Islamic Feminism

The term Islamic feminism first began to appear in the early 1990s, and sparked a wide debate throughout Muslim countries. Women activists from Malaysia to Egypt, from South Africa to Iran, began to use the term Islamic feminism in their writings on women's issues and created a movement within the larger Muslim ummah (community). The debate centered on the use of the word feminism, with a strong criticism that feminism was a Western notion that would further alienate women from their communities. The term has become popular with the overall growth and focus on global Islamism that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union. It remains limited among women rights' activists, and the term alone can spark deep controversies within mainstream Islamic societies.

Islamic feminism's overall objective is to promote full equality of Muslims, male and female, in all aspects of life. It promotes the concept that women can and should use Islamic law and Islamic teachings as a precedent for demanding their rights. English tends to be the unifying language for most Islamic feminists, and has allowed women to cut across borders and cultures to create networks of information sharing. Most Islamic feminists will be the first to oppose any anti-Islamic or anti-Shari'a (Islamic law) rhetoric. In fact, the main defense is based on the Qur'an (Islam's Holy Book), the Sunnah (traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), and ijtihad (independent reasoning). Islamic feminists point out the problem is not in the Islamic text, but in the interpretation. More specifically, is the fact that the interpretation has been executed by men. The movement calls for women to reexamine the Islamic schools of jurisprudence through a gender lens, and to equip themselves with knowledge of Islamic teachings in order to be able to differentiate between religious decrees and cultural norms. Islamic feminists lobby and raise awareness on a governmental and community level to end injustices motivated by gender and to establish a rule of law that protects women in all aspects of daily life—from the home to the workforce.

The most common topic tackled by Islamic feminists is the issue of the personal status laws. These are the laws relating to divorce, marriage, inheritance, and ownership of property. Other laws often challenged are those that protect polygamy, credence of women's testimony in court, compulsory veiling, gender segregation, and death sentence for adultery or premarital sex. The movement has also asserted women's right to avenues of participation, and has disputed laws denying women from being judges, heads of state, or Imams. At the same time, Islamic feminists work on promoting issues impacting women's daily lives, such as strict domestic roles, girls' right to education, and women as part of the labor market. Many of these laws that restrict women's rights are being proclaimed as divine religious laws. This has made it difficult for women's rights activists in the past to demand changes to the laws, for a challenge to the sacred [Page 762]could be labeled as blasphemy. Islamic feminists were able to counter such arguments with the use of an Islamic framework.

...