Factors that Led to the Reemergence of Islamic Feminism - Essay Example

Factors that led to the reemergence of Islamic Feminism Introduction Islamic feminism is an aspect of the Islamicreligion that many Muslims have come to embrace over time. Fundamentally, Islamic feminism refers to an aspect of feminism that encompasses the roles of women in the Islamic religion and is relatively for the urban women (Moghadam, 2006: 4). Its prime aim is ensuring that there exists equality for all Muslims irrespective of their gender, private or public life. On the other hand, secular feminism is the application of European or discourses that are not from the Islamic faith as part of the global feminist movement in which Islamic feminists have come to incorporate in their feminism movements. The Islamic feminist movement was part of the third wave of on influencing feminism that strived to fight cultural inequalities presented by inequality laws. Irrespective of the difference in opinion regarding the entry and adoption of feminism, there are arguments in whether feminism could be Islamic or not. The notion that exists among authoritarians is that Islam need not include terms like feminism within which others strongly embrace this ideology (Gardner 2006). Never the less, the feminist movement resulted from a number of significant reasons that this essay will delve in order to explain the reasons as to why Islamic feminism emerged. Factors that led the emergence of Islamic feminism The United Nations decade for women: 1975-1985 As the name implies, the UN decade was a ten year plan that women that converged at the UN summit meeting arrived at a way of influencing feminism in the world. Virtually, this decision arose from the UN General Assembly held in Mexico over the feminism issue. According to Fraser (1987), the assembly was the first UN women conference that had its prime focus on women. Principally, this declaration drew influence from the provisions under the Human Rights in which they upheld women’s rights across the globe irrespective of their religion or gender affiliation. Additionally, the UN conference had an interest in establishing and promotion of responsibility and power sharing in equal measures between both genders divides in the workplace (Moore and Pubantz, 2008: 13). This was to apply at both national and international platforms where females experienced gender based discrimination. As per the declaration, the inadequate share of duties and responsibilities among men and female irrespective of their religious attributes was a hindrance to development both at home and in the workplace. Therefore, the focus was on the assertion of equality in terms of power and responsibilities without having any consideration on ones biological traits that formulated the gender perspective (Badran 1986). For instance the death of Muhammad was one of the reasons that Islamic feminists adopted patriarchal traits that were contravening to rights granted to women by Muhammad. After the adoption of the Decade for Women of 1975 to 1985 by the UN, world powers incorporated this declaration as part of their policies to safeguard the interests of women as per the gender perspective (UN 1985). Essentially, many governments of the world developed policies and legislations that have the intention of upholding the gender perspective through the establishment of enforcement machineries. Presently, the poverty index among women is high and this aspect draws influence from the fact that their religions prohibit them from earning a living. In aspect, this is one of the discriminative aspects that Islamic feminism seeks to address, as it rampant among this society. In the past, women could not indulge in the economic aspects that would lift them financially as they were either objects or assets to their men. However, the declaration by the UN general assembly on the establishment of equality among men and women was significant in enforcing the same. Impact of Globalization and modernity As the globe was experiencing an economic revolution, the religious world was also experiencing its fair share of change. During the last few decades, the economic, cultural, political and geographic process has been impact by globalization (Bacchus 2005). The establishment of policies that govern international trade has forced developing nations to encompass women to be part of the cheap labor market. Fundamentally, labor provision agencies prefer female labor as compared to male labor because of their docile nature. This means that women train and understand easily new concepts as compared to male employees. Additionally, Bacchus intimates that certain labor oriented tasks such as garment assemble belong to women rather than men because of the cultural influence existing in the globalized societies. However, Bacchus advises that there is need for society to change its view on women’s work contributions and not designate house extended roles to women. Feminism also appears to have hit a snag with the globalization aspect as women continue to be below the poverty index line. This negates the fact that globalization has helped in the feminization of women because most women continue to depend on men for household provisions. On the other hand, Amina Wadud (2012) intimates that women’s rights around the world as one of the important issues intended to reduce violence against women. The NGOs and women’s organizations, throughout the world, have brought attention regarding women’s issues in the media, which is needed in educating the community in relation to the present problems experiencing women in throughout the globe (Bacchus, 2005). Moreover, Islamic women have been subject to sexual enslavement through the fantasies presented by European travel literature. This meant that a woman was entirely a service to erotic fantasy for men and nothing else that led feminists to agitate for a change in view (Moghissi, 1999: 14). As Jameelah (2008) put it, the media had stereotyped gender roles in that it had domesticated a woman’s potential to the home setting. This meant that the stereotyping aspect had spread across the board in that girls could not play with any mechanical toys but rather stuck to playing with pretty dolls. The depiction here would be that women could venture in all aspects of professionalism rather the