The book Gulf Women, which has a foreword by Qatar Foundation (QF) chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, will be launched today at 6pm at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q).
Edited by SFS-Q Professor Amira Sonbol and published by Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (BQFP), the volume of 15 essays by 12 contributors presents a multi-faceted history of women in the Gulf, before and after the advent of Islam.
The foreword is an engaging description of HH Sheikha Moza’s quest for research to help correct misconceptions about women in the region.
From there, the book’s chapters create a timeline that guides the reader through the ancient, the mediaeval, the early modern and the contemporary periods of Arabian Gulf history.
“This extraordinary collection of essays takes us through key aspects and stages of women’s history and is a path-breaking contribution to the history and sociology of the region,” said SFS-Q dean Gerd Nonneman.
“Professor Sonbol and her colleagues from Qatar, the Gulf and beyond have produced an exemplar of academic collaboration, in an excellent example of SFS-Q’s commitment to enhancing regional knowledge and promoting the highest-quality research.”
Sonbol said: “I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on this important project and I feel fortunate for all the talent of the contributors.
“The search for sources, the verification of historical records, and the tremendous skills that went into this project made it a successful team effort that has resulted in a valuable resource.”
In addition to editing the book, Sonbol wrote a chapter for the book titled The Family in Gulf History.
The book boasts an international roster of contributors, many of whom are on faculty at universities in Qatar and the wider region – including Professors Hatoon al-Fassi, Moneera al-Ghadeer, and Ramadan al-Khowli.
“We are proud to publish this groundbreaking book within our growing academic list. The book is available worldwide as a physical book and an e-book. We have already succeeded in selling rights to UK and US academic and university publishers, too,” said BQFP director Hanouf al-Buainain.
SFS-Q Associate Professor Amira El-Zein, who wrote the chapter Love Discourse in Hijazi Society Under the Umayyads: A Study in Class and Gender, said: “I was delighted to contribute to this major scholarly book, the first of its kind, and to be part of recording the rich historical legacy of the region.”