Paper short abstract:

Political Islamists deem women's bodies and their physical movements in public spaces to be a source of disorder. This paper describes how, lacking democratic channels, women politicize fashion and sports to demand citizenship rights and redefine womanhood in Muslim contexts.

Paper long abstract:

The increasingly restrictive and unconventional interpretation of Islamic mores by political Islamists, stressing the need for observing an Islamic code of modesty goes far beyond wearing hijab which covers the entire body except face and feet. The political Islamists have deemed women's bodies and their physical movements in public spaces to be a source of social disorder which inappropriately arouses male sexual desire.

In response, many women are taking up the Muslim veil and simultaneously demanding to have access to the public sphere and presenting their own interpretation of Islam which is based on gender justice and gender equality. In the absence of formal democratic channels for citizens to have a real influence on public policies and programs in many Muslim majority societies, women have embarked on politicizing spaces normally viewed outside politics. In this context fashion and sport have proven to be a vociferous contestation arena where public/gender politics is played out. Women's presence in sport which is a major public space in terms of players and/or spectators, is a medium and space where women's entanglement with politics, power, religion, and resources is playing out in Muslim contexts. Based on a longitudinal study the paper presents the evolution of contestation over access to public spaces, veiling, and women's sport in Iran and wider Muslim contexts.