Between feminism and islam pdf

S invasion of afghanistan was a neocolonialist action is a debate outside. As a school of thought, it is said to refer to moroccan sociologist fatema mernissi and. Considering the fact that feminist issues have dominated discussions on gender and sexuality, alghazali 1990 presents a comprehensive view on woman issues. Among many important traits associated with the differentiation of gender inequality is religion, which itself must be regarded as a fluid concept. Mar 01, 2018 during her scholarly career miriam cooke has explored a number of themes pertaining to arab and muslim women, among them the importance of complicating what she calls the war story cooke 1997, by including the genderspecific experiences of women in war and conflict in the middle east. Contextualizing equality of gender in islam kamran shahid. According to islamic feminists, muslim women have been oppressed because of a patriarchal cultural that is still ruling in many muslim countries mernissi 1996, even if it has been the interpretation of islam by the male elite that has supported these states. Although islam and feminism are not completely without common ground, the values and principles of islam and feminism are generally contrary. The core belief of feminism is that men and women should be treated as equal, in all regards.

Between feminism and islam will make a lasting impact on the way that gender equality in morocco is studied, because it challenges conventional ways of interpreting and understanding the relationship between the liberal feminist and islamist movements. Between feminism and islam university of minnesota press. The sectarian differences in the belief and practice of islam, particularly. Legal and literary perspectives is the title of saudi scholar mai yamanis 1996 book comprising the essays of a substantial number of women scholars who are articulating an emerging islamic feminism.

However, islamic family law as variously manifested in muslim nations poses obstacles to womens equality. Hina azam hina azam is associate professor of islamic studies at the university of texas at austin. The sacred writings of islam, like those of the other abrahamic faiths. Yet the developments of postrevolutionary iran have made it difficult even for the most ardent believers of islam to completely sever ties with western feminism. Western discourses surrounding islam, fundamentalism and muslim women have been interwoven since. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in educationand employment. Despite the fact that salime does not address the processes of the arab spring, much of her earlier fieldwork in morocco could be taken as an. Our analysis reveals the existence of islamist feminism, distinguished from broader secularoriented islamic feminism, as a logical, albeit unique, extension, and expression of muslim anticolonial discourse rooted in the intellectual currents of twentieth century independence movements that still resonate today. Islamic feminism is a feminist discourse that propagates gender equality and social justice within a prestructured islamic framework, in an attempt to achieve normative reconciliation between islam. Even though it was described as a reform movement that opens up a dialogue between. Until the last two decades, western observers of the plight of muslim women have portrayed islam as uniquely patriarchal and incompatible with womens equality. Unfortunately, contemporary debates regarding feminism inside islam or islamic societies still have remained, at least in certain cultural spaces, strongly ideological, mainly because of the history of political conflicts and past disagreements between the.

Between feminism and islam by khadija yusra sanusi. Western feminist theory has developed significantly from its early roots in the suffrage movement. Between feminism and islam by khadija yusra sanusi knowslam. Islamic feminism between islam and islamophobia journal of. Islam maintains equality between man and woman where many rights and responsibilities are concerened, and in the case of certain differences, there is recognition of the origin of. Inarguably, there is a divide between islam and feminism as we know it today. Analyzing a conceptual conflict reference url share. For the critiques of islamic feminism, islam is configured as highly conflicting with womens liberation. Radical feminists think liberal feminist perspectives are not drastic enough to address the centuries of individual, institutional, and systemic oppression that have ensued. Seedat distinguishes between scholarly trends that preclude the convergence of islam and feminism, that argue for a necessary convergence, and finally, those that make no argument for or against. Radical feminism believes that society is rule by patriarchy, one that has built it by oppressing women. Through a careful sociological and ethnographic account of moroccan feminist and islamist womens organizations, zakia salime shows how the two have transformed each other through decades of activism, debate, and engagement.

