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Religion and Politics

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Introduction

An analysis of Islamic feminism history reveals that there is a gradual elimination of the

despotic patriarchal system and the place of women in the Islamic community is becoming a

controversial political ideology issue. The issue of Islamic feminism is widely discussed among

feminist scholars in both Islamic and non-Islamic regions. Islamic feminism is a relatively new

subject but scholars in the issue are becoming more inclined to the subject of women rights in the

Islamic world. There is profound scholarly works on the achievements of women feminism in

Muslim community. On a different perspective, the issues being faced by Muslim communities

are reflective of the human rights issues touching on women from all other parts of the world. The

rise of Islamic feminist came at a time when women status was relatively lower than that of men

in different regions. The rise of Islamic feminism shows a rise in feminist ideas and the shifting

political orientations of the ideology. This paper analyses the pollical dimensions of the Islamic

feminism not merely through the Arabic culture but across the globe. Its bearing is on the religious

aspect of Islamic feminism, the patriarchal interpretations as well as justice based on feminism.

This paper is structured that it discusses the relationship between the state and feminism, ethics of

political Islamic feminism as developed from the history of feminism in Muslim world. Therefore,

this paper tries to bring forward the interplay of the Islamic feminism ideology and the politics

developing from the activist movements.

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Women Rights in Islamic Society

The patriarchal system in Muslim culture and history has greatly influenced both male and

female perspectives on all matters om human relations. According to Kynsilehto (43) in Islamic

history, women were perceived as weak, cowards and inferior human beings; perceptions

developed from the long lived cultural and religious beliefs. They were viewed as objects to satisfy

man in total obedience. The Guardian’s Badran discussion seems to point out that this subjectivity,

which also continue to be supported by male-dominated system and is reflected in the lives of

people, presents patriarchal interpretations regarding religious values and messages. This is

supported by Ayishai et al (9) who argue that, in the history of Islamic societies, the dynamic

religious values have not infiltrated the minds and characters of people in our conservative society;

the socio-political structures have not allowed the modern religious achievements to be

institutionalized in the society and even have deviated them from their origin. Many religions,

including Islam, have deviated from those foundations in the recent past as it is evident across

history. Some of these changes include that ideas that women should obey men, men have moral

authority to punish women, women are objects for entertaining men and they are they belong to

men.

Women and men across ethnic or tribal divides are to know each other through mutually

agreed upon relationships. The ethical or national variety is what develops into human and ethnical

relationships between human beings. These relationships are based on equality with inequalities

emanating only from class. Difference is social stratum and classes are originated from inequalities

in political, religious, racial or economic beliefs. In Islam, inequalities are against the very

foundations of Islam (Davids, 317).

Women Movements and The State

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Studies on the subject of feminism opiate that women activism is the same as state

feminism which involves women pursuing change and reform (Fernea, 24). There are state based

agencies that have been established for the sole purpose of advancing the rights of women and

spearheading gender equality.

The concept of state feminism was first brought up by Helga Hermes in 1987 in his analysis

of the role of welfare state in the efforts to incorporating women citizens as essential components

of the population. According to Hermes state feminism is a variety of public policies and

organizational measures, designed partly to solve general social and economic problems, partly to

respond to women’s demands (Zubair & Maria, 17). Following this definition, research has been

major focused on the role of state agencies and state actors in establishing their roles in

development of inclusive women rights. The notion is built on two premises of women inclusivity

as part of state elements and the capacity of the women movements as essential movers of policy

and strategies for the governments involved (van Es, 121).

State feminism gave rise to another dimension of women feminism described as femocracy.

