Few policy topics arouse as much contention as those at the nexus of women, Islam and western liberalism. The issues involved are amorphous and prone to misunderstanding and entrenched positions. As a result contemporary public debate too often postulates its own set of beliefs about what constitutes liberalism and what Islam represents. To date this has rarely proved to be a good topic for sober assessment. 'Women, Islam and Western Liberalism' is a new collection of essays which brings together leading thinkers among British Muslim women to consider the convergences and challenges between liberalism and Islam on the topic of women. The contributors discuss a wide range of issues, from the status of women in Islam and Muslim women's involvement in public life, to forced marriage, polygamy and domestic violence. For Muslim women, these are living, not abstract, questions. Too often these issues are discussed by people speaking for Muslim women. 'Women, Islam and Western Liberalism' attempts to help redress that by allowing Muslim women to speak for themselves about the challenges, as they see them, of living in a liberal society. No one collection can provide straightforward answers in such a complex discussion. But they can contribute to sharpening the questions, focusing them into a form that can stimulate analysis and lead to more informed debate. That is the goal of this collection.