Project Title: Encyclopedia of the Muslim Woman

Macro-Program:

The Encyclopedia of the Muslim Woman can contribute to realizing the three axes set out in Table 12 of the Country’s Program and Budget Law:

• Discourse-building, explanation, and promotion of religious teachings
• Elevation of the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle and cultural advancement
• Enhancement of national and religious identity

Description of the Project:

The Encyclopedia of the Muslim Woman is being established as one of the macro-projects of the Research Institute for Islamic Studies of Jamiat al-Zahra (s), with the aim of producing a scholarly reference and systematizing Islamic studies in the field of women and Muslim women. Drawing on the scholarly capacities of the seminaries—particularly Jamiat al-Zahra—universities, and other academic centers, the Encyclopedia seeks to present a comprehensive, scholarly, and documented picture of the woman and Muslim women in epistemic, cultural, and social arenas. This charter, as a strategic document, sets out the general framework of activities, structure, policies, and scholarly and executive regulations of the Encyclopedia. Accordingly, topics concerning the indexing of entries, criteria for selection, review and arbitration, the specialized workflow and procedure, and the guidelines for entry selection, evaluation, source-identification, and the composition of encyclopedia articles have been provided as supporting annexes.

The Encyclopedia of the Muslim Woman is a comprehensive, reference, and specialized work that, centered on the Muslim woman and her status in Islamic teachings, collects, analyzes, and organizes existing knowledge in this field. This work is compiled with an interdisciplinary approach, based on authentic Islamic sources and sound scholarly findings, and is written in Persian. The publication of its English, Arabic, Standard Turkish, Spanish, and Urdu translations will be carried out upon the approval of the Supreme Council of the Encyclopedia and according to scholarly needs.

The necessity of compiling the Encyclopedia of the Muslim Woman stems from the fact that, until now, no comprehensive, documented source based on Islamic foundations has been available on the Muslim woman. Given the theoretical and social challenges in the field of women in the contemporary world and the need for rapid and easy access to a comprehensive and reliable reference in the field of Muslim women and Islamic women’s studies, the existence of such a work is a scholarly and cultural necessity.

Objectives:

1. Explaining and promoting the foundations and Islamic teachings concerning women;
2. Documented defense of the status of women in the epistemic system of Islam;
3. Strengthening the theoretical foundations of Islamic studies of women and the family;
4. Producing a scholarly reference for the use of research and educational centers;
5. Providing scholarly responses to doubts and newly emerging questions about the Muslim woman.

Policies:

1. Complete commitment to authentic Islamic foundations and values at all stages of compilation;
2. Observance of scholarly standards, integrity, and impartiality in the organization of entries;
3. Use of contemporary scholarly language and standard encyclopedia-writing structure;
4. Utilizing new technologies for the production and dissemination of scholarly content;
5. Maximum use of the scholarly capacity of Jamiat al-Zahra and other seminary centers;
6. Constructive interaction with scholarly, research, and cultural centers at national and international levels.

Quantitative Targets and Required Budget

Amounts in million rials