Exploring the Status of Muslim Women in Europe
In Europe, Muslim Women Face Multiple Issues()
January 20, 2008 This six-part series on Muslim women in Europe focuses on the three countries there with the largest Muslim populations: France, where most are of North African origin; Germany, where most are from Turkey; and Britain, where most have roots in South Asia.
Part 1: Muslim Women Behind Wall in Germany()
January 21, 2008 Tens of thousands of uneducated Muslim women are physically living in Germany but leading lives of isolation and violence in their homes. Many seek solace in religion. By reaching out to these women, Germany hopes to facilitate the integration of a larger Muslim community.
Part 2: Activist Critical of 'Multicultural Mistake'()
January 22, 2008 Women's rights lawyer Seyran Ates, a Turk who grew up in Berlin, blames the rise of political Islam in Europe in part on what she calls excessive tolerance of repressive traditions in minority cultures and a widespread resistance to integration.
Part 3: Many British Muslim Women Embrace Islam()
January 23, 2008 British authorities are worried about the rising number of young Muslim women who are embracing a political form of Islam. A 2006 Pew poll showed 81 percent of Muslims surveyed considered their Islamic identity more important than being British.
Part 4: British Warn of Growing Islamic Radicalism()
January 24, 2008 British authorities are warning that a form of militant Islamist feminism is beginning to emerge, and that some Muslim women could begin to pose a security threat. The Islamic reawakening comes at a time when the British government is trying to enlist Muslim women to combat extremism.
Part 5: French Muslim Women Forge New Activism()
January 25, 2008 French Muslim women are in the forefront of grassroots political activism. Some say it's not religion but social and economic discrimination that threatens this society's cohesion.
Part 6: Women in France Fight Genital Mutilation()
January 26, 2008 Many Muslims in sub-Saharan and North African countries observe the ancient rite of female genital mutilation. One estimate says more than 50,000 affected women now live in France, where a campaign to prosecute those responsible is under way.
Reporter's Notebook
Issues for Muslim Women in Europe Evolve()
January 20, 2008 Since NPR's Sylvia Poggioli began reporting on Muslims in Europe a decade ago, the main issues — discrimination by host societies, difficulty in finding jobs, and family conflicts — have remained more or less the same. But she sees changes with regard to women.
