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For years, Muslim women have been taught to believe that they could only choose between practicing their religion and advocating for gender equality. In many Islamic countries, the concept of feminism has been faced with skepticism and hostility. These reactions are primarily due to stereotypes that have been presented in culture, thus meaning that they are unjustified. Islamic feminism is defined by Dr. Margot Badran, a graduate of al-Azhar University and Oxford University, as “a feminist discourse and practice that derives its understanding and mandate from the Quran, seeking rights and justice within framework of gender equality as part and parcel of the Quranic notion of equality of all human beings and calls for the implementation of gender equality in the state, civil institutions, and everyday life.”
Some argue that erasing religion in discussions of feminism and gender equality would solve all the problems. However, religion isn’t the issue when it comes to gender relations — rather, it is the culture in which religion is embedded. The patriarchy that exists in Islamic countries is due to the way the Quran has been interpreted by males. The unjust laws and norms present in Islamic countries are due to culture, which is due to males’ biased interpretations of the Quran. As a result, feminism is met with hostility and anger. That being said, one of the greatest tasks of an Islamic feminist is to separate culture from religion. Rather than consider other perspectives apart from traditional beliefs to seek truth and justice, many regard it with “suspicion and hostility,” primarily because of the social structure that is supported by a gender hierarchy (Fawcett,1). Moreover, women are in a place in society where they have a major influence in culture - they are the first teachers and are closest to the next generation. As a result, the “stability” of society is often associated with women staying in their “natural” places (Fawcett, 1). This is not real stability, but rather authoritarian.
Women in the Islamic feminism movement examine the Quran in a way that is not biased towards men. An impactful global movement known as Musawah encourages women to fight for their equality, which means changing the laws that affect their lives and advocate for legal reform in their countries. For instance, many Malaysian women have been influenced by the work of this organization, as they use religious arguments in order to fight against injustice in their marriages. When they are abused by their husbands, they argue that such actions go against Islam (Segran, 1). Subsequently, these women’s husbands are much more likely to listen to them. Overall, Islamic Feminism empowers women and encourages them to defend themselves.
Secular, Western, and Islamic Feminism
Islamic feminism advocates for equal rights in both the public and private sphere, while secular feminism calls for equal rights in public, but complimentary rights in private (“Exploring Islamic Feminism”, 1). For instance, in the public sphere, Islamic feminists assert that women should be allowed to be the heads of state and imams, an argument never made by secular feminists (“Exploring Islamic Feminism”, 1). Additionally, in the private sphere, Islamic feminists constantly argue against the notion that males have authority over females in marriage.
Women practicing Islam wear the burqah or the hijab. Oftentimes, the burqa or the hijab is seen as something that oppresses women in Western feminism, resulting in the hijab being seen as contradictory to the concept of feminism. However, this is not necessarily the case. The colonial history between Islam and the ‘Western World’ has led to the false belief that wearing the burqah or the hijab is oppressive. In many contexts, the veil has much more of a complex meaning; for example, it signifies anti-colonial resistance in Algeria (Baker, 1).
Islamic feminists continue to work towards a bright future 一 one in which gender equality and social justice is achieved alongside with Muslim women practicing their faith.
References
Baker, Brandon, et al. “How Islamic Feminism Could Shape Gender Equity.” Penn Today, 1 Jan. 1970, penntoday.upenn.edu/news/how-islamic-feminism-could-shape-gender-equity.
“Exploring Islamic Feminism.” Wilson Center, www.wilsoncenter.org/event/exploring-islamic-feminism.
Fawcett, Rachelle. “The Reality and Future of Islamic Feminism.” Poverty and Development News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 28 Mar. 2013, www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2013/3/28/the-reality-and-future-of-islamic-feminism.
Segran, Elizabeth. “The Rise of the Islamic Feminists.” The Nation, 29 June 2015, www.thenation.com/article/archive/rise-islamic-feminists/.
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