- Narratives from Scripture & Tradition

In ancient Arabian and Islamic narratives, Hajar is the matriarch of Mecca, a resilient woman of faith, and a moral exemplar whose path Muslim pilgrims follow until today. From the point of view of the Bible, Hagar can be seen as a disempowered side character. Yet Islamic traditional texts also often reframe or marginalize the spiritual histories of the women of Islam. In this talk, Dr. Mattson will show how point of view, editing, neglect and narrative voice shape the image of Muslim women.