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Beyond Muslim Stereotypes
A Community Gathering with Dr. Sofia Rehman, facilitated by Lina Kaisey
Join Dr. Sofia Rehman, Islamic scholar and author, for an enlightening dialogue facilitated by Lina Kaisley, attorney, musician and war survivor, which will explore the contribution of Aisha, wife of Prophet Muhammad and “Mother of Believers,” and particularly Aisha’s impact on gender dynamics in Islam. We will examine how historical misrepresentations of Islamic teachings have enabled modern Islamophobia, discuss Aisha’s important contributions to Islamic law and the transmission of Hadith (Prophet’s sayings), and analyze how her legacy challenges prevalent narratives about women’s roles in Islamic leadership. The conversation will also address the intersection of Islamophobia with current geopolitical issues, including its role in shaping public discourse around Palestine. Through this scholarly lens, we’ll explore the complex interplay between religious interpretation, gender equality, racism and social justice.
We will further examine:
- Aisha’s transmission of over 2,000 hadith and her pioneering role in Islamic spirituality
- Her inspiration for women’s leadership, as Prophet’s wife and independent scholar
- The simplistic American understanding of Muslim culture as misogynist
- Colonial interpretations of Islamic teachings which fuel Islamophobia
- The role of Islamophobic narratives in enabling settler colonialism and occupation in Palestine
- The modern Muslim Women’s Movement and current debates on gender equality in Islam
- The “monotheistic” shift away from nature-based spirituality and towards patriarchy, brought about by Judaism and carried on to Islam
Bring your questions!
Presenters
Dr. Sofia Rehman
Dr. Sofia Rehman, PhD, is a scholar of Islam, an accomplished author and educator. Her research focuses on re-examining classical Islamic scholarship through an inclusive lens. Dr. Rehman has published widely on Muslima theology and gender justice in Islam, and she is known for her work in bringing marginalized voices into contemporary discourse on Islam. Her research has taken her now to exploring disability theology and what the autistic experience can contribute to theological discourses in Islam. In addition to her academic work, she actively engages in community outreach, advocating for inclusive and equitable interpretations of Islamic teachings.
Dr Rehman is the author of A Treasury of Aisha bint Abu Bakr (Kube Publishing) and the highly regarded monograph, Gendering the Hadith: Recentering the Authority of Aisha, Mother of the Believers (Oxford University Press). She is a contributor to Mapping Faith: Theologies of Migration edited by Lia Shimada, Cut From the Same Cloth? edited by Sabeena Akhtar, Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays on Translation (Tilted Axis), and Gathering: Women of Colour on Nature (404Ink).
Lina Kaisey
Lina Kaisey serves as an attorney and consultant in media, entertainment, and technology across North America, the UK, and SWANA. Lina provides practical transactional counsel to founders and directors at corporations, studios, and nonprofits worldwide. A war survivor and immigrant, Lina also maintains a robust civil and human rights practice. She is a mentor in the John W. Mack Movement Building Fellows Program, and provides pro bono support to grassroots and civil rights groups such as ACLU, MPAC, CAIR, and others. She holds degrees from Harvard Law School and UCLA. Lina is a cellist and singer in the Los Angeles Arab Orchestra. She makes music as Arab Daughters. Her debut single “Ounadikom” was featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Arabia and New Music Levant.