Fatima Mernissi, feminist writer, dies aged 75

Fatima Mernissi, feminist writer, dies aged 75
Blog: The Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist died in Rabat on Monday, having spent a life studying and advocating women's roles within Islam.
2 min read
01 Dec, 2015
Fatima Mernissi (R) was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award in 2003 [Getty]

Fatima Mernissi, the world-renowned Moroccan feminist writer and sociologist, died on Monday in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

The 75-year-old was recognised for laying the foundations of Islamic feminism and analysing Islam and women's roles within it.

Her work also focused on wider issues of human rights and democracy in the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Some of Mernissi's best-known works include Beyond the Veil, which examined Islam from a feminist perspective, and The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Islam, which studied the role of the wives of Muhammad.

In 2003, Mernissi was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award, along with American filmmaker and activist Susan Sontag, for their notable achievements.

Many, including journalists and activists, took to Twitter to pay tribute to the Moroccan writer: