‘Talk to your elders’: Students’ own families as the location to draw from and analyze gendered Muslim realities in the Kurdish Region of Iraq

In this paper I will reflect on my experiences, lessons and insights teaching Islam & Gender at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani and which pedagogical tools I applied to foster a feminist pedagogical approach to the Islamic Studies classroom. I will do so by reflecting on the specifics of teaching ‘Islam & Gender’ at an English speaking university in a Muslim majority context and which pedagogical tools I used.  I will specifically zoom in on the assignments I designed and the teaching methods inside the classroom to ensure that their voices and stories were at the center of their learning journey, and that the content remained culturally responsive and meaningful.