Muslim Women in the Balkans between Nationalism and Transnationalism

In spite of the powerful secularization processes under communism and the ensuing transformation of religious institutions, authorities, practices, and levels of faith commitment, the religious factor remained an important cultural force and identity marker in the Balkans. Moreover, religious outlooks continued to shape and inform gender regimes.
Postcommunist developments in the Balkans brought about a significant redefinition of the roles and status of Muslim women-both in the Muslim communities themselves and in the larger societies. Drawing on literature from the region and on my own fieldwork, I will discuss the shifting roles of Muslim women in different spheres of life such as the family, religious education and the public arena under national and transnational Islamic influences.
Ina Merdjanova is a senior researcher and an adjunct assistant professor in religious studies at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin. She is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Remarque Institute at NYU.