Femocrats are individuals working in bureaucratic and state agencies to promote women’s rights

and improve their conditions. This group of individuals are tasked with maintaining that feminist

bureaucracies and are equipped to transform the goals of the women’s movement to actual concrete

public policies. The role of women movements in the state is strengthened by transforming

political contexts and national environments that are increasing requiring all mechanisms to come

in play for the betterment of the state. Therefore, state feminism success in political and social

contexts is important for achievement of female independence and self-determination. The only

challenge of social or political cooperation with the feminists is the issue of competition. There is

always a tense relationship between the government and the women movements. The movements

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are accountable to the government in terms of policy formulation hence the challenge of

cooperation as there is the risk of conflict of interest. On the other way, the feminist movements

are subject to the government and are require to display loyalty, a path they are not willing to trend

on (Fernea, 166).

Fawcett article agrees that Islamic women movements in Arab region is complicate by

modernization as well as issues such as colonialism and struggle for independence. Zubair and

Maria (28) explain that the development of Islamic feminism is a procedural affair taking years to

materialize. Its onset was marked by the awakening period where the publicization of women

intellectuals begun taking form spearheaded by women organizations and women focusses

journals. The second step involved the role of women nationalist movements for independence

and struggle against colonial powers. The final and third stage of the development of Islamic

feminists was the advancement of formal gender equity in education and work in public sector.

However, it is shown that the rise of struggle movements often coincided with rise of independent

states (Brown, 79). This follows that, the enactment of new powers and the rise of new regimes

came with oppressive polices that were inconsiderate of women rights and hence contributed to

the struggle geared towards self-emancipation. There is also the aspect of the state expectations to

implement gender policies focused on women. For some states such as Turkey and Iran, the

implementation of policies protecting the rights of women were serving state interests of

demonstrating to the world that they too, are embracing modernistic, democratic and inclusive

polices.

Benefits for Islamic involvement with the tenets of state feminism are such events such as

promotion of education, employment and an increase in public participation as part of nation

building project covering all citizens. For instance, in Egypt, the government adopted policies that

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were increasing women inclusivity in social, economic and political welfare of the state. At this

time, women were given the right to vote or be part of labor force and others appointed to various

state ministerial. State feminism emanating from the state attaches women to the changing political

environments and state determines the priorities for women, hence it is not effective as a feminist

movement. Reliance of the state for gender equity makes women lose their independence and

control over their reformist agendas (Moghisi, 8).

In most Arabic nations such as Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, feminism

development was harbored by the what could be best described as religious discourse. In the

discourse, it was implied that it was religious ideology that prevented the actualization of

modernity. In this way, leaders in those states did not perceive the threats emanating from the

views with moderate or non-politicized Islamic discourses as their focus was the prevention of

aggressive Islamic governance and politic. Feminists at such times were perceived as the

enlightened and safe group. These people were conveniently under the watch of the government

and media as well as human rights groups especially those focusing on women. The watch was not

basically a security safeguard but rather a way to oversee them and prevent the extension of the

feminist ideology from crossing lines into resistant or politicalized movement. States would

therefore tolerate cautious views agitating for the reform in women rights based on enlightened

religion which could have undermined Islamic politics.

The moderate critic to the government is what was referred to as the Islamic feminism.

This group was striving towards the production of alternative gendered Islamic knowledge that

could have been essential for the reformation in the religious discourses and cultural practices the

state were founded on. From the beginning, this project of criticizing theological patriarchy,

contesting religious justifications of gender hierarchy and developing gender justice and equality

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values within Islam’s worldview has been about carving an oppositional, intermediate space

between fundamentalist secular rejection of religious referencing altogether and religious

conservatism (Davids, 315-19).

Islamic feminism is more focused on issues of gender hierarchy, male domination, and

antifeminist segments (Sikandi, ResetDoc). Kynsilehto (78-84) supports Sikandi’s idea in arguing

that Islamic feminism is today faced by the challenge of shifting Islamic freedom and justice. There

is broad agreement that feminism in today’s perspective is based on conservatiists ties which is

oriented to state feminism. Islamic feminism can therefore be viewed as an ideology holding

political authority and intellectuality. Islamic feminism therefore seeks women favored reform in

social practices and legal provisions that have dominated Islamic societies. In Islamic societies,

there are widespread restrictions on female, thus the conception of the idea of Islamic feminism

was an important impetus to that shifted the focus of Muslim women into speaking of the spirit,

strength, resilience and Muslim women agency. Islamic feminism was a reality in women’s

resistance against rigid religious as well as cultural practices. Women in the broad Islamic

community therefore became empowered and revitalized in finding measures of breaking down

and crossing over boundaries into the male dominated and legal and social spheres. Islamic

feminism hence gave life to other women who were facing different forms of oppression and male

domination in the society.

