Agenda

Sufism and Gender in Contemporary Societies
Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, 03-04 December 2021

Sufism, the spiritual tradition of Islam, is undergoing a period of renewal with charismatic leaders attracting new disciples from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. Global Sufi leaders and public figures, both in Europe and North Africa, are promoting a debate on religious and social gender norms, emphasising the importance of both religious freedom and adherence to Islamic values. These Sufi leaders do not impose a specific perspective. In fact, liberal and conservative, and secular and religious positions coexist in the debate involving veiled and unveiled women, feminists and non-feminists. The study day will explore the boundaries between the secular and the religious by raising issues such as: how do Sufi women worldwide conceptualise freedom and adherence to Islamic values? How do they embody Islamic values and norms?

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