Limitations of Secularization and Western Feminism In the Arab World: Religion, Culture, and Identity

Abstract

With the rise of religious fundamentalist movements and the endurance of practices such as veiling and restrictive marriage laws, it seems that previously accepted western teleological theories such as secularization and feminism have begun losing their general applicability and validity in the modern world. In order to adequately address this issue, it is critical to examine the context under which these Western theories were initially developed, most importantly, taking into account the developmental and consequential failures of the “Secularization Thesis” within the Muslim world, as well as the construction of Western feminism and the limitations of the second wave feminist movement in the Muslim world. By first contextualizing the birth of these two concepts; addressing their limitations; re-contextualizing them within the Muslim world; and offering divergent academic perspectives on the issues, this paper seeks to better ascertain the nuanced religious, cultural, and identity-related elements that underlie the unsuccessful incorporation of these Western concepts into the Muslim world.