This study explores how incarcerated Muslim men understand crime and punishment from their religi... more This study explores how incarcerated Muslim men understand crime and punishment from their religion's perspective. It analyzes responses to open-ended questions posed in a mail survey delivered to Muslim inmates from Ohio State prisons. The inmates' understanding of concepts such as crime, punishment, repentance, reconciliation, and forgiveness is then compared to the "normative" textual explanations to better understand the religious experiences of Muslims in U.S. prisons. The results suggest that more moderate or "normative" religious education might help counter extremist interpretations of Islamic texts and, correspondingly, reduce the prospects of terrorist-related activities.
Beyond the Shadows: Domestic Spousal Violence in a "Democratizing" Egypt
Trauma Violence & Abuse, 2006
This study provides an exposé of spousal abuse in Egypt in terms of its nature (prevalence, forms... more This study provides an exposé of spousal abuse in Egypt in terms of its nature (prevalence, forms, risk factors, reporting), the criminal justice response, available services that deal with it, and its impact on individual women, the family, and the general societal fabric. This study is based on empirical studies, surveys, UN reports, and newspaper articles. Since the beginning of 2000, Egypt has witnessed legal, organizational, and political changes, both generally and concerning women. Some changes address the issue of spousal abuse directly, and others focus on empowering women in family and society. As a result, it is important to develop a baseline profile of spousal abuse for future research on and the evaluation of the effects of such policies and legal changes. This would enable researchers to measure over time strategies that influence change and reduce violence against women. This article provides the first step in the baseline.
To object or not to object: The question of women judges in Egypt
Developing countries where women have not been permitted into the judiciary are excluded from fem... more Developing countries where women have not been permitted into the judiciary are excluded from feminist scholarship on women and the law. Such exclusion limits comparative views to a specific cultural‐historical domain. This paper explores the case of Egypt, where women have not entered the judiciary, in an attempt to extend the cross‐cultural discussion. A premise of the paper is that a theological vision of women's gender roles, which is qualitatively different from the prevailing one in the West, is a strong influencing factor on women's access to the judiciary in Egypt. After presenting a brief overview of women's status in Islam, this paper explores perspectives on women's role as judges within Islamic Shari'a. Building on the brief exploration of Islam's views regarding women's access to the judiciary, this paper then presents contemporary debates regarding women as judges in the Egyptian case. A recommendation for a more careful examination of the theological influences on the Egyptian debate regarding women's access to the judiciary concludes the paper.
Book Review: The Sacred Law of Islam: A Case Study of Women’s Treatment in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Criminal Justice System
International Criminal Justice Review, 2005
Page 1. http://icj.sagepub.com/ International Criminal Justice Review http://icj.sagepub. com/con... more Page 1. http://icj.sagepub.com/ International Criminal Justice Review http://icj.sagepub. com/content/15/1/75 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/1057567705275673 2005 15: 75 International Criminal ...
This research presents the voices of women inmates on health care services in prisons. Foucault's... more This research presents the voices of women inmates on health care services in prisons. Foucault's discourse analysis as a means of bringing to the surface restrained voices provides the theoretical basis for this study. The research is based on face-to-face interviews of fifty-six women inmates to understand better the role gender plays in prison health care delivery. The results show that women are willing to discuss only physical ailments and are reluctant to speak about mental health care or HIV. While women benefit from health care services in prison, they still feel that a female-oriented approach to health care in general will improve the services tremendously. This approach is not dictated by the “difference” in the ailments between men and women, but by the “difference” in the way men and women encounter health care providers and illnesses.
The Interaction Between Neighborhood’s Racial Composition and Officer race in Community Policing: A Case Study from the Residential Area Policing Program (RAPP), Cleveland, Ohio. Journal of International Police Science and Management, 10, 313-325. (With D. Kessler and P.Kratcowski, 2008)
Ammar, N. (2003) Islam, Justice and Deep Ecology. In. Gottlieb, R. (Ed.) Liberating Faith: Religious Voices for Justice, Peace, and Ecological Wisdom.Evanston, IL: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc., pp. 285-300.
In the case of Muslim women and their relationship to the environment, the argument remains ancho... more In the case of Muslim women and their relationship to the environment, the argument remains anchored in simplistic debates about population and reproduction (e.g. of family planning and abortion) as though these are matters connected only to technological fixes or to education.
The Relationship Between Street Children and the Justice System in Egypt
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 2009
This article examines the relationship between street children and the justice system in Egypt. A... more This article examines the relationship between street children and the justice system in Egypt. After introducing the context of street children in the Egyptian case, it explores whether the justice system exacerbates the problem of street children and whether its potential to play a positive part in alleviating the problem should be revisited. The article then explores the basis for the negative perspective on the role of the justice system and the steps required to improve its role in solving the problem of the increasing number of street children. It concludes with a three-pronged approach for the Egyptian justice system to adopt to effectively address the problem of street children. The article is based on an existing knowledge base that is scattered in small-sample empirical studies, large-scale surveys, United Nations reports, newspapers, and a few academic articles written in both English and Arabic.
Violence Against Immigrant Women and Systemic Responses: An Exploratory Study
The document referenced below is part of the NCJRS Library collection. To conduct further searche... more The document referenced below is part of the NCJRS Library collection. To conduct further searches of the collection, visit the NCJRS Abstracts Database. ... Edna Erez Ph.D. ; Nawal Ammar Ph.D. ... This study examined the characteristics of and issues related to immigrant ...
The interaction between a neighbourhood's racial composition and officer race in community policing: a case study from the residential area policing programme (RAPP), Cleveland, Ohio
International Journal of Police Science and Management, 2008
ABSTRACT This study explores whether there is a relation-ship between police officers' race ... more ABSTRACT This study explores whether there is a relation-ship between police officers' race and a neighbour-hood's racial composition on the latter's community policing experience. The paper ana-lyses responses from in-depth interviews with police officers from the ...
Wife Battery in Islam: A Comprehensive Understanding of Interpretations
Violence Against Women, 2007
This article presents a comprehensive discussion of Islamic interpretations of wife beating. Four... more This article presents a comprehensive discussion of Islamic interpretations of wife beating. Four schools with varying Islamic perspectives on the issue of wife beating are explored. The schools are classified based on the severity of the patriarchal values reflected in the structural relationship between men (husbands) and women (wives) within the family and the general society. Literal, patriarchal, and feminist interpretations of the Qur'anic text are provided. This review of the range of Islamic interpretations regarding wife beating provides an educational tool for advocates, attorneys, and service providers working with immigrant Muslim women in the United States.
Surviving Life as a Woman: A Critical Ethnography of Violence in the Lives of Female Domestic Workers in Malawi
Health Care for Women International, 2009
A common form of employment for low-income third world women is domestic work. The power dynamics... more A common form of employment for low-income third world women is domestic work. The power dynamics in this type of employer–employee relationship may place women at risk for abuse. Our aim in conducting this qualitative inquiry was to describe the experiences of violence in the lives of young female domestic workers in Malawi, a small country in South East Africa. Forty-eight women participated in focus group and individual interviews. “Surviving” was the main theme identified, with women employing creative ways of surviving the challenges they met at various points in their lives. This study provides information that health care professionals could use in assisting women through the process of surviving.
Calls to police and police response: A case study of Latina immigrant women in the USA
International Journal of Police Science and Management, 2005
... 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209. Tel: (703) 526 5833; Fax: (703) 243 98... more ... 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209. Tel: (703) 526 5833; Fax: (703) 243 9873; email: ghass@argosyu.edu Received 13 June 2004, revised and accepted 5 March 2005. Nawal Ammar is a Professor at Kent State University, Ohio. ...
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