Factors That Contributed to the Emergence of Islamic Feminism - Essay Example

? Islamic Feminism Introduction The relationship between Islam and feminism has understandably been a rocky one, and one that has radically changed over the years. At its most fundamental root, Islamic feminism refers to the movement relating the social roles of urban and rural society within the context of maintaining the traditional and historical beliefs of Islam (Moghadam, 2006). Beyond what might be propagated in mainstream media, the mainstream Islamic religion does promote equality for all Muslim people, regardless of their gender or social background. It can be said, however, that modern day (or secular) feminist movements have attempted to move the people of the Islamic faith towards a different view of women’s rights more in line with European thought (Abou El Fadl, 2007). The Islamic feminist movement has begun to adapt certain Western thought into their efforts to become involved in the global trend towards a more progressive attitude in terms of the rights of women. In fact, the feminist movement in Islam can be seen as the third wave of feminism that is striving to fight against cultural inequalities inherent in some of the more traditional Muslim doctrines (Badran, 1986). This is a battle of cultures, pitting modern thought against the need to maintain ties to a strong faith that has been the cornerstone of much of the world for multiple centuries. To be sure, there are differences of opinion when considering the Islamic feminist movement and how much attention it should even garner. Some would argue that such reform efforts have no place in a discussion surrounding religious faith, while others would contend that religion and modernity can still go hand in hand (Gardner, 2006). This paper will deal with the current trend of Islamic feminism in an effort to bridge these differences of opinion and to move this dominant world religion towards a culture that is more accommodating of individual differences, while still honouring age-old traditions of religious, moral, and social values. The Emergence of Islamic Feminism The United Nations and the Plight of Women: 1975-1985 In the mid 1970s, the United Nations (UN) began a decade long initiative to focus on the plight of women globally. Women from around the globe attended a focused UN summit meeting that was designed to springboard a new attention to feminism worldwide. The idea behind the summit actually began with the general assembly meeting previously held in Mexico. It was there that delegates expressed concerns about the treatment of women worldwide (Gardner, 2006). The fact is that cultural and religious differences likely prohibit a universal feminist movement where all women are subject to the same treatment and the goal of true equality is met. With that being said, delegates to the United Nations increasingly began to feel that there should be a sort of universal declaration of feminist rights that would transcend culture and religion (Gardner, 2006). Out of this was born the idea of the Decade for Women. That General Assembly was reportedly that first major meeting ever held by the United Nations that made women’s rights a primary area of focus (Fraser, 1987). In essence, the General Assembly saw fit to create a declaration that drew from recent Human Rights initiatives, namely that women across the globe should have certain rights, regardless of their religious or cultural background. Subsequently, many left the meeting with a renewed passion for establishing and promoting certain responsibilities that should be shared amongst the countries of the world in terms of equalizing gender relationships in not only the workplace, but the general community as well (Moore and Pubantz, 2008). The idea was to make the feminist movement a focus of future initiatives for the next decade, both at the national and international level. Particular attention would be paid to countries that possessed a less than stellar record in the area of women’s rights. The declaration set forth the notion that both males and females should be viewed as compatriots in society, regardless of any religious attributes that would hinder this idea from becoming a reality (Haddad & Esposito, 1998). This should be the norm in both the workplace and at home. Attention, therefore, was placed upon asserting equality in terms of certain powers and responsibilities granted to each gender, without considering certain religious ideology that might hamper the feminist movement. During the ten years that spanned the Decade for Women, many world governments began to implement specific measures to safeguard women’s rights, thereby giving a new voice to the feminist movement (Bacchus, 2005). It was during this time period that many countries began to see a reversal of long-standing societal traditions and laws of inequality. The salary gap between genders, for example, began to narrow as employers took a more serious look at the contributions to the workforce. In some countries, the social stigma of women leaving the home to seek employment began to dissipate, although many Islamic communities are still reluctant to observe this reality, not only out of religious observance, but based on longstanding