Pakistan, Muslim Womanhood and Social Jihad: Narratives of Umm Abd Muneeb

ABSTRACT

Analysts have traditionally ignored women's narratives on jihad and have focused on the views of male jihadists. Research on Jamat'ud'Dawah and Lashker-e-Toiba fits this pattern, despite the growing involvement of women in the activities of those organizations. This article analyses the narratives and stories, and their implications for the jihadi project with reference to the publications of one female leader in the group, Umm Abd Muneeb. Drawing upon her publications in Urdu, the article explores her discussion of ḥayā (modesty), purdah (seclusion) and male superiority, and how these ideas are designed to guide women into accepting the need for jihad by male members of their families. The article establishes that ideas of piety are often linked to the political project in narratives of Muslim women affiliated with jihadi groups and that it is necessary to understand the language used by these women in their particular socio-political environment. Such understanding provides a holistic view of how women support and sustain jihad within the family environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Women and jihad
• Pakistani terrorism
• Lashker-e-Toiba
• Jamat'ud'Dawah
• jihad narratives
• jihad and society

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Though often identified as Jamaat ud Dawah in literature, this article uses the spelling used by the group's website: http://jamatdawa.com/en/.

2. In this, her views differ markedly from those held in north-western Pakistan, especially in Swat, where radio was used to mobilize both men and women.

3. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.CEL.SETS.P2 (accessed October 4, 2014).