Abu bakr responds to such critiques by saying that. Between feminism and islam university of minnesota press. Islamic feminism is defined by islamic scholars as being more radical than secular feminism, and as being anchored within the discourse of islam with the quran as its central text. Religion devoted to veiling, but also in margot badrans book, feminism. What is the position of the islamic law regarding the feminist issues. May 10, 2017 islam and feminism are not mutually exclusive, and faith can be an important liberator. Unsettling a common claim that feminism is western and dismantling the alleged opposition between feminism and islam, the book demonstrates how the egyptian feminist movement in the first half of this century both advanced the nationalist cause and worked within the parameters of islam. And she produced one of the first books on feminism within an arab middle east and in a muslim context beyond the veil, which came out in 1975. Hybrid feminism, according to ahmedghosh, occupies an inbetween position, incorporating aspects of both secular feminism and islamic feminism. Creating islamic feminism through literature by miriam cooke, women and gender in islam. Muslim feminism women in islam and muslim realms libguides.
Badrans feminism in islam gives a good overview of how feminism had developed historically in the middle east, with reference to egypt. Margot badran is a senior fellow at the center for muslim christian understanding, georgetown university, us. According to western perspective feminism is a history of struggles for womens rights and freedoms and emphasizes that religion is one of the chief enemies of its progress. Ali reveals how this shift has affected women on an individual and societal. Badran, however, elucidates some differences between secular feminism and islamic feminism in her 2009 book, feminism in islam.
Also including original material written specifically for this book, feminism and islam provides a unique and wideranging contribution to the field of islam and gender studies. Countless volumes have been written on the issue of islam and women, by muslims as well as others. Aug, 2019 islam and feminism are two words most people in western society wouldnt usually associate with one another. The themetracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of feminism and islam appears in each chapter of so long a letter. Ingrid mattson is a muslim leader and islamic studies scholar well known for her contributions towards contemporary scholarship on womens rights in islam. At the core of these moments are disputes over legitimacy, national identity, gender. Unsettling a common claim that feminism is western and dismantling the alleged opposition between feminism and islam, the book demonstrates how the egyptian feminist movement in the first half of this century both advanced the nationalist cause. In this careerspanning collection of influential essays, margot badran presents the feminisms that muslim women have created, and examines islamic and secular. It will also add to an already rigorous body of writing about veiling. But recent developments in the historically conservative persian gulf region, and in kuwait in particular, suggest that may be changing.
This book analyzes that orientalism, with particular reference to representations of muslim women and. It actually covers writings by authors from many different religious backgrounds including several muslim authors. I will for ever be the woman who left two husbands read more this is a vital book for nonmuslims and those seeking to. Dec 02, 2015 how many identities can you juggle at once. Islam embodies many of the principles that feminism fights for equality, dignity and respect of women. Through a careful sociological and ethnographic account of moroccan feminist and islamist womens organizations, zakia salime shows how the two have transformed each other through decades of activism. In this new conjuncture, women from within islam and islamist movements in farflung places around the worldfrom malaysia, to morocco, to iran, and to the united statesbegan to articulate a holistic, gendersensitive construction of citizenship within the framework of an islamic. Gatestone also reserves the right to edit comments for length, clarity and grammar, or to conform to these guidelines. When looking at the relationship between feminism and islam we must look at how feminism, as a philosophical tradition, and feminists, as a. Surveying iran, saudi arabia, lebanon, egypt and arab societies in general, the essays in feminism and islam focus on such subjects as crimes of honor and the construction of gender in arab societies. Islamic feminism would seem a contradiction in terms to most westerners.
The book shows how women have become more actively involved not only in. In feminism the goal is absolute freedom to choose to live as one pleases without interference of social customs or regulations assigning specified roles to men and women. At the time it came into existence, it was revolutionary for the rights that it gave. Because some secular muslim feminists are less interested in reforming islam and more concerned with promoting gender equality within a secular. Leila ahmed was the first professor of womens studies in religion at harvard university. Islam and feminism are two words most people in western society wouldnt usually associate with one another. The term islamic feminism began to be heard in the 1990s in various global locations.
