Salima Bhimani

Majalis Al-ilm: Sessions of Knowledge Salima Bhimani

Through lively provocative discussions ("sessions"), thoughtful analyses, and personal creative expression, nine young people from diverse backgrounds consider their lives a modern Muslim women in Canada. With the current view of Islam in vogue in the West, Muslim women have often been presented to the mainstream as victims and products of a misogynistic religion and of barbaric societies. Majalis al-ilm: Sessions of Knowledge counters these stereotypes with stories, views, and concerns that are complex and not simplisctic. The women consider issues such as identity, gender, faith, and community. They probe the importance of Islam in their lives, and ask searching questions about its history and evolution.

". . . provides a breath of life into contemporary understanding of the inner dimension of Islam."
- Montreal Gazette

"...a beautiful example of women's epistemology in action that, without unduly essentialising men and women, acknowledges and accepts women's ways of knowing, through narrative, experience and intuition."
- The Muslim World Book Review