The Fourth Annual International Congress On Islamic Feminism

November 10, 2010 By diana

In late October, this year’s Fourth Annual International Congress on Islamic Feminism was held in Madrid, Spain. The conference encompassed Islamic feminism in Palestine, America, Malaysia, Iran, Indonesia and Pakistan, inviting speakers from various backgrounds to explain what it means to be an Islamic feminist and how this role has manifested itself in various cultural and national settings to bring about a positive change for Muslim women.

Among the participants were Zahira Kamal, former Minister of Women Affairs in Palestine; Ziba Mir Hosseini, Iranian legal anthropologist, specializing in Islamic law, gender, and development; and Daisy Khan, Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement and wife of the Imam of the intensely debated Park 51 community center.

Durre S. Ahmed and Naila Tiwana from Pakistan spoke of the feminine nature of and gender egalitarianism within Sufi Islam. Ziba Mir Hosseini gracefully deconstructed the terms “Islamic feminism,” “fiqh,” and “shariah,” and explained what these terms mean for women in post-revolution Iran. Zahira Kamal and Fadwa Allabadi of Palestine spoke of how the socio-political landscape of occupied Palestine gave urgency to the need for women’s rights, but also of how fatwas issued by male dominated politico religious elite fail to effectively “articulate Palestinian women’s social reality in the twentieth century.” Lies Marcos of Indonesia spoke of the need for Muslim women jurists as authoritative players in a male-dominated Muslim legal system. Daisy Khan spoke of the same need, because “women’s rights are found under Shariah [law]”—it is just a matter of putting Muslim women in positions where they can effectively participate in the process Islamic legal jurisprudence (fiqh), derived from feminist or woman-centered readings of sacred texts.

Regardless of national identities, whether Iranian, Pakistani, American, Palestinian or Indonesian, and regardless of what Islamic tradition, whether Sufi, Sunni or Shia, these women were coming from, there emerged in their discourse three re-occurring themes.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: , ,

Is Muslim Feminism More Than Just a Hijab Defense?

October 28, 2010 By alicia

There may be 1,001 Muslim feminist critiques on the European burqa ban and its attendant jokes and jibes, insults, and ridiculousness. But what should remain clear is that we Muslim feminists are not just about the hijab. The recent discussion on LGBT acceptance on MMW revealed the cracks in the Muslim “sisterhood” and it began with a post on gay Muslim women in Indonesia.

Homosexuality and Islam has always been a divisive topic, a topic that leaves many in breathless contempt for the LGBT community, Muslim or not. Is this a discursive space Muslim feminism should step in? I’m not advocating for a single stand on homosexuality that Muslim feminists should take, but I am simply suggesting that we broaden our horizons.

If we take a minute to consider the current trajectory of contemporary feminism, yes, the one that’s dominated by mostly White, middle-class, straight women; we find that their activism has moved beyond Woman-centric navel-gazing and has taken into account other intersecting elements that define a woman’s identity: race, sexuality, class. Other than gender, a woman may be a mother, disabled, transgender, Asian, and yes, Muslim. Is Muslim feminism really inclusive of the concerns of a Muslim woman who may also be White, lesbian, or working class?

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Culture/Society, Politics Tagged With: , , ,

Book Review: Isobel Coleman’s Paradise Beneath Her Feet

June 15, 2010 By Azra

Isobel Coleman’s recently-released Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East presents a case-study of sorts, highlighting the work of Muslim women who are engaged in combating patriarchal culture as a means to change societal norms and achieve empowerment.

The book cover. Image via Random House.

A large part of Coleman’s argument emphasizes the role of Islamic Feminism, where a feminist lens is applied to orthodox Islamic interpretations, using a religious framework to fight patriarchal customs that subjugate Muslim women.  The end result is societal change that advocates an increased role for women in the public and private sphere: “alleviating poverty, promoting economic development, improving global health, building civil society, strengthening weak and failing states, assisting democratization, tempering extremism.” (Introduction, xvii)

When I received the book, I was concerned it would come across as too academic: Isobel Coleman is Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she directs the council’s Women and Foreign Policy Program.  This turned out not to be the case; the book is easy to read and provides an introduction to ideas surrounding Islamic Feminism, basic tenets of the faith, and the political and historical contexts surrounding the different country cases.  Countries she looks at include Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.  I found her absence of Levantine countries worrisome for a book that looks at “the Middle East”—but perhaps this is due to my own rather narrow definition of “Middle East,” which would not include countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan.

Coleman presents a rock star list of Islamic Feminist thinkers throughout the book: Heba Kotb, Fatima Mernissi, and Amina Wadud are a few that jumped out at me.  In addition, she highlights the work of several other notable Muslim women who are working in organizations that promote women’s empowerment and also women who have no organizational affiliation, but combat cultural norms by making decisions about living their lives in accordance to their own personal values, even when they conflict with societal expectations of how women should behave.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Books/Magazines, Culture/Society, Politics Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »