Otin
Encyclopedia
Otin is a Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

n term referring to a woman who serves as an Islamic
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 teacher and leader in the local community. Their position has a high status, somewhat similar to a mullah's
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...

, and certain otines are officially recognized by their country's Muslim board. Otines would also serve as teachers at religious schools
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...

 for girls.

Additional reading

  • Fathi, Habiba. (March 1997). "Otines: The unknown women clerics of Central Asian Islam". Central Asian Survey
    Central Asian Survey
    Central Asian Survey is an academic journal first published in 1982 concerning Caucasus and Central Asian studies. It is currently published by Taylor & Francis, and has four issues a year....

    16 (1): 27-43.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK