Nadia Yassine

Moroccan feminist reformer who redefined Islamic women's rights discourse

Nadia Yassine (b.1966) emerged as a leading voice in Islamic feminist theology during the 1990s, challenging patriarchal interpretations of Sharia law. As co-founder of the Al-Fadila Movement, she produced the first gender-equal Quranic commentary series in 1998, arguing for women's rights within traditional frameworks. Her 2003 fatwa declaring polygamy illegal under modern Islamic law sparked international debate.

Yassine's Women's Quranic School trained 3,000 female imams by 2005, creating the first all-female religious councils in Fez and Marrakech. Her 2000 book The Prophet's Daughters became a bestseller in Arab countries, reinterpreting key Hadith narratives. She pioneered the Gender Justice Institute in Rabat, which now advises UN agencies on faith-based policy.

Despite facing fatwas against her from conservative clerics, she maintained a dialogue approach that earned support from moderate scholars. Her 2008 initiative Marriage Contracts Reform has been adopted in 7 Arab countries. The Nadia Yassine Digital Archive preserves her 1,500+ sermons and legal opinions, influencing contemporary movements like #MosqueMeToo.