Re-Thinking Islam and Islamism: Hamas Women between Religion, Secularism and Neo-Liberalism

In the 2016 Bir Zeit University elections Hamas’ women launched two videos in which un-veiled, western-dressed young girls urged viewers to vote for Hamas. The sparked a passionate debate: Religious forces accused of being ‘westernized’ and abandoning norm Islamic modesty; while secular them promoting form women’s empowerment linked their success accommodating religious values ones. debate mirrors scholarly works on Islamist subjectivity that tend adhere dominant liberal analytical frames lack clear problematization relationship between Islam, gender, new forms sensitivity, as practices, secularization, neo-liberal projects are seen opposed. Most literature analyzes within movements overlooks historical economic trajectories have operated shift relation sexuality religion. 2017, I conducted extensive field research Occupied Palestinian Territories among Hamas with objective unwrap Islamism secular/neo-liberal nationalist project instituted West Bank. By taking distance from assumption religion secularism opposing poles binary, this article provides an understanding shifting subjectivities encounter modernity, signifies categories religious, analyze through bodies sexuality.