prejudicial home care takers. Jawaad (2009) asserts the fact that the globalization aspect has been significant in the spread of Islamic feminism through technological advancements like the internet. This has facilitated an increase in cross-cultural relations and adoption of other cultures that over shadow the conservative view in Islam on gender. Primarily, many women joined the workforce as many of the job opportunities presented inclined towards the female gender. The most applicable aspect that facilitated a rise in the need to acquire gender equity was the fact that modernity had taken shape in most of the global nations. According to Jameelah (2008), feminism in the US was different from feminism in other countries as it had focus on the abolishment of slavery and its form of trade. With this movement in sight, women joined the course in an effort to gain political power in order for their contributions to be significant. Jameelah also asserts that women in organizations pushed for the adoption of feminist laws as a way fighting segregation for women in terms of use and access to public utilities such as gymnasiums. Another aspect of feminism that gave rise to this movement was the fact that modernism had brought with it the aspect of being gay and lesbianism as per the norms that existed. Jameela (2008) asserts that being gay was an unacceptable practice that society could not discuss the issue in public. This was a form of oppression as it was not among the things that one may outgrow over time. With this, women had to hide under their modest dressing while they yearned for freedom to express their sexuality. In America, the lesbian aspect was on that men viewed as an avenue for women to be free from them as women cited men as enforcers of oppression. Further, the women that had joined the feminist movement wanted to homosexual relationships to have equal entitlement as the heterosexual ones (Jameela 2008). Limits of secular feminism Over time women’s issues among the Muslim fraternity gained momentum in that feminists grew their interest for liberation. The issues became part of the Islamic discourses in the modern times through the publication of re interpreted scriptures. In perspective, the reinterpretation of these solutions resulted from fact that feminists intended to find Islamic alternatives that would work in their favor. After the re emergence of Islamic feminism, many women experienced a liberation from yolks of oppression from sexist males. As a chief constituent, the adoption of feminist doctrines served as a transformative aspect rather than a part of reformation. For instance, transformation was about the restoration of the Quran messages are in the form that complemented women rights and interests (Sharabi, 1965: 471). Among the Muslim umma, the time for equality had arrived in which feminists strived to re-impose Islam from the patriarchal thoughts and practices. Wadud (2012) insists that the feminists resulted to other measures of making themselves liberal form the religious dogmas formulated by male chauvinists such as human rights. The clear indication here was that secular feminism created a wide rift between women and religion meaning that they had to argue within the religious context and not from any other angle. Further, the feminists resulted into venturing into career paths while still being in charge of their household just as the Quran states on the duties of a woman. For them, it was about the translation and implementation of the Holy Scripture within the Muslim standards unlike the radical approach that secular feminism had adopted. Bottom line is when a Muslim woman covers her body this shows her relenting respect for the men and most significantly to their husbands. However, modernity implied that the dress code was to result from the western culture something that Islamic feminist failed to adopt. Moreover, secular feminism had failed to address this issue as intended by the Islamic feminists, as it was a wrong way of achieving equality. In addition, it was contrary to the Islamic principles on the submissiveness of women hence creating the need to adopt the Islamic feminist agendas and principles of scripture interpretation and implementation in nations like Morocco. However, the feminism aspect encountered some impediments in its attempt to gain momentum especially because of its merger with secular feminism. As a fiber aspect, secular feminism involved radical and extreme approaches in its attempt to establish equality. Moreover, secular feminism had no religious morals or backing embedded with it as a way of offering guidance. With this aspect, Muslims rejected the feminist movement that had the secular aspects as they viewed this contravening their religious principles. To them, the western ideologies rooted in the secular movement aimed at making Muslim women disobedient and non-submissive as their religion demanded. Another factor that contributed to the emergence of Islamic feminism is that increase of education raised some important questions relating to Muslim women. They claimed that the Islamic law, family law in particular, should be re-interpreted by womens perspectives. However, this was not the case as secular feminism involved equality in terms of education and political power for women (Badran and Afsaruddin, 1999: 3). Further, the understanding of these two issues was vital in ensuring that texts got the required interpretation that promulgated women issues and rights. Essentially, the interpretations from the traditional Islamic mindset had intense characteristics of patriarchal attitudes. In relation to attitude towards work, the conservative view was that woman were not to work as the Quran states that men will provide for their needs. However, the harsh economic times toppled the idea shared by conservatives as they saw the need to concert more effort in bettering their lives. With this, modernity developed with more and more Islamic societies craving for this embrace as the reality had dawned that there existed an economic shift. The role and success of the Iranian women Another factor that led to the re emergence of Islamic feminism was the fact that Iranian women had made intense achievements in realizing their feminist goals. In Iranian, a substantive number of those involved in civil rights movements