Feminists, islam, and nation princeton university press. Through a careful sociological and ethnographic account of moroccan feminist and islamist womens organizations, zakia salime shows how the two have transformed each other through decades of activism, debate, and engagement. During recent times, the concept of islamic feminism has grown further with islamic groups looking to garner support from many aspects of society. Dec 05, 2018 so, islam repressed arabian feminism and gave more rights to men than to women as it was typical of slave trading societies including rome, greece, persia, china, india, etc. Indeed, the muslim woman question has, for long, occupied a central place in discourses about islam. So, islam repressed arabian feminism and gave more rights to men than to women as it was typical of slave trading societies including rome, greece, persia, china, india, etc. Books on islamic feminism below is a list of books that i recommend to anyone interested in understanding reinterpretations of islam, alternative readings to the traditionalist ones that are largely patriarchal in nature, or otherwise scholarship that complicate simplified ideas of islam, women, gender, and sexuality. The first part is devoted to feminism in egypt, and the second traces the spread of feminism in the broader muslim world. In her new book, perspectives of five kuwaiti women in leadership roles. This book is also a good source of information and logical explanation for. That is what got all these thoughts stirring in my head once again. Her book women and gender in islam which was published in 1992 challenged many assumptions about women in the history of islam and has informed decades of discussions around the complex detail of issues such as the islamic headscarf.
In 2014, forbes news site published an article entitled, you cant have it all. The present book will answer all the above mentioned questions and at the same time it will clarify the role of the women in islam. Legal and literary perspectives is the title of saudi scholar mai yamanis 1996 book comprising the essays of a substantial number of women scholars who are articulating an emerging islamic feminism. Between feminism and islam challenges the common assumption in the media and the academy that islamism and feminism are quintessentially opposed ideologies. She is a sociologist who studied at brandeis in the us, and took her degree in the mid 1970s. Ali reveals how this shift has affected women on an individual and societal level. This book analyzes that orientalism, with particular reference to representations of muslim. Despite its relative novelty, islamic feminism has been criticised. The central drama of the novel is the disintegration of ramatoulayes marriage to modou after the latter takes on a second wifehis daughters young friend, no less. Islamic feminists advocate womens rights, gender equality, and social justice grounded in an islamic framework. A few weeks ago i went to a lecture about feminism in islam. Her discussion of gender activism and islamic feminism p. Islamic feminism is a relatively recent current of thought being developed by a transnational network of activists in widely contrasting sociopolitical contexts. Books on islamic feminism freedom from the forbidden.
Islam and feminism are not mutually exclusive, and faith can be an important liberator. Asu prof explores feminism, islam and politics in new book. Sarsours kind of feminism, however, embraces the most oppressive legal system, especially for women. These studies address the feminist modes of expression in relation to, or as a challenge to, islamic laws and traditions. Ayesha spoke of her own reconciliation with islam and feminism, which. This volume illustrates how women in islamic societies have become more actively involved not only in learning their rights under the sharia islamic law but in rereading this law to improve their status and gain increased equality and. Jul, 2017 in islam, that is the only kind of feminism allowed to develop. Are islam and feminism mutually exclusive get real refinery29. In between feminism and islam, zakia salime looks at three key movement moments. This book is also a good source of information and logical.
We are taught to think of islam as a culture wherein social code and religious law alike force women to accept male authority and surrender to the veil. It aims for the full equality of all muslims, regardless of gender, in public and private life. Islam was not relegated to the tiny, sometimes frustrating and seemingly arbitrary details of practice, but rather entered the larger picture of spirituality and worship that contextualized my womanhood. The historian and gender studies specialist margot badran has devoted her lifes work to the muslim world. Also including original material written specifically for this book, feminism and islam provides a unique and wideranging contribution to the field of islam and gender studiesmore paperback, 400 pages published february 1st 2009 by oneworld publications. Islamic feminism is a relatively new concept and not without controversy. The opposing pulls of custom and progress that ramatoulaye encounters in the senegalese political climate become personal and particular in her struggle to reconcile her abiding faith in islam with her feminism. A native new yorker, linda sarsour is a muslim peace activist who refuses to be confined to foolish dichotomies. Feminism and religion blog this is not a book but a blog covering the intersection of feminism and religion which i have recently started reading. A combination of islam and feminism has been advocated as a feminist discourse and practice articulated within an islamic paradigm by margot badran in. Muslim women are not all victims, renegades or standardbearers for religious or cultural authenticity. What is considered oppression from islamic point of view. As a religion, islam has been demonized for its gender practices like no other.
She served as the president of the islamic society of north america isna for two terms. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in educationand employment. Dec 19, 2018 hybrid feminism, according to ahmedghosh, occupies an inbetween position, incorporating aspects of both secular feminism and islamic feminism. Muslims copied the roman currency dinar originates from denarius, so call feminism a feminism in any part of the world.
This was widely regarded as the first, or a pioneering book length text of islamic feminism, that is, using islamic sources, the quran and hadith sayings and deeds of the prophet muhammad, and revisiting fiqh or islamic jurisprudence in articulating understandings of. Although islam and feminism are not completely without common ground, the values and principles of islam and feminism are generally contrary. The best books on islam and feminism five books expert. May 11, 2017 a few weeks ago i went to a lecture about feminism in islam. A highly controversial intervention into the debate on postmodernism and feminism, this book looks at what happens when these modes of analysis are jointly employed to illuminate the sexual politics of islam. Islam and feminism are not mutually exclusive, and faith. She engage in a debate that aims to test the convergence between the two feminist movements, religious and secular, over time. One womans global journey fernea, elizabeth warnock on. Many question how a feminist approach can be reconciled with islam, which critics view as an inherently patriarchal ideology. It discussed a new study by career strategist and author megan dallacamina whose book, getting real about h. In an age when western feminism is continuously undergoing redefinition, the struggles of women in muslim countries are often overlooked.
Islam and feminism are not mutually exclusive, and faith can. Through its presentation of personal narratives, this book makes an important contribution to studies of sexuality in the middle east. Feminism, islam, and politics, asu professor and founding chair of the council for arabic and islamic studies souad t. Notes includes bibliographical references and index. With her book about feminism in islam, marianne hafnor boe not only aims to create awareness of muslim feminists, she also wants to expand. This is an indispensable book for sociologists of gender, religion, politics, feminism, the middle east, and islam. Women are prohibited to do many things without male consent, and even her sons are considered her. Ali reveals how these and other advancements have affected them on an individual and societal level. In 2012, the french sociologist zahra ali published a book entitled feminismes islamiques islamic feminisms, a compilation of. They are not foils with which to bash islam or through which. Islamic feminism is a form of feminism concerned with the role of women in islam. Are islam and feminism mutually exclusive get real. Both insist that women may own their own property and dispose of it as they wish.
While many in the west regard feminism and islam as a contradictio. As a feminist i dont like the ideals of islam as they are very oppressive of women and they promote one gender being more important than the other. Islamic feminism is related to the return to religion that many muslim societies have experienced in recent decades. Mar 26, 2019 this is a vital book for nonmuslims and those seeking to understand muslim feminism in the west. Islam vs feminism contemporary topics of islamic thought. Here she explains what feminism means in the context of islam and chooses five books that have been critical in its evolution. Muslim feminism a legacy of colonial currency abdullah. The moral values espoused by feminists, whether equality feminism or gynocentric feminism, are not values supported by islam. Islam is the religious tradition of the followers of the prophet muhammad. Several avenues are available for members of the uva community needing library resources, including hathitrusts newlyreleased trove of ed digital material, open educational resources, online journals, databases, and ebooks. Ill let you yourself decide what does it say about feminism.