cultural beliefs as well (UN, 1985). Based on the declarations made back in 1975, many countries have now implemented enforcement mechanisms to safeguard the rights of women, while others have still left it largely up to individual communities to police matters. Another primary area of focus during this time period was the abject that poverty many women were subject to. Currently, the poverty index among women remains high, which many attribute to the reality that many cultural and Islamic traditions limit the role of women in the labour force (Malik, 2010). Islamic feminism has begun to perpetuate the belief that women can be valuable contributors to society and family, earning a decent wage, while still observing the values and faith of their religion. The argument, begun back in 1975, is that women can function as full-serving members of a community and still balance that with the beliefs and teachings of dominant religions, such as Islam. In so doing, they would be lifted out of the poverty that they currently find themselves in (Tandon, 2008). That struggle, however, is far from over today in many parts of the world. Impact of Modernization in a Global World While it is certainly true that world economies are being revolutionized with the advent of technology and population explosion, the religious world is not without its share of change as well. It can be said the decades since that United Nations General Assembly Resolution have ushered in a whole new era in the feminist movement. This can be seen in terms of shifting economic, cultural and political ideologies (Mir-Hosseini, 2006). In addition, there has been a renewed emphasis on reducing incidences of violence against women and religious persecution. Subsequently, educational standards have also been examined in many areas of the world, where previously women were denied the privilege past a certain age (Wadud, 2008). Numerous Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and women’s groups throughout the world have renewed global attention towards women’s rights by implementing various media campaigns aimed at educating society about the need to equalize treatment between the genders (Bacchus, 2005; Seker, 2012). Jameelah (2008) actually takes the blame away from religious organizations and claims the media is largely to blame for society viewing a women’s role to be primarily domestic in nature. This has created stereotypical thinking throughout much of the world that women are not truly equal when compared to man, regardless of what religion teachers. Modernity teaches us that this is a false premise, yet breaking years of media indoctrination can be as difficult as breaking free from centuries of religious dogma. Jawad (2009) ventures into the religious realm by claiming that globalization has sparked the Islamic feminist movement by enabling activists to employ the use of technological advancements, with the Internet being the primary contributor. This has ushered in a new era of cross-cultural understanding as individuals from distant lands, for the first time ever, are now able to share life experiences, cultures, and ways of life (Tandon, 2008) . This has further sparked a discussion amongst various Islamic sects over the different rights and freedoms that women enjoy in different parts of the Muslim world, while others are still considered unequal in the eyes of religious and social law. Gender equality, through the perpetuation of social media, has increased over the decades partly due to a new awareness of these liberties enjoyed by women in so many different parts of the world. When one considers this historical imprint of feminism, the discussion most often navigates toward the United States or Western Europe. Women’s rights have certainly come a long way in these areas, but the rest of the world has seen progress as well (Jameelah, 2008). While America was grappling with social issues, such as voting rights and workplace equity, the Islamic world has been struggling with issues of its own. Even within the context of Islam, however, there are different beliefs about the role of women in society, hence the critical importance of the Islamic feminist movement (Moghissi, 1999). Such movements have women worldwide joining the fight to gain political power and to make society aware of their collective contributions to their respect communities. Limits to Secular Feminism In the past few decades, women in the Muslim world have slowly grown in stature and prominence. As such, Islamic feminism has begun to adopt some of ideals of the secular feminist movement. According to Moghissi (1999), Islamic feminism has reinvigorated discussion related to gender based upon a more modern day interpretation of the scriptures. Understandably, this does not sit well with many in the Muslim community as they adhere to a stricter adherence to religious doctrine when reading the Quran (Bakhtiar, 2009). Those on the side of modern progressivism, however, contend that society can balance the scriptures with the need to conform to current ideologies related to women’s rights. The reinterpretation of scripture has often lead to Islamic feminists looking for alternative interpretations of traditional and cultural values that have persisted in the Muslim