UA professor spins story of Sufi woman's struggle

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Julia Clancy-Smith, associate professor of history, lectures about women and Sufism at the "Swede" Johnson Building, Room 205, last night. She focused on the biography of a 19th century Algerian woman.

In 1897, an Arab woman named "Zaynab" struggled to become the first female leader of an Algerian Islamic religious center, said Julia Clancy-Smith, a University of Arizona history associate professor.

When the woman's father died, Zaynab had to fight sexist traditions to earn her rightful place as head of the Sufi Center, an important religious and educational site, Clancy-Smith said to a room of about 40 in the UA's "Swede" Johnson Building.

Clancy-Smith said Zaynab is an inspiration to modern Algerian women, who fight oppression as Algeria wages civil war, she said.

"She remains today a popular saint," she said. "Her memory has been passed on orally."

Zaynab, a devout Islamic mystic, was supposed to inherit the holy center from her father, who had no sons. But politics and tradition in French-occupied Algeria were stacked against her.

Algeria's rulers opposed Zaynab's political views, and her male cousin thought he should get to take over.

"The French were stunned a woman would try to step into the head of a Sufi center," she said.

But instead of giving up, Zaynab locked up the center and refused to let anyone else take control.

She wrote letters to prominent community members throughout Algeria denouncing her cousin, and many rallied behind her.

Finally, the French rulers backed down, and Zaynab inherited her father's legacy.

Since female leaders were uncommon during Zaynab's time, she had a strong impact, Clancy-Smith said.

She said some Muslim women have turned to Sufism - the Islamic worship Zaynab practiced - to achieve greater freedom.

Sufism recognizes the Muslim tenet that God views women and men as equals, Clancy-Smith said.

But Amy Newhall, director for the UA Center of Middle Eastern Studies, said in this world, men still have authority over women.

Newhall said more Americans are beginning to recognize the advantages of Islamic mysticism.

"Sufism is an enormous upcoming in this country," she said.

Although engineering freshman Allan Conger attended the lecture for a class, he said it was unusual to learn about a strong Muslim woman.

"It was a different side," Conger said. "Normally, in Islamic history all you hear about is men, men, men."

Rachael Myer can be reached via e-mail at Rachael.Myer@wildcat.arizona.edu.