The Making of a Salafi Muslim Woman

Abstract

The spread of Salafism—often called ‘Wahhabism’—in the West has intrigued and alarmed observers since 9/11. Many see it as a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam that subjugates women and fuels Jihadist extremism. According to this view, Salafi women—many of whom wear the niqab—are the unwilling victims of a patriarchal, fanatical version of Islam. Yet, in Britain, growing numbers of educated women—often converts or from less conservative Muslim backgrounds—are actively choosing to embrace Salafism’s literalist beliefs and strict guidelines. These prescribe, for example, full veiling, wifely obedience, and seclusion from nonrelated men.So how do young British women reconcile such demands with their desire for fulfilling careers, university degrees, and suitable husbands? How do their beliefs affect their love lives and other relationships? And why do they become Salafis in the first place?Anabel Inge has gained unprecedented access to Salafi women’s groups in the United Kingdom to provide the first in-depth and vivid account of their lives. Drawing on more than two years of fieldwork and interviews in London, she probes the reasons for Salafism’s appeal among young Somalis, Afro-Caribbean converts, and women from other backgrounds.She explains how Salafism offers much-needed, textually anchored guidelines for women concerned by the religious and moral uncertainties of life in a liberal, multifaith society. And she reveals how the women’s lives are fraught with personal dilemmas. This is a ground-breaking and lucid account, rich in ethnographic detail. It will be of interest to policy-makers, journalists, scholars, and general readers.

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