Women Entering the Religious Space

The Women’s Studies Circle, a biweekly campus seminar highlighting women’s issues made up of members from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar and Qatar University, hosted their final seminar for the 2015/2016 academic year on April 26, 2016.

The seminar was titled Women Entering the Religious Space, and featured Dr. Aisha Al-Mannai, Former Dean of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, and Dr. Rajaa Mekkaoui, a scholar from Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco.

The discussion was moderated by Hatoon Al-Fassi, a women’s rights activist and historian teaching at Qatar University. During the discussion, panelist Dr. Aisha Al-Manna shared “A Qatari Woman’s Experience with Religious Leadership”, where she spoke about challenges she faced throughout her career in a field where women are predominantly viewed as recipients of knowledge, not as leaders.

Professor of Law, Dr. Rajaa Mekkaoui, gave a talk about “The Scholar in Religious Matters in Morocco: A Quiet Revolution”. As the first woman to present the duroos or religious lecture prior to the breaking of the fast during Ramadan at the mosque attended by the king of Morocco, Dr. Mekkaoui found herself in a moment of significant historical change where her success or failure would impact all women in the religious space.

The Women’s Study Circle meetings, which are held biweekly on campus and are open for the public to attend, will resume after the summer break.