Gender politics is the most visible marker of conflict over identity within the Middle East. It also lies at the core of cultural conflicts in the relationship between the Muslim world and the ‘West’. Why is gender such a divisive issue between the West and the Middle East? A theoretical framework and four case studies are employed to answer this question.

The theoretical framework discusses the main approaches in international relations that perpetuate the liberal world order in different ways. In all approaches the gender project serves as a means of discourse and an instrument to justify, expand, or consolidate the liberal order.

Part 2 presents the case studies. This dissertation argues that gender politics should be understood in the context of sociohistorical changes and the ongoing dialectic process between the liberal project and the expression of the ummah rather than through simplified mainstream perceptions of development and the need for liberating the oppressed Middle Eastern women.

The three main arguments are as follows: First, gender discourse is a top-down project. Second, gender is embedded within layers of imperialism. Third, gender must be understood within the dynamics of the dialectic process between the ummah and the liberal order.