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A HALAL PERSPECTIVE ON GENDER: BIRTH-GIVING AND FEMALE BODY IN PAID HEALTH CARE OPTIONS FOR MUSLIMS IN THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN
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Abstract
Using the example of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia), this article discusses the emergence of the field of medical services for Muslims. It argues that genderisation of social interactions, in particular, of those between physicians and patients, has been one of the main principles of Muslim bioethics in the Republic. Among other measures, halal certification procedures are currently being developed by numerous religious experts in order to standardise and legitimise such genderisation. The analysis draws on data collected during multiple interviews with experts, medical professionals, Muslim patients, as well as on the qualitative study of regulatory documents. The article shows that the main feature of rules that govern certification procedures in Tatarstan today is the ongoing convergence between religious norms and biomedicine. As a particular example of medical services designed explicitly for Muslims in the Republic, the paper presents and analyses the service of “halal birth-giving”. This service combines commodification of religiosity and paid care for Muslim women, thereby heavily relying on their gender and religious identities, as well as their class status.
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References
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24848/islmlg.11.1.05