Unruly Women

By examining the legal treatment of visibly Muslim women, Falguni Sheth uncovers the hidden dynamics of racialized division that have inhabited and bolstered liberal legal neutrality from its inception. Her work studies the experiences of, and responses to, Muslim women of color and Black Muslim women, especially where these women have attempted to use US courts to contest their unfair treatment. Evaluating a wide range of judicial encounters, Unruly Women uncovers a pattern of racialized exclusion from liberal protections. Moreover, it exposes the distinctive ways that courts and other liberal institutions have demanded the self-transformation of individuals who appear unsuited for inclusion into the liberal polity.