FEMINISM IN ISLAM
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Introduction
Feminism includes a range of political and social movements and ideologies with the primary purpose of defining, establishing, and attaining economic, political, individual, and social equality of genders. It integrates the positions that society prioritizes the male gender viewpoint and that the female gender receives unfair treatment with society. Efforts employed to transform the situation involve fighting gender stereotypes and looking for ways of establishing profession and educational opportunities for female gender equal to those of the males. The other common term among humans is modernism, which includes both art and philosophical movement that arose from the wide shifts in Western society at the time of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The movement was a reflection of the need to develop new forms of religion, art, social organization, and philosophy. The new transformations were a reflection of the newly emerging industrial globe, including characteristics such as new technologies, urbanization, and war. Artists also tried to leave the traditional forms of art, which they perceived as obsolete or outdated. The paper explores the concepts of Islam feminism and Muslim modernism. The primary focus is to discuss whether Muslim feminism exists and its organization and contribution.
Muslim feminism
Evolution of feminism
Feminism thought has witnessed significant evolution over the years in the context of social, historical, political, and cultural norms of society in which the concept originates. In Muslim settings, two primary feminists trends have emerged over recent periods. These include secular feminism and Islamic feminism.
It appears simplistic when one assumes that the feminism movement reflects a consistent cultural, political, and philosophical movement across the glow or even across a given region. In contrast, the feminism concept reflects a multifaceted and multidimensional movement that is composed of myriad traditions and trends that are, in most cases, intersectional and interdisciplinary. They may also sometimes become contradictory. This is to say that the feminism movement does not refer to monolithic movement and that not all feminists have common thinking. It can be argued that there exist multiple feminist movements to which an individual can refer when he or she is addressing the creation of feminist thought. The multidimensional and multifaceted nature of feminist thought makes it appear elusive and challenging to pin down.
When the book of Mary Wollstonecraft “A Vindication of Rights of Women” was published in 1792, and the essay of John Stuart Mill “The Subjection of Women” nearly 100 years later, feminist thought started to emerge. The development gave rise to more and more awareness regarding the plight of women under multiple oppressive and repressive legal and cultural constraints. Feminism was later born and faced multiple struggles that occurred both in theory via the proliferation of a new anti-patriarchal discourse. It also faced challenges on the ground via protests and demonstrations by women, where they demanded equal rights. The development of feminist thought grew into several political movements, including the suffrage movement among women in the US during the late 1800s. It also grew into other subsequent rights movement of women in multiple European nations.
The feminist struggles ultimately contributed to the enactment of several laws that guaranteed more economical, political, and civil rights for the female gender in multiple Western nations. The victories or achievements were not perceived as an end entirely. However, instead, they were considered the start of substantially more insistent and consistent feminist struggles that even progress in the current world and manifest in various movements, including #MeToo. The majority of Western commentators assert and believe that feminism is an entirely Western idea that was transferred to other regions across the world. Nevertheless, the claim has been refuted by numerous Third World or non-Western feminists. It is argued that while Western feminism witnessed its development, Muslim feminists, for example, were seen to rise, especially against patriarchy among their families. They expressed their feminism thought in unique approaches.
The argument that feminism should be perceived as “white” or “western” lacks history, perpetuating mythical circulation. The third world and developing nations can be said to experience postcolonial feminism or developing world feminism. The term reflects the fact that I originated primarily in the formerly colonized nations. Postcolonial feminism’s developments criticize the two major Western feminism strands, including first-wave and second-wave feminism. The postcolonial feminists accuse the two western feminist strands of their failure to tackle the complex issue considered special to women that affected developing nations. They also accused them of being essentialist, Eurocentric, and ignoring the plurality of experiences among women across the globe. Postcolonial feminists maintain that instead of empowering the non-European female gender, both first and second-wave feminists have always perceived the group of women in developing nations as voiceless victims. Postcolonial feminists maintain that developing nations’ women have witnessed triple victimization. The experience has occurred initially by patriarchy, followed by colonialism and ultimately by the Western feminists.
Islamic feminism
Contrary to the Western feminist thought, which is found to be largely conveyed and manifested outside any kind of religious framework, Islamic feminism in the Muslim world is found to be entirely concerned with religious matters. The concept of religion has, over the years, been a key focus to Muslim feminists regardless of them being referred to as secular or Islamic feminism. Indeed, it is hard for Muslim feminists to escape invoking religion since the concept includes an inextricable element among Muslim societies. Further, religion is part and parcel of the daily lives of the Islamic population.
Particular Western secular feminists, alongside radical Muslim feminists, usually assume the stand that it is impossible to reconcile Islam and feminism as they are said to be inherently incompatible. They argue that feminism is formed to seek women liberation and to achieve complete gender equality. In contrast, Islam cannot be compatible with the equality principles embodied in women’s freedom, autonomy, and rights. These feminists hold that the Islam holy book (the Quran) and the community’s tradition, known as hadith of Prophet Mohammed, give massive privileges to male gender over the female sex. Moreover, both hadith and Quran entrench patriarchy, and it is perceived as having androcentric practices, especially into the fabric of society based on theological rationale.