world for centuries (Asfaruddin, 1999). Since the modern Islamic feminism movement began, many women have experienced a liberalization of sorts from centuries of what many see to be oppression (Badran, 1986). The adoption of certain feminist doctrines, however, appears to be more transformative, rather than reformative, in nature. The reinterpretation of the scripture has sparked this new mindset. This transformation in thinking, for example, can be seen in the restoration of certain message from the Qur’an that seem to address and complement women’s rights and interests (Sharabi, 1965). According to many interpretations of the scripture today, many Muslims truly believe that the time for equality has arrived and that feminism will serve a vital purpose in changing certain patriarchal ideals and practices. Not all communities or countries, however, have embraced this form of transformational thinking. As previously mentioned, the Islamic world is probably ready to adopt a more accommodating stance towards the equality of women, but it must be done within the context of prevailing religious beliefs. In some degree Islamic feminism has attempted to feel Muslim traditional values in response to Western ideals (Hussein, 2005). Rather than adhering to the notion that women can be effective mothers, wives, and employees, many have turned only to the labor market to accomplish their need for individualism. Much of the Muslim faith, however, is predicated on the idea of being a good mother and contributing to the religious flock in that way. Modern thinking, however, also affords women the opportunity to enter the workplace and make a valuable contribution to society. Rather than bridging the two ways of life together, many feminists seem to have shed one ideal in complete exchange for the others (Malik, 2010). Islamic teaching does dictate that women have a responsibility to maintain the household and to add to the flock of believers by procreating whenever possible (Qutb, 1980). This has not changed; yet Western feminist philosophy seems to abhor the idea that women be viewed merely as mothers. Given this reality, many in the Muslim world have gown increasingly concerned that modern feminism desires to instill a sense of disobedience in women, causing them to act out against both man and society. Secular feminism, therefore, has slowly given way to a sense of Islamic feminism, whereby the idea of meshing religion with progressive women’s rights becomes not only possible, but entirely possible and prudent (Malik, 2010). Seker (2012) contends that secular feminists have prided themselves on becoming liberalized by first freeing themselves from religious dogma that hampered their human rights. Islam and culture, however, go hand in hand. So, to discount one is to potentially destroy the other. Secular feminists make the claim that males who pin females down to a position of subservience in society largely dominate Islam (Seker 2012). Again, this type of thinking is against Islamic principles to a large degree, so Islamic feminism has cropped up in recent years to further the cause of women’s rights, but not at the risk of eliminating Islamic teaching. There is a clear indication that secular feminism has created a rift in some communities between women and religion. Furthermore, some in the feminist movement have indeed successfully ventured down a career path while still being able to maintain home and religious duties, in according with the Qur’an (Moghadam, 2006). For these ladies, it is more about re-educating society about the translation and implementation of the scripture to be more in line with modernity, not only with what secular feminists advocate (Malik, 2010). In some Islamic cultures, for example, it is still considered a necessity for women to cover their bodies, particularly their hair. To not realize this importance is to fail to understand the basic construct of culture (Hirschkind & Mahmood, 2002). In this case, religion and culture do certainly go hand in hand. Until society is ready to change this norm, secular feminists are potentially causing a rift that cannot be undone. Islamic feminism promotes more of a gradual change that has more to do with basic human rights than with cultural traditions. There are certainly some struggles inherent with trying to merge secular and Islamic feminism. At its most basic level, secular feminism does promote radical and more extreme approaches in its attempt to establish equality. In addition, such feminist mindsets do not consider religious faith and traditions when embarking on a path towards change (Jawad, 2009). In this regard, Muslims by and large have historically rejected movements aimed at women’s rights reform, as they viewed this as an attempt to circumvent longstanding beliefs prescribed in the scriptures. In reply, Islamic feminists have changed their tactics largely by asking Muslim communities worldwide to examine Islamic law and determine if there is any way to interpret the scriptures dealing with the plight of women in a different way (Afsaruddin, 1999). While secular feminism seems to disregard religious dogma, Islamic feminism tends to embrace it. It does this while advocating for a slightly different interpretation that provides them