Islamic feminism between islam and islamophobia journal. Radical feminism radical feminism is the second most notable form of feminism. But the men have a degree over them in responsibility and authority and feminism cannot reconcile with patriarchy. Islamic feminism is a relatively new concept and not without controversy. Islam is the religious tradition of the followers of the prophet muhammad. The difference of approaches between liberal and radical feminism is that liberal feminism is that radical feminists are fully against patriarchy and try to oppress it. The case of palestine west bank and gaza by islah jad legislative elections held in the west bank and the gaza strip in 2006 brought to power the islamist movement hamas, which went on to form the majority of the palestinian legislative council and also the first majority hamas government. Between islam and feminism article pdf available in journal of feminist studies in religion 322. In between feminism and islam, zakia salime looks at three key movement moments. Women religious and christian feminism by jill robson the following text is the result of several conversations and a continuing dialogue between two women friends, one a lay person and the other a religious sister.

Islam was visibly present in much of the early confrontations between feminism and the religious and secular forces that reacted to the challenge. As for islamic, i must stress that i firmly distinguish this from islamist. Between feminism and islam is an important work that contributes to the fields of gender studies, feminist theory, sociology, history, religion, and politics. Western feminism is grounded in western values, thought, and ideology and those values differ from those of islam and arab tradition. At the time ziba mirhosseini was also seeking a divorce from her husband, who refused to comply. Islamism, as i have defined in print, is no more or less than. There follows a comparison between feminist and islamic doctrines in which their utter incompatibility is elucidated.

The islamic traditionlike other major re ligious traditionsdoes not consist of, or derive from, a single source. Many believers have realized a discrepancy between the promises and practices of the. Liberal and radical feminism are two approaches to. Such beneficent regulation is essential for peace, comfort, happiness, continuation of the species and progress. At the core of these moments are disputes over legitimacy, national identity, gender. Feminism at its core just asks for equal rights for women. The reality and future of islamic feminism afghanistan al. Her monograph, sexual violation in islamic law 2015, won the american historical associations james henry breasted prize.

Feminism is divided into many different movements and ideologies, each having their own ideas and ways to combat the system for equal rights for women. The most confusing thing for the nonmuslims particularly in the western world is the position of women in islam. In their conception a muslim woman is a secluded and passive subject, who neither has any. This verse also demands an equal amount of religious duties from all true believers, regardless of gender. Before engaging in any meaningful discussion of feminism in islam, it is useful to refer to the sources of the islamic tradition, since much confusion sur rounds the use of the term islam. And this religion is, precisely, the main obstacle between them and us. Islamic feminism can be described as a feminist movement which bases its methodology and epistemology on both post colonial feminism and islamic theology. Export a ris file for endnote, procite, reference manager, zotero, mendeley export a text file for bibtex note. Islamic feminism is a relatively recent current of thought being developed by a transnational network of activists in widely contrasting sociopolitical contexts.

Between feminism and islam by zakia salime overdrive. This thesis attempts to analyze the conceptual andor value conflict between western feminists and islamic feminists. Both are fighting for the rights and equal treatment of women. The compatibility of islam with feminism has drawn important attention from western and eastern scholars alike. Islamic feminism encounters western feminism 7 argue. Islamic feminism is a feminist discourse that propagates gender equality and social justice within a prestructured islamic framework, in an attempt to achieve normative reconciliation between islam and womens rights. A change to the normal polemic and a discussion on some of the similarities between islam and feminism full video here.

This excellent study proposes a groundbreaking theory on how the feminist movement has been enabled and circumscribed by islamist womens activism and. It offers readers insights into contemporary moroccan history and society, while situating the. Islamic family law, which addresses marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance. Islam vs feminism contemporary topics of islamic thought. Islamic feminism is defined by islamic scholars as being more radical than secular feminism and as being anchored within the discourse of islam with the quran as its central text. At the same time, however, they dissociate themselves from the misguided radicalism of western feminism in order to protect themselves against potential charges of guilt by association. The reason islamic feminism has been perverted is because over centuries it had to conform to islamic law, sharia, which regulates to a faretheewell all. In what follows a brief introduction to feminism and its history is presented, with particular attention to philosophical and theological issues relevant to islam. Project muse islamic feminism between islam and islamophobia.

