Being Muslim Female Actors in Egypt:

Questioning the Boundaries of Professional Fields

Faiza Muhammad-Din

Emi Goto

 

Abstract: The nature of professional training and practice is such that it tends to address older problems, and experts are not necessarily equipped to handle contemporary challenges. Their gate-keeping practices through claims to professional expertise can blind us to the extent that the challenges faced by a community may not even be allowed at a discussion table. While the traditional domain of religious knowledge was limited to ‘ulama’ in Egypt, the rise of mass education and media has enabled people to express plural interpretations of Islam. This article draws upon the case studies of female celebrities who have contributed to the expansion of Islamic epistemic frameworks. The selected case studies of Egyptian female actors described in this article highlight the role of media celebrities who drew upon their lived realities as a source of knowledge to question the social oppression of women. They utilised their popularity and access to media to express their understanding of Islamic law and social practices associated with Islam.