Short Summary: How can the emancipation of the masses, particularly women, be achieved in the Islamic world? This article rejects the idea that the Western secular, capitalist model and Western versions of human rights and democracy offer Islamic countries a desirable path to emancipation. Western approaches tend to simplify women's issues under Islam, ignoring heterogeneity in Arab societies and are often biased against Islam. Clerical, orthodox Islam has also prevented emancipation for women and minorities. But the initial Islamic period, before the arrival of the Caliphal political system, had genuine spaces for democratic practice and equality between the sexes. The article calls for Islam to be critically redefined, with attention to its early history, to remove the restrictive laws and traditions that it has since gained, including through interaction with other cultures. This will allow the creation of a viable alternative, to both Westernization and religious extremism, that is both indigenous and progressive. Such action is already being taken by Iranian women and feminists in other parts of the Islamic world. For copies of this publication please contact The University of Chicago Press, e-mail: custserv@press.uchicago.edu, URL: www.press.uchicago.edu