6. Ethnic Group and Islam

This chapter first examines the relationship between Muslim women, the ethnic group and Islam, focusing on the barriers and facilitators to their action in these two spheres. In the ethnic group, Muslim women’s role and position is governed by traditional, patriarchal norms which frequently limit their activity in the public sphere although the ethnic group can also provide protection against an often hostile majority society. Second, this chapter explores the women’s relationship and positioning vis-à-vis Islam and the Muslim group which is linked to their autonomisation. On the one hand, Islam encompasses dimensions which are absent in the ethnic group and on the other hand many of the women themselves establish a clear differentiation between the two entities, often using the former as a tool to challenge the latter.