with more freedoms and rights than are currently in practice (Seker, 2012). Conservative Muslims are a bit fearful that secular feminists advocate a complete overhaul of societal views towards women without any attention being paid to the Qur’an (Quth, 1980). In essence, conservatives see secularists as trying to twist the words of the scriptures to fit their own modern ideals of the women’s rights movement. Again, while it is important to consider progressivism, and it is right and proper to treat women equally, to toss aside a centuries old religion is not the way to go about it. Islamic feminists today actually contend that the scriptures do have deep-rooted teachings that support the modern feminist agenda of gender equality. In addition, these same feminists argue that many modern day interpretations of the Qur’an resulting in the oppression of women are simply rooted in a misunderstanding of the holy scripture (Moghissi, 1999). By opening up a new dialogue, Islamic feminists hope that scholars will take a closer work at the true interpretation of the role of women in Islamic society and begin to themselves advocate for change (Malik, 2010). Islamic feminists would tend to argue that conservatives simply do not make the distinctions between culture and religion. Therefore, certain cultural characteristics should change with time as society progresses, yet conservatives hold back this progress in the name of religion. This is the crux of the argument that Islamic feminists currently employ in their efforts to change the course of history in terms of how Muslim women are view in society (Jawad, 2009). Separating religion from culture is the key difference between secular and Islamic feminists. This must be done in order to determine which freedoms are currently lacking that the Qur’an does not specifically speak against or about. As Jawad (2009) asserts, the traditional Islamic interpretation of the Qur’an has long been rooted in characteristics of a patriarchal mindset. Conservative Muslims, for example, would tend to argue that the cultural tradition of women not being permitted to work is actually rooted in the scripture. They take this from the passage that talks about men needing to take care of the needs of women (Quth, 1980). As times have changed, however, the culture of 1,000 years ago has shifted to insist that both sexes enter the labor force in many situations. This is a reinterpretation of the scripture that Islamic feminists would argue is correct given changing times. There are countless other examples like this that demonstrate why Islamic feminism is beginning to make a significant impact on the Muslim world. Iranian Women: Their Role in the Islamic World The growing influence of the Islamic feminist movement can perhaps be best explained by looking at the country of Iran. Iranian women, while still not enjoying many of the same freedoms that Western women would view as fundamental, have nonetheless seen tremendous progress in the area of women’s rights over the past few years. Women are increasingly active member of academic communities, and some have become quite politically active in the country. Media personalities and other professionals from numerous walks of life are increasingly female. Women are permitted, to some degree, to purse intellectual endeavors, which is a shift from previous decades (Halper, 2005). The success of the feminist movement in Iran is not, however, attributed to secular feminism. Rather, it was the subtle approach to a slow and lasting change, described earlier in this paper, which has resulted in the current efforts at reform. Success has also been realized because Iranian women from all walks of life, and different religious sects, have begun participating is social activities that tend to challenge traditional and religious patriarchy (Bahramitash, 2003). At the same time, these women remain proud Muslims and adhere to the principles of their faith. Iranian women are proving that the feminist movement is truly a global one and that it encompasses everyone (Halper, 2005). Conservatives and authoritarians in Iran still fight against the feminist movement, arguing that it incorporates too many Western values, so the challenge still remains moving forward to bridge religion and progressivism. This division between conservative and moderate/liberal Islamic ideology helps explain why the women’s rights movement in the Muslim world does lag behind that of other societies. In Iran, feminists have begun to propagate the idea that individual communities should view women as valuable contributors to society, to serve alongside their male counterparts (Halper, 2005). This is a challenge to the conservative way of thinking. Given this reality, the Islamic feminist movement in Iran has gained traction largely due to the challenging of long standing feminist ideologies (Bahramitash, 2003). While it is true that Iran is a religious state, with strict adherence to Islamic principles and values, some would argue that they have carried the oppression of women too far historically. While women in Iran, in the view of the Western world, do not enjoy the same freedoms as women elsewhere, even within the Muslim world, progress is being made (Wadud, 2008). Women Scholars and