have majorly been women drawn from universities, political activities, media personalities, and professionals from other intellectual fields. Fundamentally, the success of the feminist movement in Iranian resulted from the subtle approach that the feminists took in their expression of their grievances and communicating their desires. Further, the success and failure of the Iranian movement have been the participation of women in social activities that combat traditional and religious sexism, which was the basis for their discrimination. As per the Iranian feminist movement, the categorization of the gender movement is universal and is timeless meaning that it encompasses everyone (Halper, 2005: 86). The conservatives and authoritarians that existed and still exist in Iran argue that the ideas by the feminist have an ‘imported aspect’ as it borrows from western civilization. Arguably, Iran is a country that strictly adheres to Islamic doctrines in which many of them oppress the rights and freedoms of women. For instance, conservatives believe in the purity of a woman before her marriage and any woman found to be in violation of this dogma receives intense punishment. This over time has been the subject of contention in that feminist believe in the privacy of a woman as there is the presentation of evidence to ascertain this breach (Jameela 2008). Zamakhshari comments that, if it is considered that men are preferred over women because men are better in terms of ‘intelligence, physical attributes, confidence, and physical strength’, it seems that men are more responsible for many bad deeds in this world, such as killing, corruption, bloodshed and so on. According to such understandings on the Islamic context, it might be possible to say that women are innocent and better than men because they do not kill people and bloodshed as men. However, in reality, there are no any distinctions and privileges in Islam concerning the gender roles (Qutb, 1980). Therefore, feminists across the globe have increased their fight against the immense application of punishment for women as per the misinterpreted sharia laws but instead advocate for gender equality even in punishment (Khan, 2007: 1). The influence here is the fact that Iranian feminists seek social justice in a state that has deep-rooted conservative culture that has instigated other feminist movements to do the same. Amina Wadud is one f the feminists who argue that the fight on the incorporation of women’s rights should base upon the proper Islamic principles in the Koran and not on any other doctrine. In past Islamic societies, the matters that affected women were matters that touched on their social and cultural attributes within the society. For instance, inheritance, marriage, and divorce were some of the thorny issues that gave birth to the feminist movement within the Islamic community. In excess, Arab societies permitted for female infanticide where the men of the society could influence the termination of pregnancy for their women through certain practices (Gardner 2006). On the contrary, women in this community were objects that did not have any significant status in the Arab society as the men had the final say in all aspects of life. Further, the dowry paid by the groom to be to a wife-to-be and her family was the final assertion that women were indeed objects as thus yoked them to their husbands forever even if the husbands were brutal to them. The work of the Diaspora Muslim women scholars and activists Women feminist within the movement have been significant in influencing the advocacy for a society that upholds women’s rights and issues. According to Muslim authoritarians, feminism is western because it emerged from France but this is not case as it a universal concept that arose from necessity. In the notes by Nimeket Seker (2012), the claims made are that feminism and Islam are unique entities but despite this view, the global feminist movement has managed to gain pace within the Islamic faith. One of the renowned scholars that have the feminist agenda at heart is Dr. Haifaa whose exemplary contribution influenced the radical reemergence of Islamic feminism. As an example, Jawad is a lecturer of Islamic and matters pertaining to the Middle East at Birmingham University. In her words, her research bases on Islamic studies and not on any other reference point. Hirschkind and Mahmood, 2002: 339 illustrates the support that American film stakeholders had of the conflict that surrounded Afghan women imparted by Taliban extremists. The treatment was brutal and this had attracted the interest of Jay Leno’s wife (a TV favorite) that drew her to tears when airing their plight. The campaign dubbed “we are with you” instigated the emotions that the harsh treatment that Afghan women had to endure all the name of religion as a significant number of those in the audience was not aware that this was on going. According to Hirschkind and Mahmood, this was modern day solidarity with feminists that catapulted Mavis Leno into political activism through the printing of children books to communicate her views on this pressing issue presented by Taliban extremists. Badran (2001) indicates that there a lies a problem in terms of the confusion between two terms mainly Islam and Islamism. In a statement, Badran (2001) communicated the need to create Muslims rather than Islamists as the latter apply extreme translations of the Quran to oppress women and the correct Islamic principles. In addition, her scholarly works reflect on Islamic political study in relation to the conservative and the modern thoughts on Islam specifically on gender (Badran 2001: 47). A contrary ideology that this scholar presented was trhe fact that political Islam advocated for the creation of Islamic states under the Islamic political mobilization. While others advocated for the promotion of an Islamic umma within secular states with others advocating for the public expression of their religious identity that erupted in the 1990s. Badran 2001, gives a significant illustration of this movement through the progressive Islamism witnessed in apartheid hit South Africa as part of the Islamic reformist struggle. Though based in England, her reputable articles made way into Middle East nations that had for a long time witnessed gender based oppression. In