Women in public life: the experience of al-akhwat al muslimat (muslim sisters) case from Sudan

This research deals with al-Akliwat al-M11slimat (Muslim Sisters), a group that was organized by the Islamist movement in the Sudan , to encounter among other things, the communist influence among the Sudanese women's associations. The study attempted to draw attention to on-going debates on the participation of Muslim women in public life, why Sudanese women were secluded from public life; and why the Islamist movement1s attitude towards participation of Sudanese women in public life changes from conventional, retractive perspective to a liberal one. Data for this research was collected through different methods. Personal interviews, life histories and archivai records were the main sources of information. Interviews with key informants from al-Akl,wat al-Muslimat had been helpful on the early history oftheirrnovement. In order to verify the accuracy of information which was provided by al-Akhwat, interviews with samples outside the movement was, also, used. To reflect the perspective of al-Aklnl'at al-Muslimat, purposive samples were chosen from those Muslim Sisters who hold leading position on institutions or organizations. The analysis of the data rested on cross-checking the various views of the interviewees and then conclusion was drawn. Integrating the concept of Patriarchal Islam with other concepts helped to furnish a framework of
analysis that proved to be useful in interpreting the data on the history and politics of al-Akhwat al-Muslimat. An important conclusion is drawn from the study is that al-Akliwat al-Muslimat as Islamic activists developed their own perspectives on their paricipation in public life which varies more or less from one generation to another. Their perspectives reflect al-Akhwat
pragmatism and tendency to encourage a more or less gender-sensitive interpretation of Islam .