Mainly, Islamic feminists are aimed at maintaining their independence for them to be able

to enforce their hegemonic claims in the states of operation to avoid exploitation or political

competition (Segran, The Nation). Islamic feminism is viewed as gear to unified activism and

public engagement rather than a polarized stance founded gender bias, right wing political

orientations or modernistic paradigms. This problem leads to research on the interests of Islamic

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feminists based on the ever shifting political and environment. Resistance by women in this context

emanates form discourses that condone practices such as female circumcision and underage

marriage of girls, undermining feminist demands for equality and combating domestic violence,

and blaming women demonstrators for street and police harassment (Davids 323).

From an Islamic point of view, the question in regard to Islamic feminism is the ethics of

the movement as a political wave. This is based on the fact feminism is based on the need to resist

patriarchal authoritarianism and gender inequalities and in the modern day, feminism has been

used as state dictatorship and ruling regime injustice opposition tool. The concern in ethical

perspective is the idea that feminism is developed basically for countering oppressive and

exclusionary policies hence it is not to yield to moral complacency in justifying concern for

women’s conditions only and ignoring the larger frameworks of monopoly, state violence and

despotism (Ayishai, 23). The practice of feminists is therefore founded on the premises that it

works away from the long sustained patriarchal practices of political opposition and

authoritarianism. In ethics therefore, it should also include other matters such as issues of

politically instituted classes, needs of the poor and marginalized groups (Segran, The Nation).

Islamic feminism therefore is built on holistic world view which enriches it with principles

and opposition against all forms of injustices. The moral principles of the practice of the group of

feminists draws bearing from its relationship in the community it is based in.

Political significance of Islamic feminism

The ideas of feminist scholars are becoming increasingly incorporated in day to day lives

of organized women groups with the aim of promoting inclusivity, equality and plurality. The

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ideas of Islamic feminists are also applied in lobbying for legal reforms. For instance, in Egypt, it

has been successfully used in the promulgation of law of the right of a woman to file for unilateral

and non-fault judiciary founded divorce (Fawcett, AJ).

Active involvement of Islamic feminists in politics is birthing shifts in prevalent conceptual

and methodological premises pertaining to Islamic religious text regarding to gender or leadership.

This relatively empowers Muslim women in reconciling religious inclinations with deserved

dignity and justice in an overly patriarchal society. Organizations’ are increasingly becoming the

fountain of the movements. But this draws dilemma on the position of cross-cultural position of

Muslims in empowering projects and the survival of their achievements in a fragile political

environment (Brown, 121).

Reformation to the Islamic religious discourse is also part of the efforts of Islamic

feminists. The major issue is the transformation of the violative and oppressive political rule that

overstays women rights. The role of Islamic feminism therefore is the production of gender

sensitive religious discourse and creating spaces fir ensuring an autonomous and independent

regime that support political Islam and whose ideology furthers gender equality (Segran, The

Nation).

Many agree that there is no balance in the accounts of Muslim feminism. In most cases,

proponents of Islamic feminism do not underline the importance of the religious aspects the Sharia-

based reforms in their pursuit of emancipation from oppressive gender and cultural practices

(Charrad &Amina, 8). Islamic feminism to some is being questioned for being a liberative ideology

and failing to save the mandate of uplifting women like other secular feminist ideologies. Critics

argues that pushing for promotion of Islam feminism does not leave a leeway for the vocal

feminists to listen to other oppressed women. The ideology is rigid in that it is not open to new

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ideas and negotiated strategies for the for unified cultural and political reforms. To achieve the

goals of women empowerment requires that women find a common ground and critically evaluate

their decisions. But this is not forthcoming in the distinct Islamic feminist movements in the Arabic

nations as they are overshadowed by the romanticist opinions on Islam and Islamic culture

(Moghissi,17).

