Thursday, December 21, 2006
Islamic feminism
The term feminist itself does not have a defined boundary and its detailed interpretation seems to differ but from a western perspective, it is the granting of equal rights to men and women in a way that gender plays no role in the social and economic classification. Think of it as secularism where the citizens of the state are just that – religionless. Similarly, it is argued, that a man and a woman are the same and there should be no distinction of responsibilities placed on each other. The movement has been broken down into three phases: the first wave in the 1940s for access to workforce followed by the sexual revolution of the 60s and the evolution of the modern woman in the 90s away from the misoandric attitudes. I and the Islamic point of view would disagree with that for men and women are different physically and emotionally but that doesn’t indicate the superiority of one over the other.
Most Muslims tend to view feminism as a western construct and one that should not be associated with Islam. The concept of western feminism itself is not a black and white issue but rather needs to be examined on a case-by-case basis. It advanced women rights to take part in the workforce but also created a false ideal, which goes against the very fundamentals. The movement was started to provide women with a freedom of choice except it came at the degradation of roles such as motherhood. Therefore, the successful woman in the mind of young girls was not someone that made her own choices; it was a person that excelled in the workforce. This is the opposite extreme to the pre-movement times when the definition of success was primarily associated with being a mother.
As we approach Islamic feminism, we have to understand that it is not a recent phenomenon nor is it a western conspiracy. The term Islamic feminism should not be viewed with negative connotations though it contains certain elements that do not fall within the boundaries of Islam. Women like Khadijah (ra) and Aisha (ra) could be considered feminists as they broke social norms and stereotypes. The former was a highly successful businesswoman and the latter was a scholar and narrator of hadeeth.
The western feminism was a rebellion against the church and state establishment but Islamic feminism needs to derive itself from Islam otherwise, it would be parameter-less entity that would lose its focus and drive. Current times and situation demands a revival in the Islamic feminist movement but with clearly established borders and limits. Equal access to education and mosques, forced marriages, prevention against emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse are just some of the issues within the Muslim world that need to be addressed by women to women. The problem arises when the Muslim women’s source of inspiration is not Islam but rather Mary Daly and Charlotte Bunch.
Therefore, when the western concept of feminism is imported to an Islamic framework, we end up with incidents such as women led mixed prayers. This is falsely viewed as bringing respect to women since leading prayers is the domain of men. A Muslim woman’s quest to equal instead of identical rights will not be achieved through blind imitation of men. In essence, this itself is derogatory because it implies that a woman is only worth respecting after she proves herself equal to a man.
Allah(swt) has ordained certain qualities in men and women that are specific to each gender. Men can never perform the role of motherhood as admirably because they lack the emotional depth of a woman. But this very lack of emotion gives him a better ability to carry out certain other tasks that women would find very difficult. Of course, it does not help that many Muslim men view the female responsibilities with complete disdain and thus do not lift a finger around the house. This extreme love affair of women with male associated qualities and the likewise misogynic attitudes of men is a dangerous trend whose peak has yet not been reached.
There needs to be an understanding of priorities of a modern Muslim man and woman within the realities of society. A clear examination needs to take place on an individual level to ensure that our goals and aspirations are in line with what’s expected of us as Muslims. And you’d be surprised at how flexible and open the limits are to accommodate our needs. Stepping outside these limits might bring temporary success, whatever we define it to be, but it will even in a best-case scenario be of no value when it comes time to determine our true success.
DISCLAIMER: If you're not Muslim, you might not agree with many of my points but being a practicing Muslim, my views and ideas are the product of Islamic teachings. This piece is not meant to be an attack of feminism. As I said, it is not a black and white issue.
Most Muslims tend to view feminism as a western construct and one that should not be associated with Islam. The concept of western feminism itself is not a black and white issue but rather needs to be examined on a case-by-case basis. It advanced women rights to take part in the workforce but also created a false ideal, which goes against the very fundamentals. The movement was started to provide women with a freedom of choice except it came at the degradation of roles such as motherhood. Therefore, the successful woman in the mind of young girls was not someone that made her own choices; it was a person that excelled in the workforce. This is the opposite extreme to the pre-movement times when the definition of success was primarily associated with being a mother.
As we approach Islamic feminism, we have to understand that it is not a recent phenomenon nor is it a western conspiracy. The term Islamic feminism should not be viewed with negative connotations though it contains certain elements that do not fall within the boundaries of Islam. Women like Khadijah (ra) and Aisha (ra) could be considered feminists as they broke social norms and stereotypes. The former was a highly successful businesswoman and the latter was a scholar and narrator of hadeeth.
The western feminism was a rebellion against the church and state establishment but Islamic feminism needs to derive itself from Islam otherwise, it would be parameter-less entity that would lose its focus and drive. Current times and situation demands a revival in the Islamic feminist movement but with clearly established borders and limits. Equal access to education and mosques, forced marriages, prevention against emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse are just some of the issues within the Muslim world that need to be addressed by women to women. The problem arises when the Muslim women’s source of inspiration is not Islam but rather Mary Daly and Charlotte Bunch.
Therefore, when the western concept of feminism is imported to an Islamic framework, we end up with incidents such as women led mixed prayers. This is falsely viewed as bringing respect to women since leading prayers is the domain of men. A Muslim woman’s quest to equal instead of identical rights will not be achieved through blind imitation of men. In essence, this itself is derogatory because it implies that a woman is only worth respecting after she proves herself equal to a man.
Allah(swt) has ordained certain qualities in men and women that are specific to each gender. Men can never perform the role of motherhood as admirably because they lack the emotional depth of a woman. But this very lack of emotion gives him a better ability to carry out certain other tasks that women would find very difficult. Of course, it does not help that many Muslim men view the female responsibilities with complete disdain and thus do not lift a finger around the house. This extreme love affair of women with male associated qualities and the likewise misogynic attitudes of men is a dangerous trend whose peak has yet not been reached.
There needs to be an understanding of priorities of a modern Muslim man and woman within the realities of society. A clear examination needs to take place on an individual level to ensure that our goals and aspirations are in line with what’s expected of us as Muslims. And you’d be surprised at how flexible and open the limits are to accommodate our needs. Stepping outside these limits might bring temporary success, whatever we define it to be, but it will even in a best-case scenario be of no value when it comes time to determine our true success.
DISCLAIMER: If you're not Muslim, you might not agree with many of my points but being a practicing Muslim, my views and ideas are the product of Islamic teachings. This piece is not meant to be an attack of feminism. As I said, it is not a black and white issue.
Faraz Ahmed 9:52 a.m.