About Shehnaz Haqqani

Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She is currently working on a book project on Muslim women's marriage to non-Muslims in Islam. Shehnaz runs a YouTube channel called What the Patriarchy?! (WTP?!), where she vlogs about feminism and Islam in an effort to dismantle the patriarchy and uproot it from Islam (ambitious, she knows). She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu.

Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu.

Shehnaz's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Shehnaz:

Youcef L. Soufi, "The Rise of Critical Islam: 10th-13th Century Legal Debate" (Oxford UP, 2023)

October 27, 2023

The Rise of Critical Islam

Youcef L. Soufi
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

Youcef Soufi's book The Rise of Critical Islam: 10th-13th Century Legal Debate (Oxford University Press, 2023) is a fascinating and engaging explorati…

Marion Holmes Katz, "Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics Before Modernity" (Columbia UP, 2022)

September 1, 2023

Wives and Work

Marion Holmes Katz
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani
Listen:

In this interview, I speak with Marion Holmes Katz about her latest book Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics Before Modernity (Columbia UP, 2022). …

Falguni A. Sheth, "Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab" (Oxford UP, 2022)

August 4, 2023

Unruly Women

Falguni A. Sheth
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani
Listen:

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exp…

Leyla Jagiella, "Among the Eunuchs: A Muslim Transgender Journey" (Hurst, 2022)

May 12, 2023

Among the Eunuchs

Leyla Jagiella
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In the powerful book Among the Eunuchs: A Muslim Transgender Journey (Hurst Publishers, 2022), Leyla Jagiella reflects on her story as a trans Muslim …

Aaron Rock-Singer, "In the Shade of the Sunna: Salafi Piety in the Twentieth-Century Middle East" (U California Press, 2022)

March 17, 2023

In the Shade of the Sunna

Aaron Rock-Singer
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

Who are the Salafis, and what are the roots of Salafism? What does it even mean to be Salafi? Why is Salafism concerned with ethics of visibility and …

Hadia Mubarak, "Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands: Controversies in Modern Qur'anic Commentaries" (Oxford UP, 2022)

February 17, 2023

Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands

Hadia Mubarak
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In the excellent expansive book, Rebellious Wives, Neglectful Husbands: Controversies in Modern Qur'anic Commentaries (Oxford UP, 2022), Hadia Mubarak…

Youshaa Patel, "The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line Between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present" (Yale UP, 2023)

January 20, 2023

The Muslim Difference

Youshaa Patel
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

According to a famous prophetic report, “Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them.” What does “imitation” here mean? Rather, what does this state…

Amina Wadud, "Once in a Lifetime" (Kantara Press, 2022)

November 25, 2022

Once in a Lifetime

Amina Wadud
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In this interview, we speak with Dr. amina wadud about her latest book Once in a Lifetime (Kantara Press, 2022), a book that started out as a blog for…

Waleed Ziad, "Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints Beyond the Oxus and Indus" (Harvard UP, 2021)

September 30, 2022

Hidden Caliphate

Waleed Ziad
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

Today, we speak with Waleed Ziad, about his book Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints beyond the Oxus and Indus, published in 2021 with Harvard University Pr…

Karen Bauer and Feras Hamza, "An Anthology of Qur'anic Commentaries (vol. 2): On Women" (Oxford UP, 2022)

August 19, 2022

An Anthology of Qur'anic Commentaries (vol. 2)

Karen Bauer and Feras Hamza
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

Karen Bauer and Feras Hamza's co-written book An Anthology of Qur’anic Commentaries (vol. 2): On Women (Oxford UP, 2022) is a collection of historical…

Shivan Mahendrarajah, "The Sufi Saint of Jam: History, Religion and Politics of a Sunni Shrine in Shi'i Iran" (Cambridge UP, 2021)

July 8, 2022

The Sufi Saint of Jam

Shivan Mahendrarajah
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

Shivan Mahendrarajah’s book, The Sufi Saint of Jam: History, Religion, and Politics of a Sunni Shrine in Shi‘i Iran (Cambridge UP, 2021), which explor…

Ziba Mir-Hosseini, "Journeys Toward Gender Equality in Islam" (Oneworld, 2022)

June 10, 2022

Journeys Toward Gender Equality in Islam

Ziba Mir-Hosseini
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In her latest book Journeys Toward Gender Equality in Islam (Oneworld Publications, 2022) Ziba Mir-Hosseini interviews several Muslim scholars of gend…

