About the Presentation

This talk will address the status of women under Islamic law, a complex and highly contentious subject. I will begin by speaking about the treatment of women in pre-Islamic and post-Islamic Arabia, according to the Qur’an. I will then explain how the Qur’an and hadith have been used to formulate Islamic law, and identify the major Sunni schools and Shi’a branch of Islamic jurisprudence. In closing, I would like to expose participants to the problems and benefits of Islamic law, and suggest how the ongoing struggles in Islam may change if and how current systems in place survive.

About the Presenter

Sophia Rose Shafi, MA, MTS, is a doctoral student in Religion at University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology, where her research interests include Western image-making of Muslims, Islamic modernism, and Shi’a mysticism and politics. Ms. Shafi has traveled in Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ms. Shafi earned a MA in Art History and Archaeology from Columbia University and a MTS in Ethics and Theology from Candler School of Theology (Emory University). She has studied Arabic and Islam with a variety of scholars, at Emory University, University of New Mexico, Dar al Islam, and University of Denver.

In her free time, Ms. Shafi makes quilts to send to Afghanistan through the assistance of U.S. servicemen as well as the organization More Than Warmth.