Ahmadi Women Reconciling Faith with Vulnerable Reality Through Education‪.‬

Abstract This paper presents the perceptions, attitudes and views of a group of Ahmadi women in Southern California through the eyes of their local leader. The specific focus is on ways in which Ahmadi women engage in cultural/religious community building within a racially and ethnically hostile environment since 9/11. Of particular concern are ways in which gender norms are reflected in Ahmadi women's push toward formal and cultural education in their efforts to maintain their faith, culture and sense of community as they interface with the broader U.S. society. Given the current anti-Islamic climate in the U.S., the Ahmadis offer an interesting basis for comprehending the diversity among Muslims as well as illustrating how one Islamic group is locally constructed in the global politics of the West.