Activists in the Muslim World There are countless individuals responsible for the continued feminist revolution being seen today throughout the Islamic world and, indeed, globally. Islamic feminism has bought about women scholars and activists who are not only strong in their faith, but also in their resolve to see women be treated differently today than in years past (Gardner, 2006). In essence, they are working hard to bridge the divide between culture and religion, traditionalism and progressivism. According to many academics, feminism is largely considered to be a Western ideology because of its roots centered in France (Haddad, 2005). Today, feminists have turned the movement into a global one as they strive to reform all societies to be more aware of important issues that impact females. Seker (2012) made the claim that Islamic feminism is a unique movement in that it combines modern though with religious tradition, yet secular feminism is beginning to creep in and allow women to finally gain some of the rights that they have long sought after. Many Islamic women are now scholars and are willing to work alongside feminists in looking for ways that culture and religion can be fused to be more equitable in terms of women’s rights. Their work is largely rooted in Islamic studies, specifically related to the teachings about the role of women in Islamic society (Haddad, 2005). In addition, much academic work today reflects thoughts on Islam and politics. A particular area of focus in related to conservative versus moderate thought on society and gender (Haddad and Esposito, 1998). Many academic articles have made their way throughout the Muslim world, particularly in areas that have long seen women oppressed in numerous aspects of social life. These current works have actually served to heighten awareness for women’s rights in the region and have sparked individuals of both genders on the path towards lasting change. An example of this can be seen in “the increase participation of women in education, which has given them the opportunity to question and challenge traditional gender patterns” (Jawad, 2009). Moving forward, education can certainly be seen as the key to lasting change, as knowledge is critical. While it is not prudent to rely on Western ideology to change the Muslim world, as certain countries in the Islamic world become more moderate in their feminist movement, others will likely follow suit. All the while, remaining culturally sensitive, and keeping an adherence to religious values, Islamic feminism can continue to grow in this area of the world as scholars begin to pay more attention. Those in the academic realm are influencing women to venture more into higher education so that they can become aware of the Qur’an really supports in terms of the role of women in society. In so doing, they can in turn begin to positively influence others. They are, in essence, setting the standard for future generations of Islamic feminists to continue working for lasting reform that will benefit everyone, while still allowing the Muslim faith to permeate throughout (Badran, 1986). Conclusion Islamic feminism is a growing movement that has recently gained momentum, after a time of declining conservative thought. In years past, traditionalism reigned supreme in the Islamic world, yet the tides are slowly changing. It can be agued that many of the factors contributing to the emergence of the women’s rights movement within the Muslim world are the same factors that have further the global feminist cause. The Islamic world is unique, however, in the fact that culture and religion are so closely intertwined. Indeed, secular feminism has also played a role in this renewed focus on gender equity in Islamic countries, yet it falls short on its own due to its lack of emphasis on religious principles and teachings. It is also obvious that the Islamic feminist movement has had a more difficult time gaining traction due to the fact that society must grapple with a combination of religious and cultural thought. This is in deference to secular feminism that largely focuses only on Cultural Revolution and change. In addition, modern day women Islamic scholars have become key partners in bridging the traditional barriers that have existed between males and females. They are working to realize true equality within the context of Islamic society, without endangering long standing beliefs based upon scripture. While some passages in the Qur’an may be open for a new interpretation, others are quite clear. It is in these areas that Islamic feminism should tread lightly moving forward; less their movement potentially suffer significant setbacks. International organizations, such as the United Nations, have also jumped into the fray, further influencing the reemergence of Islamic feminism across religious and cultural borders. Therefore, the continued success of the movement will likely depend on the ability to further close the divide between culture and religion, all the while working for true social justice and gender equality for all. References Abou El Fadl, K. (2007) The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. New York: Harper One. Afsaruddin, A. (ed.) 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