Women, islam, and modernity sociology 3450 fall semester 20. The sectarian differences in the belief and practice of islam, particularly among the shiites and the sunnis. The holy quran emphasizes that go d in his perfect wisdom has. Born into a methodist africanamerican family, wadud became a muslim at the age of 20. Mar, 2018 a lesson thst looks at the role and status of women in islam and links to feminism, the pioneering work of professor aisha abd al rahman. In pakistan, feminists have belonged to various schools, sometimes knowingly and at other times unconsciously. Making connections between different perspectives 911 november 2001 took place under the shadow of the looming confrontation between the west and the muslim world, at a time when public interest was focused on the american offensive in afghanistan and antiamerican responses. The sacred writings of islam, like those of the other abrahamic faiths. This project considers attempts by scholars from within as well as outside muslim countries to analyze gender and sex equality with a new approach that brings islam and feminism into one discourse, often called islamic feminism.
Thus, the term islamic feminism raises a number of theoretical problems, among which are the following if western feminism went through a number of historical stages, each with its own set of characteristics and theories, and then branched out into more speci. Since the 1990s, a powerful feminist movement has emerged in iran led by women who are challenging traditional authority and reinterpreting the quran for themselves. Because some secular muslim feminists are less interested in reforming islam and more concerned with promoting gender equality within a secular society, the term islamic feminism arose to. Woman in islam in the divine scheme of regulation of the relationship between men and women, islam has assigned a position of dignity and honour to woman. The teachings of islam are based essentially on the quran gods revelation and hadeeth elaboration by prophet. Even the related word gender, itself a recent theoretical tool denoting male and. Radical feminism radical feminism is the second most notable form of feminism.
The way this movement evolves will determine the future direction and development of the womens right movement in iran and in the larger muslim world. In this thesis, i examine the life of two influential iranian islamic. When speaking of islamic feminism, one must take into account the meaning of the two words that make up this term. Radical feminists think liberal feminist perspectives are not drastic enough to address the centuries of individual, institutional, and systemic oppression that have ensued. Islamic family law, which addresses marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance. Islam is the first religion which systematically empowered women when women were considered totally. Islamic feminism feminism in the middle east is not a new phenomenon, it is more than a century old. The christian perspective on womens status and role in islamic societies is.
If this is what islamic feminism seeks, then islamic feminism w ould seem to suggest that there is a timeless meaning to a document the quran, which was corrupted by later exegetes, and which. The islamic transformation is not about the reforming of patriarchal claims and practices that were. In 1999 the fires were already burning to condemn the taliban regime. The position of islam on this issue has been among the subjects presented to the western reader with the least objectivity. The approach of most of the historical transformations and the womens movement in pakistan. Accordingly, external actors should apply an open and dynamic approach. By claiming that islam is feminist, these selfappointed advocates seem to be trying to convince others that islam is keeping up with modernity, human rights, and. From 9 to 11 november 2001 the isim will hold a workshop on islam, womens rights and islamic feminism. However, islamic family law as variously manifested in muslim nations poses obstacles to womens equality. Islam, patriarchy, and feminism in the middle east margot badran the study of women in the middle east, now well into its second decade, has produced an impressive corpus of papers and periodical articles. Western commentators have generally projected a negative view of the relationship among islamism as a political ideology, islam as a religion, and women. The reason islamic feminism has been perverted is because over centuries it had to conform to islamic law, sharia, which regulates to a faretheewell.
Islamic feminism reform muslim women quran islam introduction islamic feminisms propose a series of more or less courageous reforms are disputed in the traditionalist and neotraditionalist islamic world. Islamic feminism appeared at the time of an accelerating islamist movement, according to the iranian ziba mirhosseini who initially supported the islamic revolution in iran. The women scholars in islam 2007 sariya contractor, muslim, women in britain. Until the last two decades, western observers of the plight of muslim women have portrayed islam as uniquely patriarchal and incompatible with womens equality. Theorizing the politics of islamic feminism shahrzad mojab q abstract. Optional reading sabbagh, suha, ed, introduction, the debate on arab women from arab women, between defiance and restraint, new york. Western views of women and islam dominant western views of women in islamist movements and more generally of women and islam are largely marked by stereotypes rather than knowledge. Till this day, the common western view of women in the muslim world is grounded in the belief that women are lower in status and are defeated. A more comprehensive introduction by rosemarie tong and tina fernandes botts westview, 2018 jamin hubner the terms feminism and feminist are thrown around quite a bit these days. Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Licensing pdusergazzelle you cannot overwrite this file. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam 1991 mohammad akram nadwi, almuhaddithat.
