Title: Islam and gender in colonial northeast Africa : Sittī 'Alawiyya, the uncrowned queen /
Authors: Bruzzi, Silvia,
Year: 2018
Subjects: al-Mīrghanī, 'Alawiyya,; Sufism Africa, Northeast History; Islam Africa, Northeast History; Women sufis Africa, Northeast History; Women in Islam Africa, Northeast History
Abstract: In 'Islam and gender in Colonial Northeast Africa', Silvia Bruzzi provides an account of Islamic movements and gender dynamics in the context of colonial rule in Northeast Africa. The thread that runs through the book is the life and times of Sitti 'Alawiyya al-Mirghani (1892-1940), a representative of a well-established transnational Sufi order in the Red Sea region. Silvia Bruzzi gives us not only a social history of the colonial encounter in the Eritrean colony, but also a wider historical account of supra-regional dynamics across the Red Sea, the Ethiopian hinterland, and the Mediterranean region, using a wide range of fragmentary historical materials to make an important contribution towards filling the gap that currently exists in women's and gender history in Muslim societies.
Contents: Islamic renewal movements, colonial occupation, and the 'atmiyya in the Red Sea region -- Sufis at the crossroads : regional conflicts and colonial penetration -- Sufis, gender and leadership -- Fragmented, (in)visible and (un)told stories -- Sufi women's "fantasy", performances and fashion -- Growing visibility in the political arena -- Marvels, charisma and modernity -- Military bodies : askaris, officials and "the female warrior" -- A feminine icon of Muslim 'emancipation' for the conquest of Ethiopia (1936-1941) -- Conclusion: Sufi memories.