Egypt was the first country in the Middle East to experience the full impact of Westernization and the accompanying clash of ideologies. In the 1990s, few adhere to the notion that secular and Western-oriented regimes have advanced the case for women there. This study is the first to examine the feminist issue in the context of Egypt's democratic crisis, faltering economy, and deteriorating sectarian relations. Using Arabic sources, Ghada Talhami pursues an authentic, indigenous analysis and produces a cultural study bridging politics, religion, anthropology, and sociology.