{"id":10521,"date":"2019-03-04T12:53:28","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T10:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/?p=10521"},"modified":"2019-03-04T12:54:13","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04T10:54:13","slug":"can-feminism-be-islamic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/2019\/03\/can-feminism-be-islamic\/","title":{"rendered":"Can feminism be Islamic?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"node-article-full-group-main-image\" class=\"main-image group-main-image field-group-div\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Symbolic image of Islamic feminism (source: raseef22)\" src=\"https:\/\/en.qantara.de\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/slideshow_wide\/public\/uploads\/2017\/06\/19\/symbolbildraseef_1.jpg?itok=XZCp_N0x\" alt=\"\" width=\"730\" height=\"411\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"title-kicker\">Women\u2032s rights in Islam<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title\">Can feminism be Islamic?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"field field-name-body-summary field-type-ds field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.qantara.de\/content\/womens-rights-in-islam-can-feminism-be-islamic\">Qantara<\/a> &#8211; Islamic feminism is a relatively new concept and not without controversy. Indeed many wonder whether it is possible to reconcile feminism with Islam \u2013 a religion critics regard as inherently patriarchal. By Salma Khattab<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"field field-name-body-summary field-type-ds field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">For many, the term \u2033Islamic feminist\u2033 may seem like an oxymoron, but when it was coined in the 1990s by Iranian activist Ziba Mir-Hosseini, it was the battle call for women to be allowed to work at universities.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-body clearfix\">\n<p>At the time Ziba Mir-Hosseini was also seeking a divorce from her husband, who refused to comply. Having completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge where she studied Islamic law, she used her research in Islamic history to find legal grounds for divorcing her husband \u2013 a notoriously difficult task in most countries governed by Islamic law.<\/p>\n<p>She spent months frequenting courts until she finally succeeded in divorcing herself from her husband. She then returned to the UK, where she resumed her studies in Islamic family law. Ever since she has made it her life\u2032s mission to combat legal systems that are fraught with conflict between religious regulations and the realities of modern life.<\/p>\n<p>Fast forward to 2009 and Islamic feminism made a leap during a conference in Malaysia, attended by representatives from 50 countries. The conference was organised by the Musawah (Equality) movement, which describes itself as a \u2033global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family\u2033.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dr Ziba Mir-Hosseini: What is Islamic Feminism\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fzf2D43wcTc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The movement is active in numerous Arab countries and in Iran. It has participated with UN Women in researching religious frameworks to end discriminatory practices against women that are committed in the name of religion, such as female genital mutilation (FGM).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Feminists from all schools of thought<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Egypt, the idea of Islamic feminism is not particularly widespread, with only a select number of researchers and activists working through this approach, within a limited framework.<\/p>\n<p>Umaima Abu Bakr, a professor of English literature and one of the founders of Islamic Feminism in Egypt, says, \u2033the idea of Islamic feminism in Egypt can be introduced as an ideological and epistemological project undertaken by Muslim researchers and specialists in Islamic studies, with the purpose of critiqueing paternalism in Islamic heritage and building another, more equitable alternative. This project has been active on a local, regional and international scale.\u2033<\/p>\n<p>She explains that Islamic feminism in Egypt works on an individual level, through an organisation named<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wmf.org.eg\/en\/\">\u00a0The Women and Memory Forum<\/a>, a secular organisation that works with feminists from all schools of thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u2033We are only known among other researchers. Over the past years and following the January 25, 2011 revolution, we began organising seminars, conferences and workshops. With time, the term [Islamic feminism] has become more prevalent,\u2033 she notes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-large media-wysiwyg-align-left\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"media-element file-large\" title=\"Umaima Abu Bakr (photo: Hani Darwish\/DW)\" src=\"https:\/\/en.qantara.de\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/editor_large\/public\/uploads\/2017\/06\/19\/umaima_abu_bakr.jpg?itok=9UPWT7aV\" alt=\"Umaima Abu Bakr (photo: Hani Darwish\/DW)\" width=\"330\" height=\"244\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"field field-name-field-file-image-caption-text field-type-text field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">Pragmatic co-operation: \u2033we co-operate with al-Azhar, although we disagree over major concepts such as that of guardianship, which is considered the basis of the system of marriage in Islam,\u2033 reports Umaima Abu Bakr, one of Egypt\u2032s pioneering Islamic feminists<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When it comes to how the project relates to al-Azhar, Egypt\u2032s foremost and the world\u2032s oldest institution of Sunni jurisprudence, she says \u2033We co-operate with al-Azhar, although we disagree over major concepts such as that of guardianship, which is considered the basis of the system of marriage in Islam. We have worked with certain sheikhs and important figures in al-Azhar to issue a document on the rights of women in Islam. However, al-Azhar backtracked on adopting it at the last minute.