the appropriate authors. At times, authors were
overloaded and were not able to commit to writing
the entries for EWIC in the time frame which we
were able to afford them (typically we invited
authors to return entries within three months of
their acceptance).
Some authors tried, but were not able to com-
plete their entries in time for inclusion in the print
edition of Volume II. We have over 130 entries for
Volume II which were still being written or revised,
or had been revised but did not arrive in time for
inclusion. While we regret not being able to hold
the publication of Volume II for all these entries, we
are committed to publishing those which were
accepted in the online edition of EWIC.
With the limitations of our capacities as Editors,xxviii preface
the limitations of the fields covered, and the limita-
tions of this ambitious globally defined project, we
have produced an incomparable volume of entries
on subjects critical to understanding women, fam-
ily, law, politics, and Islamic cultures. The entries
provide a basis for critical comparative research.
More importantly, Volume II sets the stage for in-
novative rethinking of the basis for comparative
and interdisciplinary research on women and Islamic
cultures which will be continued in Volumes III–VI
and in the online edition of EWIC.Suad Joseph,
General Editor, EWIC
Davis, California
October 2004