Politically Active Muslim Women: Redefining Citizenship and Feminism in Spain

In this article, I challenge conventional views that primarily consider Muslim women as victims of patriarchal interpretations of Islam and targets of anti-Muslim racist stereotypes. I argue that many devout Spanish Muslim women are using a strategy of visibility and engagement in the public sphere as a way to protect their community and shape what it means to be a Muslim Spanish woman. This research shows that some devout Muslim women are choosing to actively participate in politics, religious organizations, and women’s groups in order to challenge Islamophobia and European perceptions of Muslim women as oppressed, promote women’s rights, and defend the religious rights of Spanish Muslims. My findings suggest that devout Muslim women are key players in the struggles for women’s rights and against anti-Muslim prejudice in Spain.