Tamara Sonn

Who is Tamara Sonn?

Dr. Tamara Sonn is the Kenan Professor of Religion and Humanities at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Sonn received a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Santa Clara, an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago, where she studied under the widely esteemed Fazlur Rahman.

Sonn is the author of the book A Brief History of Islam, written in 2004. In the book, she argues against violence and inequality for women under Islamic law; and commends Morocco's Mudawana family code for the abolishment of the patriarchal family and diction respecting women.

The United States Institute of Peace and the American Council of Learned Societies have funded her work through grants. She is on the board of directors of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies, previously as Vice President of the Eastern Division of the American Academy of Religion, and associate editor of the Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Muslim World and the American Journal for Islamic Social Science.