An example of a feminist is Fatima Mernissi, a Moroccan feminist and sociologist. At the start of her feminist scholarship, she openly supported those who maintained the belief that feminism and religion cannot be reconciled. Mernissi stated that Islam professes hierarchical relationship models and gender inequality. She also noted that Islam puts a sacred stand onto the subservience of women. Nevertheless, the radical anti-Islam thought she asserted later changed substantially to involve a more moderate stand since her scholarship witnessed evolution. According to another feminist, Haideh Moghissi, an Iranian sociologist and specialist in women studies, also questions the possibility of reconciling Islam and feminism. She states that Islam religion is deeply rooted in the hierarchy. It is challenging for it to be considered as the framework to lead the struggle for women’s equality with men and gender democracy. She wondered if it was possible to reconcile the two, which would function within the other’s framework. Moghissi perceived Islam as inherently threatening to feminism. Thus she believes it is not possible to develop feminism concept with the framework of religion, particularly considering the rise of fundamentalism in multiple Muslim nations.
Taslima Nasreen, a Bengali feminist, also criticized Islam. She notes that Islam keeps its women in slavery, and they are forced to remain ignorant. She considers religion as a considerable aspect that puts women into their house, cages. Although numerous women have access to education, they do not get the opportunity or freedom to work. She added that women are compelled to be submissive to their husbands since it is the requirement of Islam religion. The stands maintained by these feminists reject Islam religion in its entirety. They either adopt the Western feminist model or suggest their options completely outside the confines of religion.
According to Valentine Moghadam, who is an Iranian born sociologist, feminist scholar author, and activist, she maintains that the rights of women can hardly be guaranteed unless there is the establishment of a secular society. She noted that even though religious transformation is necessary and salutary, it is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of religious practice. Rights of women and human rights at large are best protected and promoted in a secular thought environment and presence of secular institutions.
However, Islamic feminism and secular feminism in the Muslim setting usually converge in several elements and advocate for the same goal. Muslim feminism usually seeks societal changes and legal reforms that guarantee more women’s rights. According to Huma Ahmed-Ghosh Badran, Margot, the interplay, interaction, and collaboration of secular and Islamic feminism is perceived as contributing to the emergence of a third trend. She refers to the trend as hybrid feminism, and it occupies an in-between position, where it integrates elements of the two brands.
Marianne Hafnor Bøe is an author who wrote regarding the concept of feminism, where she focuses on creating awareness concerning Muslim feminists and the expansion of feminism concept. She states that the majority of individuals do not understand that Muslim feminists exist. It is admittedly not easy to apply the term “feminism” as she notes that the majority of Muslims who dedicate to work for gender quality and the rights of women are reluctant to refer to themselves as feminists. However, the problem does jot only apply to the Muslim community alone as it cuts across other societies. However, when it comes to individuals with their background rooted in Muslim, they, in most cases, link feminism with Western practice and anti-Muslim movement. It is considered a practice that is entirely incompatible with religion. As a result, the term feminism is avoided by the majority of these people as they perceive it may not fundamentally benefit in their struggle.
People working for women’s rights and gender equality consider it important to have the legitimacy to discuss and Islam. If they do not want to lose legitimacy, they prefer to describe themselves as an activist or any other term that faces more approval. Feminism is considered to be deeply connected to Western colonialization and imperialism of the Middle East, such that it is hard to apply feminism term in the context of Muslims. Nevertheless, Bøe, in her book, has decided to use the term feminism concerning work to encourage gender equality and rights of women within Islam, without regard to whether or not the activists typically identify themselves as feminists. She argues that the debates and interpretations of the activists are feminists and not the individuals themselves.
Bøe maintains that debates and discussions regarding gender equality and the rights of women in Islam are something that not only preoccupies public debaters and politicians. Muslims also have an ongoing debate over a long time. People hold diverse opinions within Islam and that numerous discussions and critique also happen with the Islam religion. She traces feminist interpretations of Islam from the early 1900s to nations such as Iran, Egypt, and Lebanon. However, Islamic feminism faced new enthusiasm during the 1900s. One of the influential feminists is an American Amina Wadud, who published the “Qur’an and Woman,” in 1992. The book is a feminist interpretation of the Quran, and it inspired numerous individuals. Besides, the book has since been regarded as a Muslim feminist manifesto.
As a result, representatives from the feminist movement in Iran started to utilize religious stands and to have a different approach to reading the Quran. The trend-led to the emergence of a new debate that greatly inspired other Muslim feminists across other regions. Amina Wadud is a representative of the text and academic orient Islamic feminism, and it is a more activist approach. The text-oriented technique involves a discussion of the position that women have in terms of interpretations and readings of the Quran and the extended literature of tradition (hadith). Hadith is a description of stories regarding Prophet Mohammad, concerning his sayings and acts. The activist technique typically directs its focus to misogynistic practices and gender discriminating activities, both within traditions and legal systems. These practices are justified by reflecting on religion.
