Khul' Divorce in Egypt

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Egyptian women gained the unique right to divorce their husbands unilaterally through a procedure called khul'. Notwithstanding attempts to present the law as being grounded in Islamic law, opponents claim that khul' is a rich-women's law and a Western conspiracy aimed at destroying Egyptian family life and Egyptian society, by extension. Nadia Sonneveld explores the nature of the public debates - including films and cartoons -- and examines the application of khul' in the courts and everyday life, comparing the debate to the actual implementation of khul' in everyday life.