A Different Cloth Reimagining Faith & Feminism

This concise and accessible essay offers a fresh perspective that acknowledges the empowering role religion can play in a woman’s life, while exploring meaningful ways to reconcile gender equality with freedom of religion. Dania skillfully weaves together legal analysis, feminist theology and sociological studies and analyses legal challenges in terms of the necessary balance between protecting women’s rights and religious freedom. She draws on the work of postcolonial feminist theologians who explore how religious texts have been reinterpreted to be more inclusive of women. She shows the positive impact of faith-based communities within western societies, especially the social integration of immigrant communities that fight biases and prejudices against religious minorities and religious women. Originally published in French by Éditions du Remue-Menage.
 

Dania Suleman was born in Montreal to a French-speaking mother from Quebec and an English-speaking father from Eritrea. She grew up in Quebec and, as a teenager and young adult, experienced the province’ s multiple societal crises related to religious accommodations for religious minorities— especially the Muslim community— which has had repercussions across Canada. She holds a master’ s degree in international law from UQÀ M and was formerly a lawyer specializing in labour and constitutional law. Recently she began a career in media as a researcher, writer and fact checker. Dania divides her time between Montreal and New York City. A Different Cloth is her first book.

Introduction Freedom of religion: What are we talking about? From “ reasonable accommodations” to “ substantive equality” Women, religion and the court Reconciling the “ irreconcilable” Necessary deconstructions for a possible reconciliation.