Muslim Women between Community and Individual Rights

This book presents an in-depth exploration of the intricate negotiations of married Muslim women within Cape Town’s Muslim communities, navigating the complexities of legal pluralism governed by Muslim Personal Law (MPL). Spanning historical epochs from colonialism to the democratic era, it argues that MPL’s informal status perpetuates patriarchal norms, especially in the domain of marriage. It critically examines the consequences of the non-recognition of Muslim marriages within the civil legal