Internet and Muslim Women

Abstract

The Internet and social media platforms provide a space which qualifies their users to explore them for their various objectives. Muslim women are among the active users who have taken benefit from the rapid development of these digital technologies. Despite the presence of a gender digital divide in some Muslim majority countries, currently, these countries witness the growing presence of women’s voices on the Internet and social media platforms. A digital divide, due to a gap in Internet penetration rate, is evident in many countries. This, however, does not hinder the rise of a digital culture and the participation of Muslim women within it. The Internet and social media platforms have become integral for tech-savvy Muslim women and play diverse roles in their identity construction, not only through the consumption of religion online and their online religious activities. The ability of the Internet to give these women an open and anonymous space has led to the proliferation of diverse cyberactivism expressions ranging from those who use the Internet and social media platforms to voice their concerns regarding gender inequality to those who use it to accentuate their versions of true expressions of Islam. The digital platforms have also led to an increased fragmentation of authority in Islam. Islamic discourses are no longer monopolized by religious elites or ulama, especially male elites. The online environment has boosted the presence of the voices of these women – voices that reflect diverse, segmented, and fragmented Islamic public spheres.