The status of women within islam is a topic that has attracted significant attention in the west, particularly since the events of september 2001. According to margot badran, islamic feminism emerged out of a critique of both patriarchal islam ism as well as of secular feminism. Although the month has been chilly, and until two days ago snow covered tree stripped mountains still. Patriarchy comes in various shapes and affects women as they grow up in varying degrees in every context ah. Expressing feminism and nationalism in autobiography. Islamist feminism, most of which draw upon, expand or refute liberal, marxist, radical or socialist versions of feminism. This article examines developments in cislamic feminism and offers a critique of ffi feminist theories, which construct it as an authentic and indigenous emancipatory o alternative to secular feminisms. At the time it came into existence, it was revolutionary for the rights that it gave. Fatima sedat, islam, feminism, and islamic feminism. Shahidian arg ues that islam ic feminism is an oxym oron, a contradiction in terms.
Portraying a counterdiscourse 5 cific context of lebanon and present the content the women that i interviewed provide along four coordinates. However, it now appears that the feminism of alghazali has gained popularity amongst the 3 leila ahmed, in women and gender in islam new haven. According to this approach, which typically equates feminism with feminist theory, liberal feminists such as betty friedan see significant others, p. Such beneficent regulation is essential for peace, comfort, happiness, continuation of the species and progress. Islamic feminism represents the ideology which describes the discourse and the actions of those who protect womens rights within the context of authentic or wellunderstood islam 3. In her examination of the colonial roots of discourses surrounding muslim women and the veil, leila ahmed summarizes.
Abstract this paper seeks to evaluate missiological approaches to muslim women in the light of the analysis of moroccan islamic feminist, fatima mernissi. She was a professor of religion and philosophy at among others, the virginia commonwealth university and one of the founders of the group sisters in islam. It was here and in the combining of the languages of colonialism and feminism. Replacing islamic feminism margot badran i see islamic feminism at the center of a transformation within islam struggling to make headway.
Summary symbol of islamic feminism, muslim feminism that incorporates the crescent moon and star, the symbol of islam with the female symbol. Islam and tantra at first glance, islam and tantrism might seem an unlikely pair for comparison. Returning home to maine in april has allowed me to experience winter turning her ancient wisdom filled face towards the maiden of spring. In recent times, islamic feminism has emerged as a challenge to patriarchy in muslim societies. While shahidian has been especially critical of t ohidi, shahrzad mojab, li ke moghissi, has. The civil law as well as the constitutions of many muslim states provide for equal rights between women and men. The isim workshop on islam, womens rights, and islamic feminism. Women, qasim amin, and the rise of feminist discourse 3. I call this a transformation rather than a reformation. Islam embodies many of the principles that feminism fights for equality, dignity and respect of women. For some, feminists are men and women who want generic equality between the sexes.
Some consider islamic and feminist perspectives as mutually exclusive or deny the need for an islamic feminism with the argument that islam as it is has already given women all their. Feminism, secularism, and the impossibilities of an islamic. As mahmood elucidates, even skeptics who are normally leery of western feminists paternalistic desire to save third world women were sympathetic to the feminist majoritys campaign. Made for wjeceduqas a level religious studies, islam theme 3, d. Ranging from reinterpretation of holy sources to recovering indisputable islamic rights of women, islamic feminists challenge patriarchy in multiple ways. The missiological implications of the islamic feminism of fatima mernissi author. Margot badran, feminism in islam secular and religious convergences 2009 fatema mernissi, the veil and the male elite. What matters is not an essentialised construct of islam but rather the ongoing interpretations and practice of local partners. The missiological implications of the islamic feminism of. However, media coverage of the plight of women in afghanistan does not reflect the far more nuanced and diverse series of readings and debates on women and feminism in the islamic world. This paper is intended to provide a brief and authentic exposition of what islam stands for in this regard. But looking beneath the surface at the underlying philosophical principles will reveal that the. Islamic feminism can be better understood through the strategies employed. It is a part of the global movement housed within the broader, contem porary movement operating in muslim c ountries.
697 1412 172 885 280 1152 1416 568 1144 888 1242 1292 1165 480 348 1013 153 396 823 1248 1334 612 671 519 141 1373 345 703 1358 1058 1182 761 936 1170 873 683 821 814 473 409 708 498 1326 762 826 1249 1056 226 519 751