Maha Hilal, "Innocent Until Proven Muslim: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11" (Broadleaf Books, 2022)

May 13, 2022

Innocent Until Proven Muslim

Maha Hilal
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In Innocent Until Proven Muslim: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11 published in 2022 with Broadleaf Books, Maha Hi…

Kecia Ali, ed., "Half of Faith: American Muslim Marriage and Divorce in the Twenty-First Century" (Open BU, 2021)

March 18, 2022

Half of Faith

Kecia Ali
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In Half of Faith: American Muslim Marriage and Divorce in the Twenty-First Century, readers find a wide range of texts on Muslim Americans’ experience…

Farha Bano Ternikar, "Intersectionality in the Muslim South Asian-American Middle Class" (Lexington Books, 2021)

December 24, 2021

Intersectionality in the Muslim South Asian-American Middle Class

Farha Bano Ternikar
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In Intersectionality in the Muslim South Asian-American Middle Class: Lifestyle Consumption beyond Halal and Hijab (Lexington Books, 2021), wherein Te…

Simonetta Calderini, "Women as Imams: Classical Islamic Sources and Modern Debates on Leading Prayer" (Bloomsbury, 2020)

August 20, 2021

Women as Imams

Simonetta Calderini
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

What does Islam say about women’s leadership of prayer? What sources have Muslim scholars used historically to answer this question, and what do those…

Heather N. Keaney, "'Uthman ibn 'Affan: Legend or Liability" (Oneworld Academic, 2020)

August 6, 2021

'Uthman ibn 'Affan

Heather N. Keaney
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

Who is ‘Uthman ibn Affan, and why does he matter? Why was his election as the third successor to the Prophet Muhammad so controversial? In fact, why i…

Nafiseh Ghafournia, "Faith in Freedom: Muslim Immigrant Women Experiences of Domestic Violence" (Melbourne UP, 2019)

July 9, 2021

Faith in Freedom

Nafiseh Ghafournia
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In Faith in Freedom: Muslim Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Domestic Violence (Melbourne University Press, 2019), Nafiseh Ghafournia explores questio…

Ayesha S. Chaudhry, "The Colour of God" (OneWorld, 2021)

May 14, 2021

The Colour of God

Ayesha S. Chaudhry
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In today’s episode, we speak with Ayesha Chaudhry about her new book, The Colour of God (Oneworld Publications, 2021). The book describes Chaudhry’s p…

Nevin Reda and Yasmin Amin, "Islamic Interpretive Tradition and Gender Justice: Processes of Canonization Subversion and Change" (McGill Queens UP, 2020)

March 19, 2021

Islamic Interpretive Tradition and Gender Justice

Nevin Reda and Yasmin Amin
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In their groundbreaking new book, Islamic Interpretive Tradition and Gender Justice: Processes of Canonization, Subversion, and Change (McGill, 2020),…

Celene Ibrahim, "Women and Gender in the Qur'an" (Oxford UP, 2020)

February 19, 2021

Women and Gender in the Qur'an

Celene Ibrahim
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In Women and Gender in the Qur’an (Oxford University Press in 2020), Celene Ibrahim explores key themes related to gender in the Qur’an, focusing on w…

Michael E. Pregill, "The Golden Calf Between Bible and Qur'an: Scripture, Polemic, and Exegesis from Late Antiquity to Islam" (Oxford UP, 2020)

January 22, 2021

The Golden Calf Between Bible and Qur'an

Michael E. Pregill
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

In his exciting and thorough book, The Golden Calf between Bible and Qur'an: Scripture, Polemic, and Exegesis from Late Antiquity to Islam (Oxford, 20…

Justine Howe, "The Routledge Handbook of Islam and Gender" (Routledge, 2020)

December 24, 2020

The Routledge Handbook of Islam and Gender

Justine Howe
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

The Routledge Handbook of Islam and Gender (Routledge, 2020), edited by Justine Howe, includes an excellent introduction to Islam and gender as well a…

John Tolan, "Faces of Muhammad: Western Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to Today" (Princeton UP, 2019)

November 6, 2020

Faces of Muhammad

John Tolan
Hosted by Shehnaz Haqqani

John Tolan’s latest book Faces of Muhammad: Western Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to Today (Princeton UP, 2019) is a fascin…