Conversion to Twelver Shi'ism among American and Canadian women

Bibliographic Data

ID3943012
AuthorsAmina Inloes (0000-0001-9875-027X, The Islamic College, London, UK), Liyakat Takim (0000-0001-6768-9293, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
Year2014
Volume43
Issue1
Pages3-24
Publication date2014-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueStudies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0008-4298 • E-ISSN: 2042-0587
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0008429813496100
OpenAlexW2019412022
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited20

Little research has been done on Western women who convert to Shi'i Islam. To fill this gap, this study was conducted on American and Canadian women who have converted to Shi'i Islam. Most of the research subjects in this study reported a moderate to severe sense of social marginalization after conversion. This marginalization resulted from membership in multiple minority groups (Shi'i, Muslim, convert, and female); Black converts reported the most severe sense of marginalization due to the added pressure of being a racial minority in North America. Most of the research subjects also experienced a sense of social exclusion from other Shi'i Muslims. Therefore, the question arises as to why these women continued to adhere to Shi'i Islam despite these difficulties. This article will attempt to answer this question through an analysis of the data provided by the research subjects

Islam · Political science · Social exclusion · Sociology · Education and Islamic Studies · Gender Studies · History · Law · Multiculturalism, Politics, Migration, Gender · Psychology · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies