Tom Verde '09 Publishes Book on Lost Histories of Prominent Muslim Women

Tom Verde, a 2009 graduate of Hartford International University, was surprised when he first encountered the story of 13th-century Egyptian queen Shajarat al-Durr, Egypt’s first queen since Cleopatra, after reviewing a book on Cairo’s architectural history. 

“I had never heard of her,” Tom said. “A Muslim woman ruling Egypt? I wondered if there were others.” Intrigued, he began uncovering more overlooked female rulers, eventually publishing a six-part series for AramcoWorld in 2016 before expanding it into his book, Queens of Islam: The Muslim World's Historic Women Rulers, which offers a survey of prominent Muslim women rulers from the first centuries of Islamic history to early modern times.

Tom’s interest in Islamic history was shaped during his time at HIU, where he earned an MA in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations. “Respect for others is primary there,” he said, “Encouraging students to think out of the box a bit. To look beyond a traditional narrative and explore perspectives from other people.” 

Queens of Islam profiles 15 women who wielded political power across a millennium of Islamic history, from Islam’s earliest centuries through the end of the 17th century. Tom’s findings upend Western assumptions: while figures like Razia Sultan of India or Roxolana of the Ottoman Empire are celebrated in their own cultures, their stories were erased or exoticized by colonial narratives.

One major revelation Tom had during his research related to the harem. “Our understanding of the harem is a Western understanding,” Tom said. Far from a “sexualized lounge,” harems functioned as intellectual hubs where women studied astronomy, law, and philosophy — or, for the less privileged, worked as laborers. “It was like a women’s college,” he said.

He also highlighted the influence of Central Asian steppe cultures, where women fought, hunted, and traded alongside men. Many enslaved steppe women brought these egalitarian values into Islamic courts, enabling figures like Shajarat al-Durr to rise.

For current HIU students passionate about gender studies or interfaith scholarship, Tom urges curiosity: “Take advantage of HIU’s resources, its library, faculty, and diverse student body,” he said. “Education isn’t just classrooms. Talk to people. Learn their stories.”

Congratulations, Tom!