Engaging modernity: Muslim women and the politics of agency in postcolonial Niger

Ousseina Alidou’s book is a welcome addition to the growing anthropological literature on Islam in Africa. In the book, she focuses on the experiences of three very different Muslim women: Malama A’ishatu, who runs an Islamic school for girls and broadcasts a popular radio show; Habsu Garba, a singer and dancer who also host a radio talk show; and “Agaisha”, a spokeswoman for the armed Tuareg rebellion and, for obvious reasons, the only one of...