Dr Sadia Zulfiqar explored Leila Aboulela’s work and spoke on the tensions between Muslim Feminism and Secular Feminism, unpacking how the surfacing of a vocal feminist position from within the ranks of the Islamist movement has destabilised the boundaries between hard-line Islamists and secular feminists. She also highlighted how Aboulela's work has opened up the world of Muslims, and particularly Muslim women that for many western audiences has been closed, encrypted or barely visible. Aboulela’s female protagonists are strong examples of ethical, independent women who provide refreshing possibilities for Muslim women, and thus do not need saving by the west.  

Dr. Sadia Zulfiqar completed her MLitt in Modernities (Modern and Post-modern Literature) and PhD in English Literature at the University of Glasgow, UK. Zulfiqar edited a collection of essays Islam and the West: A Love Story? with Dr Sumita Mukherjee, an historian based at the University of Bristol, UK. She is currently teaching African Women’s Writings, 20th Century Fiction and Non-Fiction, and Postcolonial Writings at Lahore College for Women University.