Polish Tatar Women as Official Leaders of Muslim Religious Communities and the Sources of their Authority

The history of Islamic presence in Poland goes back over 300 years. In the past, Muslim Tatar women played an important role in their communities by preserving and passing on the faith. In the 20th century their role expanded, with a high number of women present at the highest levels of Muslim leadership. The paper presents the case study of seven Polish Tatar women, who held the post of official elected presidents of local Muslim communities. This case is presented in order to research the source of authority on which the female leadership is based. The paper uses three kinds of authority distinguished by Max Weber: legal-rational authority, charismatic and traditional authority. The paper is based on interviews with these female presidents and other members of their communities to reconstruct their authority as social and religious leaders and their impact on their respective communities.