In Pursuit of Islamic Feminism

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• In Pursuit of Islamic Feminism
• Lily Zakiyah Munir
• Center for Pesantren and Democracy Studies
  (CePDeS)
• Indonesia

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• What is Islamic Feminism?
• Islamic Feminism versus Islamic Feminist?

What is Feminism?
An awareness that women are oppressed and an
action to change the situation
What is Islamic Feminism?
It is a feminist discourse and practice
articulated within an Islamic paradigm,
activism,
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• Islamic Feminism A Global Pursuit
• Qassim Amin (Egypt) in 19th century
• Began in 1990s in various global locations
• Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Iran Mai Yamani, Saudi
  Arabia Sisters in Islam, Malaysia Amina Wadud
  Muhsin, South Africa Riffat Hasan, Pakistan
  Fetima Mernissi, Morocco Asma Barlas, Pakistan
• What about Indonesia?
• Women of Nahdlatul Ulama, Islam and the
  Empowerment of Women (1993)
• Indonesian advocates of Islamic feminism
• Male Husein Muhammad, Nasarudin Umar, Masdar
  Masudi, Syafiq Hasyim
• Female Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid (former
  First Lady),
• Lies Marcoes Natsir, Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, Musdah
  Mulia, Nurjannah

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Change the System from Within

• In reading the Quran, women bring their
  experience and questions as women. They point out
  that classical and also post-classical
  interpretation was based on mens experiences,
  male-centered questions, and the overall
  influence of the patriarchal societies in which
  they lived.

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Womens Perspective

• In reading the Quran, women bring their
  experience and questions as women. They point out
  that classical and also post-classical
  interpretation was based on mens experiences,
  male-centered questions, and the overall
  influence of the patriarchal societies in which
  they lived.

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• What does Islamic Feminism Pursue?

Methodology
Basic Argument
Vision

• Revisiting Quran
• and hadith to correct
• false stories
• Promoting women
• friendly verses
• Deconstructing
• interpretation that
• has been used to
• justify male
• domination.

The Quran affirms principle of equality of
all human beings but the practice of equality of
women and men has been impeded and subverted by
patriarchal ideas and ideology.
Promotion of Womens Rights
Islamic Feminism
Realization of Gender Justice
Achievement of Social Justice
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Women-Liberating Spirit of the Quran

• Prohibits female infanticide
• Abolish womens status as property
• Establish womens legal capacity
• Grant women the right to receive their own dowry
• Change marriage from a proprietary to contractual
  relationship
• Allow women to retain property and maiden name
  after marriage
• Grant women financial maintenance from their
  husbands
• Provide control over husbands free ability to
  divorce
• Women and men are equal as Gods vicegerent on
  earth
• They are created equal parts of a pair with
  relationship of love and mercy
• They are like garments to each other
• They have equal responsibilities and rewards
• They are created equally from a single soul
  (refuting idea that women
• are created from mens ribs)

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Qurans Verses on Gender Equality

• On human creation (Q.S. al-Nisa/41) re- Genesis
  2 18-24
• O, mankind, reverence your Guardian Lord who
  created you from a single
• soul (nafs). Fear Allah through Whom you
  demand your mutual rights
• On equal responsibilities and rewards (Q.S.
  al-Tawbah/971)
• The believers, men and women, are
  protectors one of another they enjoin what is
  just, and forbid what is evil they observe
  regular prayers, practice regular charity, and
  obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah
  pour His mercy
• On love and mercy relationship (Q.S.
  al-Rum/3021)
• And among His signs is this, that He
  created for you mates from among yourselves, that
  you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He
  has put love and mercy between your (hearts)

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Challenges to Gender Equality and Justice

• Male biases and patriarchal way of reading the
  Quran
• because of the
• masculine nature
• of the Arabic language and cultural structure
• Strict gender segregation in the Arabic language
• e.g. if there are a thousand women and a man,
• the pronoun used refers to male.
• Thus, one man can demean a thousand women.

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Debatable Issue Veiling (Hijab, Jilbab)

• Hijab literally means curtain refers to
  segregation
• O you who believe! Enter not the Prophets
  houses, until leave is given you for a meal, not
  to wait for a preparation but when you are
  invited, enter and when ye have taken your meal,
  disperse without seeking familiar talk. Such
  (behavior) annoys the Prophet he is ashamed (to
  tell you) the truth. And when you ask (his
  ladies), ask them from behind the screen that
  makes for greater purity for your hearts and for
  theirs. (Q.s. al-Ahzab/3353)
• Soon after this hijab verse, self-protection of
  the Prophets wives, daughters and the women of
  the believers was enjoined
• (Q.S. al-Ahzab/3359-60)

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Debatable IssuePolygamy

• Unlimited, no notion of justice, husband
  unilateral privilege
• Despite limitation, Islam gradually abolish it
  without disrupting social order
• (pragmatic-ideological solution/Engineer).
• And if you fear that you will not be able to
  deal justly with orphans, marry of your choice,
  two or three or four but if you fear that you
  will not be able to deal justly with them, then
  only one. (Q.S. al-Nisa/43), revealed after the
  battle of Uhud.
• You are never able to be fair and just as
  between women even if it is your ardent desire.
  (Q.S. al-Nisa/4129).
• God has not made for any man two hearts. (Q.S.
  al-Ahzab/334)