A new struggle? Religious Muslim women’s activism at al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem

Abstract Religious Muslim women began appearing in the public arena in the 1990s, as they demonstrated their objection to Israel’s control over the holy sites, using the religious method of ribat , or presence in holy places, to serve the Palestinian national struggle. In recent years, religious Muslim and Palestinian women have challenged Israel’s authority over al-Aqsa Mosque, while at the same time demanding a more equal status for themselves in Palestinian society. Their acts of provocation toward Israeli police at the mosque are a phenomenon without precedent in modern Islamic history, indicating a far more profound transformation taking place within Palestinian society. The changing relationship between men and women and the societal roles now claimed by women, not just in earning an income but also in defending the honor of Muslim men and women alike, also transforms the principle of qiwama (protection), according to which the Muslim man is solely responsible for protecting and providing for the Muslim woman.