Fethullah Gülen’s understanding of women’s rights in Islam: a critical reappraisal

Abstract

This article examines the gender views of Islamist preacher Fethullah Gülen, a citizen of Turkey who has not only risen to global prominence since the early-2000s, but also gained a reputation for having ‘progressive’ views on the status of women in Islam. Considering Gülen’s writings on women’s identity, the relationship between men and women, and the role of women in public life, the article establishes that Gülen is more accurately depicted as deeply conservative with respect to women’s rights and gender equality. Furthermore, it identifies instances of tension between nature and nurture in Gülen’s conception of men and women, and locates his insistence on women naturally being of a subordinate kind within his sociopolitical project of creating an Islamic society. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.