Islamic feminism in new Arab media Platforms for self-expression and sites for multiple resistances

This article deals with the growing phenomenon of Islamic feminism and its multiple manifestations through many new media avenues in the Arab world today. It begins by defining the term Islamic feminism and the many ambivalences and paradoxes surrounding it. The article then maps the transformative socio-political landscape in the Arab world, with a special focus on the rising tide of (re)Islamization and its complex causes and implications. It also maps the equally transformative media landscape in the Arab world, especially the impact of the proliferation of satellite television channels and Internet websites on the degree of freedom, plurality and diversity that is permitted and exhibited throughout the Arab region. The article provides specific examples of this New Wave of Islamic feminism as it manifests itself through various satellite channels and Internet websites exhibiting different forms of self-expression and multiple resistances.