Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online Volume 1, Issue 1 | Page 48

2/2/2016

Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

Civil Society and Women Activists in the Middle East: Islamic and Secular Organizations in Egypt
By: Wanda Krause
Civil Society and Women Activists in the Middle East: Islamic and Secular Organizations in Egypt. London: I.B Tauris,
2012. 263 p. $96.00. ISBN: 978-1848858855.
Volume: 1 Issue: 1
April 2013
Review by
Nancy E. Gallagher, PhD
University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of History
This book is based on ten years of research on Islamic women’s and secular feminist organizations in Egypt, from 2001 to 2011. Earlier researchers,
she argues, have focused too much on the state and on secularism and have missed women’s activism, which is instilling democratic principles at
society’s foundations. She argues that the Islamic discourse is often more effective than the secular discourse in expanding civil society. She
explains that the law governing private voluntary organizations is very restrictive, enabling the government to proscribe the activities of any
organization, prohibit foreign funding or fundraising, appoint temporary leadership, dissolve organizations, transfer funds from one organization to
another of its choosing, and merge organizations despite the wishes of their members. Efforts to revise the law are on going, but most organizations
work without official permission.
The author has selected the following five secular organizations for study: the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA); Alliance
for Arab Women; Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women (ADEW); Women and Memory Forum; and the New Women
Research Center. She has located five Islamic organizations for study—four that she does not name and the Zakah Committee of Salah al-Din
Mosque. She interviewed 33 women with interviews lasting from twenty minutes to two hours. She gave her interviewees prepared questions, and
over tea and sweets, explained her purposes. She agreed to the many requests that interviewee’s names not be used. All the secular organizations
agreed that the organization’s names could be used. Two of the five Islamic organizations requested that their names not be used, and chose to omit
the names of two more to preserve trust that had been established. A male or female research assistant usually accompanied her to help with the
Arabic. She quotes often from the interview transcripts, but unfortunately does not give us information that would establish context, such as the
date, place, organization, or name of the interviewee (not even a pseudonym).
She tells us that ADEW has helped around 2,500 women get birth certificates enabling them to access many rights. The Alliance for Arab Women
has educated women about their role in water management. The Islamic organizations teach homemaking skills and also give women lessons in the
study of the Qur‘an, memorization, and recitation—all work to empower women through expansion of civil society.
The author then turns to the many women who network as a means of confronting oppressive state
For many years, women have participated in informal mutual savings associations. Many younger women blog and use Facebook and Twitter. The
Internet was crucial during the revolution, and women were very active