Islam, education, and gender: Discourses and practices among Pakistani diaspora in the UK

Abstract

The emphasis on seeking knowledge is one of the basic tenets of Islam (Al-Bukhari, Vol. 1, Sahih al-Bukhari by Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (trans: Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan). Kazi Publications, Lahore, pp 810-870, 1979), and learning is compulsory on every Muslim male and female. Islamic sacred texts propound a philosophy of education, which in spite of different interpretations is underpinned by the principal of education for all andand provides a basis for shared concepts and practices across Muslim societies. This chapter first discusses the essentials of Islamic philosophy of education underpinning Islamic values, principles, and practices, followed by a discussion of education and Muslim women with reference to Islamic religious texts. The interface between gender and faith and its impact on educational choices and decisions are debated in the final sections to explore and understand the discourses and practices among the Pakistani diaspora in the UK with regard to female education with specific focus on appropriation of religious discourses in the struggle for empowerment.