essence, the works by influential Islamic feminists living in Diasporas has heightened the interest for activists to impact change on their societies. For instance, Jawad is one of the scholars with a passion to communicate the true interpretations of the Quran in the required manner that upholds the appropriate feminist ideologies. Another author that shares in the view of Jawad is Abou El Fadl that argues that the Quran interpretations may be different hence the problem lies with the interpreters and not with religions. In addition, he compares the misinterpretation with other religions in order to arrive to this conclusive observation. Moreover, Abou El Fadl also insists on the need for Islamic nations to adopt democracy rather than use non feminist principles to govern their states. This implies that it is not possible to know Prophet Muhammad’s thinking when he was issuing his teachings hence making their interpretation to have misguided aspects. On the other hand, Jawad asserts “women have began to challenge the conservative gender patterns because of the levels of education that they have acquired” (Jawad 2009). On the contrary, such scholars influence Islamic women into venturing into higher educational as they have set the pace and the standard for Islamic women. They serve as icons to those intending to soldier on the quest to achieve equality and worthiness in their societies. Further, the articles by such scholars became instrumental in the shaping of the feminist path for those subjected to such oppression. It was or less a shot in the arm in that it boosted the efforts of those that intended to join the feminism fight in Egypt (Badran. 1986: 322). A better placed example of this misguided interpretation would be that of Zamakhshari, in this Qur’anic commentator where argues that Allah prefers men to women because men are superior to women in such ‘intelligence, physical constitution, determination, and physical strength’. This shows how intense the sexist rules apply to most of the Muslims despite the fact that the Quran negates. The impact of the 11th September (9/11) attack After the 9/11 attack on US soil by the Islamic extremists, most of the Muslims experienced some forms of discrimination because of their religious attribute. In essence, there gave rise to intense prejudice and stereotyping for Muslim pilgrims across the globe, as they became terrorists in the eyes of the non-Muslims. This was another aspect that that led to feminism because the 9/11 attack was the fact that Islamic extremists were of the view that western ideologies had made women to be victims of war and non instrumental (Malik, 2010: 2). According to Hunnington’s Clash of civilization, culture and religion were the prime factors that fueled conflicts in the world. He reiterates that the world divisions according to civilization in that there existed a world that belonged to Muslims while the other was a western world. Additionally, Hunnington had signaled that Christianity and Islam were to experience a clash because of civilization. For one, young men in Afghanistan are of the belief that western states have more opportunities to development hence creating a need for hitting a balance between the two divides (Hirschkind and Mahmood, 2002: 339). This point out that feminism is not entirely a woman based issue but focuses on the demography that feels oppressed. Further, the attack on US soil also elicited emotions as for the need to have more women at the war fronts rather than continue being victims of war. This attribute was male sexists had enforced on the American and the Islamic umma, which is the Islamic common belief (Badran 1986). With this, the Islamic extremists attacked the US on 9/11 as a way of exerting their frustrations on over the adoption of feminist cultures to complement its own. However, others argue that this attack made women have less coverage as they no longer made headlines as the masculinity aspect gained center stage as not many women were at the front of a war delegation. Principally, this gave rise to feminism as women wanted to participate more in the battle fields and also receive honorary positions in the military as they felt like they had the ability. For the feminists, women could also carry the responsibility securing the nation just as they would secure their homes that did not sink well with authoritarians that felt that the place of a woman was home. Conclusion Islamic feminism is a movement that gained momentum after a time where conservative ideas on Islam reigned supreme. Arguably, most of the factors that led to this emergence played a significant role in ensuring that the feminist movement spread across the Islam embracing nations across the Middle East and in the World (Badran, 1996: 332). On the contrary, secular feminism was also vital influencing this re emergence but at some point, it proved non-impactful as it defied the principles of the Islamic religion. Despite the hurdles and resistance that Islamic feminists have received, the strides made have been significant, as change appears to be achievable. Additionally, women scholars residing in the Diaspora have also been instrumental in the realization of equality between zan and mard within the Islamic society (Mir-Hosseini, 2006: 630). In addition, assistance from relevant, world organizations like the UN also influenced the reemergence of the feminism across religious and cultural borders. This was through the adoption of the decade long plan to enforce gender perspective for the governments that adopted this UN assembly decision. Therefore, the continued achievement of success by the movement attributes to all these factors despite the challenges resulting along the quest for social justice (Hussein 2005). Bibliography Abou El Fadl, K. 2007. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. New York: Harper One. (Chapter12: The Nature and Role of Women) Bacchus, N. 2005. The Effects of Globalization on Women in Developing Nations [Online]. Available from: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/honorscollege_theses/2. [Accessed 20 April 2013] Badran, M. 1986. Islam, patriarchy, and feminism in the Middle East. Trends in History. 4 (1): 49-71. Badran, M. 1999. Toward Islamic Feminisms: A Look at the Middle East. 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