Scholars in Context: Leyla Tajer
Jadaliyya's Scholars in Context series consists of Q&As in which scholars of the Middle East describe their research and the paths they took to arrive at it. The series provides a platform for these scholars to highlight the significance of their work, identify the audiences they seek to reach, and outline their future research trajectories, giving readers an in-depth look at the latest research in a given field.
Jadaliyya (J): What is the main focus of your current research and how does it connect to or depart from your previous work?
Leyla Tajer (LT): My current research focuses on women’s same-sex relationships, particularly exploring how gender, love, and spirituality intersect within religious frameworks. This builds upon my earlier work, which examined women’s roles in Sufi and Hindu traditions. My dissertation, “The Ingredients, Stages, and Experience of Love: A Parallel Exposition of Jalaluddin Rumi and Ananda Coomaraswamy,” explored representations of love in Sufi and Hindu mysticism. Over time, my research has expanded to include broader issues, such as self-love, women’s empowerment, and the complexities of LGBT inclusivity within religious societies, especially in Shia contexts. This line marks a natural progression from studying love and self-empowerment to examining women’s same-sex relationships and LGBT rights within Islamic societies.
J: What particular topics, issues, and literatures does your research address?
LT: My research addresses key issues surrounding gender dynamics, women’s empowerment, and LGBT inclusivity in Shia societies. I explore how religious doctrines shape women’s roles and same-sex relationships, particularly within patriarchal systems. My work also examines the spiritual and societal aspects of self-love and self-knowledge within religious mysticism, especially in Sufism. The literature I engage with includes Shia studies, LGBT studies, and gender in religious contexts. Recently, I have focused on the lived experiences of women in same-sex relationships within Shia communities.
J: What brought you to this work? What was the source of inspiration?
LT: My journey into this research began with a deep fascination with the concept of love. My PhD dissertation, which focused on love in Sufism and Hindu traditions, explored the works of Rumi through the lens of Ananda Coomaraswamy's interpretations of Hindu mysticism. This comparative approach allowed me to connect these two traditions and served as the starting point for my broader inquiry into love, gender, and spirituality.
This led me to explore how self-knowledge, self-love, and self-empowerment intersect with women’s roles in society. Living in Southeast Asia also inspired me to study Hamzah Fansuri, the father of Malay literature and a sixteenth-century mystic, whose work on self-knowledge and love deeply resonated with my broader research.
From this foundation, my work naturally expanded to address women’s same-sex relationships and LGBT inclusivity in Islamic societies. My personal experiences, particularly my activism for gender equality and women’s rights in the MENA region, have also been a major source of inspiration, fueling my commitment to exploring these complex issues.
J: What audiences would you like to reach, and what kind of impact would you like your research and writing to have?
LT: I aim to reach academic audiences in the fields of religious studies, gender studies, and LGBT studies, but I also hope to engage activists, policymakers, and individuals working on human rights issues. My goal is for my research to foster a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding gender and sexuality within religious contexts, particularly in Islamic societies. I hope my work can contribute to more inclusive policies and practices that respect the rights of women and LGBT individuals, while also challenging patriarchal structures within religious frameworks. Ultimately, I want my research to empower marginalized groups by providing them with academic and practical tools for self-empowerment and advocacy.
J: What other projects are you working on now?
LT: I am currently involved in a book project titled “Emergence of Intellectual Sufism in Southeast Asia: Ḥamzah Fanṣūrī in Context,” co-authored with Amir Zekrgoo, which will be published by Lexington. This project builds on my previous research on Hamzah Fansuri and his contributions to the fields of self-knowledge and spiritual love. Additionally, I am continuing to explore LGBT inclusivity within Shia societies, focusing on the intersection of religious doctrine and contemporary gender issues. I am also working on several articles that address women’s empowerment within religious contexts, and I continue to be active in advocacy for gender equality and human rights in the MENA region through various organizations.
J: What drives your activism for women's rights and LGBT inclusivity?
LT: My activism is deeply intertwined with my personal experiences of displacement from the MENA region due to my advocacy for gender equality. I have protested discriminatory laws in Iran and witnessed firsthand the struggles of women and LGBT individuals in patriarchal societies. These experiences have fueled my commitment to using academic research as a tool for advocacy, challenging religious and cultural norms that marginalize women and LGBT communities. My work with the Roya Institute for Global Justice and other organizations has given me practical insight into the challenges these individuals face and how we can empower them through both scholarship and activism.