The Muslim feminists usually hold that this link to Islam des not primarily exists. The activists also depict preoccupation with Quran interpretation, although they see everything in a large context of customs, legislation, and global conventions. According to Bøe, distinguishing the two techniques is important to know Islam feminism. She maintains there are no clear boundaries, although we can generally note the textual technique has been prevalent, especially among the Western nations’ Muslim feminists.
Muslim feminists’ approach is that originally, Islam comprised a religion that backed the rights of women. According to Bøe, the feminists usually refer to textual evidence in the Quran where the female gender is described as financial, legal subjects and that women are legally entitled to rights of inheritance, rights of ownership, and divorce. The feminists note that most practices that discriminate against female gender are justified by referring to Islam. In reality, the interpretation of religion is based on customs and traditions that subdue the message of religion.
According to Leila Ahmed, a feminist and Egyptian-American historian state that there exists an embedded Islam ambiguity. She notes that there is one hierarchical, a male-centered side, linked to politics and law, which takes dominance among the authorities and learns. At the same time, we can see an egalitarian and ethical dimension in Muslims’ everyday lives. This explains why the majority of Muslims maintain that Islam does not discriminate against women, but rather emphasize equality and justice among its population. According to Bøe, all religions can be utilized to justify the oppression and equality of people, and Islam is no exception. She notes that Muslims are, in most cases, attached to their religion and have little flexibility, although this does not reflect reality. One of the common arguments among Muslim feminists is that the authorities that approve oppression and discrimination do not act in accordance with their Islamic view.
When the majority of public debaters hold that Islam cannot be compatible with gender equality, it is, in most cases, based on particular passages from the Quran. Bøe gives some of the passages and their interpretations. For instance, verse 4:34, based on the Norwegian Quran translation, notes that men are custodians of their women and that it advises men to punish their women if they become disobedient. According to Bøe, the verse is applied when justifying several practices that are perceived as oppressive of women.
Feminists make use of such verses in their campaigns for women’s rights and gender equality. Some of the Muslim feminists hold that custodian merely means that men are financial custodians of their women and that the passage entirely applies to particular types of families under certain situations. Other feminists argue that custodian terms can be interpreted as responsible or guardian. In terms of this argument, they state that the passage involves care and guidance as equal acts of friendship and not dominance.
Islamic modernism
Islamic modernism is a movement that has attempted to reconcile the faith of Muslims with modern values, including civil rights, democracy, equality, rationality, and progress. The movement included reexamination of methods of jurisprudence and classical conceptions and the new approach to Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic theology. This was among the first Islamic movements, such as Islamism, secularism, and Salafism. The movements emerged during the middle of the nineteenth century while responding to the rapid transformations of the period. The changes that occurred during the time include colonialism and Western civilization in the Muslim setting. Muslim modernism was founded by Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, and Muhammad Rashid Rida. Other Islamic modernists include Mohammed al-Ghazali and Jamal al-Din al-Afghani.
Since the inception of Muslim modernism, it has suffered from the cooption of its initial reformism by the official ulama and secularist rulers. Muslim modernism is different from secularism as it stresses the importance of religious faith in the life of the public. It also differs from Islamism as the movement embraces modern social processes, European institutions, and their values. Individuals who have adopted the Western viewpoints seek to change the Islamic institutions of law, learning, and politics to match the Western values and ideas. The proponents of Islamic modernism have argued regarding the compatibility of Western concepts such as science, rationality, and progress and Islam. The movement also championed for rights of women and constitutionalism. The movement initially reflected the transformation in Western modernity notions, but later the modernist proponents put forth notions of Islam, including equality, democracy, and civil liberties.
In the modern Islamic world, Muslim women have assumed an active role in Quran studies, Islamic education, and mosque based activities. The women have been involved in visible religious prominence positions, but few of them are in very significant positions in religious establishments. Significant steps in asserting scholars have assumed the voices of women into Quran interpretation in the West countries. As a result, they have expanded the efforts across the Muslim world. Modernists thinkers have given the path for adopting the notion of equality, especially among genders. Women in a society of the Muslim world have suffered due to traditions and religious aspects as they do not give them opportunities as they do to men. Islam modernists support the movements that champion for gender equality in numerous aspects. Women can take up roles that are exclusively seen as for men and perform them efficiently.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Islam feminism exists in the Muslim world, and it has emerged to be felt across all Muslim regions. The movement’s primary focus is to present their views on gender equality and equal representation in various fields. Most feminists have used the term activism even though their actions and debates reveal that they are feminists and support feminists ideologies. The movement has been supported by Islam modernism as modernist also a champion for equality.
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