\u2033<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Alexandria Declaration: a milestone for feminists<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The document was nonetheless issued from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, entitled the Alexandria Declaration, in March 2014. It affirmed a number of foundational points for the rights of women, most prominently the condemnation of politicising women\u2032s issues and exploiting them in political struggles between different forces. It also endorsed \u2032centrist\u2032 values in Islamic culture, distancing it from extremism and isolationism.<\/p>\n<p>The declaration upheld equality as one of the integral concepts defining male-female relations in Islam, thus pushing toward a wider participation of women in the public sphere. Most notably, the declaration prioritised equal rights and responsibilities in a framework of partnership.<\/p>\n<p>As for the issue of guardianship, which many men exploit to exercise more power, the declaration explains it as \u2033a financial commitment toward the family.\u2033 It is a concept that organises the participatory role of the husband, as &#8220;a responsibility for providing the financial needs of the family in ways that ensure that the wife\u2032s and children\u2032s needs are met and that they feel safe and secure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The declaration insists that &#8220;guardianship in Islam does not denote a man\u2032s right to absolute discretion in his actions and dominance over the wife and children.\u2033 In addition, the declaration refers to women\u2032s political and economic rights as equal to those of men.<\/p>\n<p>Kawthaw el-Khouly, director of the Noon Centre for Women and Family Issues and one of the researchers who worked on the declaration, says, \u2033We began working on the declaration in 2012, following the January revolution, when the parliament, which was under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood, tried to revoke certain laws guaranteeing women\u2032s rights, such as the khul\u2032 law [a law based in Islamic Sharia, granting women the right to seek divorce], as well as the law criminalising female circumcision [FGM].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She adds, &#8220;It was crucial for us to connect with a number of religious figures, from al-Azhar or elsewhere, to work together on ensuring women\u2032s rights in Islamic law.\u2033<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Clip of the Month: Mona Eltahawy: A Muslim and a Feminist or Islamic Feminism?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tRvdf-n1gX0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-body clearfix\">\n<p>The declaration addressed other related issues, such as the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/raseef22.com\/en\/life\/2017\/04\/19\/castrate-unusual-solutions-egypts-sexual-harassment-epidemic\/\">sexual harassment<\/a>\u00a0that women are subjected to daily in Egypt. It further indicated that \u2033the issue of women\u2032s clothing has been settled in the Sharia and the crux of it is that modesty and covering up are legitimate demands, but the state must also commit to its role in tightening the legislations that criminalise all types of sexual, physical and verbal assault against women.\u2033<\/p>\n<p>The declaration also states that \u2033men must realise that God did not create the earth for them alone, but for all people of both genders. Women have the right to protection in their homes and during their travels.\u2033<\/p>\n<p><strong>Islamic feminism under fire<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite its relative novelty, Islamic feminism has been criticised. Many question how a feminist approach can be reconciled with Islam, which critics view as an inherently patriarchal ideology.<\/p>\n<p>Abu Bakr responds to such critiques by saying that \u2033such definitions of feminism are superficial and are limited to liberal feminism. In reality, there are various different kinds of feminism, such as leftist feminism, as well as the Christian and Jewish feminist movements.\u2033<\/p>\n<p>She adds that \u2033feminist movements that take off from within religious circles are not novel and feminism is not exclusive to liberal ideology; it is diverse and nuanced.\u2033<\/p>\n<p>Another critique of Islamic feminism draws a parallel between them and the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. Abu Bakr also views this line of inquiry as lacking and explains that Islamic feminism is subjected to a two-sided attack. On the one hand, it is attacked by liberals, who seek to monopolise feminism for their own causes, while on the other opposition also comes from conservatives and traditionalists, who condemn them for being too liberal and for questioning the tenets of Islam that they view as inviolable.<\/p>\n<p>Between both the liberal Western critiques and the attempts by Islamist fundamentalists to squeeze them out of the picture, it is often the voices of Muslim women themselves that are left unheard.<\/p>\n<p><em>Salma Khattab<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a9\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/raseef22.com\/en\/\">raseef22<\/a>\u00a02017<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"node-article-full-group-toolbar\" class=\" group-toolbar field-group-div\">\n<div id=\"block-shariff-shariff-block\" class=\"block block-shariff block-shariff-block block-shariff-shariff-block odd block-without-title\">\n<div class=\"block-inner clearfix\">\n<div class=\"content clearfix\">\n<div class=\"shariff\" data-services=\"[&quot;facebook&quot;,&quot;twitter&quot;,&quot;googleplus&quot;,&quot;reddit&quot;,&quot;linkedin&quot;,&quot;xing&quot;,&quot;whatsapp&quot;,&quot;tumblr&quot;]\" data-theme=\"colored\" data-orientation=\"horizontal\" data-backend-url=\"https:\/\/en.qantara.de\/sites\/all\/libraries\/shariff-backend\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Islamic feminism is a relatively new concept and not without controversy. Indeed many wonder whether it is possible to reconcile feminism with Islam \u2013 a religion critics regard as inherently patriarchal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[90,43,11,88,17,49,10],"tags":[158,529,781,813],"class_list":["post-10521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editor-selection","category-human-rights-online-library","category-issues","category-slider","category-women","category-womens-rights","category-world","tag-feminism","tag-gender","tag-islam","tag-women-in-the-islamic-world","Documents-statements-multimedia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10521"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10525,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10521\/revisions\/10525"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}