Mar 01, 2018 islamic feminism between islam and islamophobia hina azam bio during her scholarly career miriam cooke has explored a number of themes pertaining to arab and muslim women, among them the importance of complicating what she calls the war story cooke 1997, by including the genderspecific experiences of women in war and conflict in the. 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. During recent times, the concept of islamic feminism has grown further with islamic groups looking to garner support from many aspects of society. Mar 08, 2018 islamic feminism is a relatively recent current of thought being developed by a transnational network of activists in widely contrasting sociopolitical contexts. Many problems exist because of a resistance to cultural conversion. What constitutes an islamic feminism, and where is it headed. Between feminism and islam challenges the common assumption in the media and the academy that islamism and feminism are quintessentially opposed ideologies. Difference between radical feminism and liberal feminism. A definition of feminism is hard to find due to diversity of sociocultural settings. Both insist that women may own their own property and dispose of it as they wish.

Hosseini email protected is an independent consultant, researcher, and writer on middle eastern issues, specializing in gender, family relations, and islamic law and development, and is based at the london middle east institute. When looking at the relationship between feminism and islam we must look at how feminism, as a philosophical tradition, and feminists, as a. Islamic feminists acknowledge the inequalities facing muslim women under islamic law today 10, and in most parts of the muslim world they most frequently refer to family law or personal status law. While the representation of women is central to this struggle, there are also significant social issues that while somewhat outside of the laws purview, must receive adequate attention before womens rights reform is possible. Seedat distinguishes between scholarly trends that. Pdf this essay argues for maintaining a critical space between two intellectual paradigms that inform muslim womens anticolonial equality. Islamic feminism between islam and islamophobia hina azam. Dec 19, 2018 hybrid feminism, according to ahmedghosh, occupies an inbetween position, incorporating aspects of both secular feminism and islamic feminism. Deconstructing implications of orientalism, state, and feminism through an understanding of performativity, cultivation of piety and identity, and fashion.

Between feminism and islam shows how the interactions of these movements over the past two decades have transformed the debates, the organization, and the strategies of each other. However, despite many differences between the two movements, feminism and womanism have some features in common. In theology, both reject the symbol of father for god. Badran, however, elucidates some differences between secular feminism and islamic feminism in her 2009 book, feminism in islam. In his book, titled islam and the psychology of the musulman, servier wrote that the only thing arabs ever invented was their religion.

The civil law as well as the constitutions of many muslim states provide for equal rights between women and men. Islamic feminism is defined by islamic scholars as being more radical than secular feminism, and as being anchored within the discourse of islam with the quran as its central text. Feminism ziba mirhosseini abstract islamic feminism has gained currency since the 1990s and has become the label for a new brand of feminist scholarship and activism that is associated with islam. Oct 09, 2017 feminism and womanism is seen as different school of thoughts, however there are some similarities between the two. An islamic feminism is arguably an inherently culturally competent one, since islam in general is a deeply diverse tradition and allows for flexibility depending on contextual realities, so long. Many people treat feminism as a bad word, claiming that feminists want to put men down, or rule men, however that is not the case. Liberal feminists, however, accept the system but at the same time believe that it needs some core changes. Feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of. They saw islam as an obstacle to assimilation, a view that was expressed by a writer in colonial french algeria named andre servier. In fact, in both cases women face some kind of oppression and deprivation of rights, and in both.

Hating men blaming everything bad on men being a lesbian white people saving muslimnonwhite women a western movement a result of daddy issues the idea that men and women are the same. The sectarian differences in the belief and practice of islam, particularly among the shiites and the sunnis. Islam, feminism, and islamic feminism between inadequacy and. Zakia salime there are two major womens movements in morocco. Radical feminism is the second most notable form of feminism. Liberal feminists argue against the fact that society tends to have the false belief that women, by nature, less intellectually and physically capable than men. Even the related word gender, itself a recent theoretical tool denoting male and. Indeed many wonder whether it is possible to reconcile feminism with islam a religion critics regard as inherently patriarchal.