Critics also point out that Islamic feminism is “Intimidating and silencing” thereby

discourages dialogue concerning “possibilities and limitations” of their goals and objectives

(Moghissi, 1&). Islamic feminism is weakened but the notion that every woman is a Muslim as

long she resides in a Muslim society. This idea is welcome, as the idea of differentiating Muslims

from non-Muslims, this kind of feminism would not be effective in defining the legal practices

built upon religious discourse.

Conclusion

Islamic feminism appears like a collective term for a number of Muslim movements.

Though there is a wide scholarly basis for the subject, it is still lacking in the description of the

subject and its role in culture and politics. The challenge of description may be emanating from

the fact that it is still a relatively new subject of investigation and is harbored by religious

orientation and religious subjectivism. In this paper, Islamic feminism political orientation has

been explored through an investigation with its alignment with the state. It has been pointed out

that more than just a reservation about the general idea of the state as itself a patriarchal institution

either marginalizing or instrumentalizing women, feminists should be wary of the ethical deficit

in their activism. State feminism focusses on making a democracy more democratic by enhancing

its systems. In feminist terms, this involves the increasing women inclusion and gender

mainstreaming and rejecting oppressive state structures. Islamic feminism is informed by need for

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states to take positions in adopting ethically sound decisions and policies that oppose state

despotism of the state and religious discourses that are hypocritical in a patriarchal system.

The central argument is that Islamic feminism ought to be supported in its pursuit of

triumph over patriarchal domination in political, social and cultural spheres despite the inclination

is bears. The support for Islamic feminism does not require differentiation based on race, religion

or culture as the issues affecting Muslim women affect the women in the society. Identity in most

instances will blunt the struggles outside religious segment and thus silence secular voices against

other elements other than religious. Islamic feminism should show respect to the Islamic customs

and ethics but with political and moral agency being placed in the forefront. The triumph of

Islamic feminism will be a positive signal that Muslim feminists are critical in the debates over

prospects of religious liberation for the woman race (Sikandi).

Though feminism may be wearing off as more women are assuming power hence harboring

the role and relevance of feminists, new forms of feminism are pulsating. These new forms of

feminism will keep rising as long there are aspects of gender inequality and the persistence of

patriarchy. Feminism today address local issues and collaboration globally is aiming at ensuring

total emancipation of the female gender. Movements spearheaded by women are set to become

more dynamic and progressive compared to all other movements.

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References

Brown, Daniel W. A new introduction to Islam. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

Badran, Margot. “Islam’s other half: What does Islamic Feminism have to offer? Where does it

come from? Where is it going. The Guardian. Published Nov 8, 2008.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2008/nov/09/

islam-women

Charrad, Mounira M., and Amina Zarrugh. "Gender, Religion, and State in the Middle East."

Emerging Trends in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: An Interdisciplinary, Searchable,

and Linkable Resource (2015): 1-15.

Davids, Nuraan. "Are Muslim women in need of Islamic feminism? In consideration of a re-

imagined Islamic educational discourse." British Journal of Religious Education 37.3

(2015): 311-325.

Fawcett, Rachelle. “The reality and future Islamic Feminism: What constitutes an ‘Islamic

feminism’ and where is it headed? Al Jazeera. Published March 13, 2013.

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/201332715585855781.html

Fernea, Elizabeth Warnock. In search of Islamic feminism. Anchor, 2010.

Kynsilehto, Anitta. "Islamic feminism: current perspectives." Islamic feminism (2008): 9.

Moghissi Haideh, Islamic Feminism Revisited Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the

University Press

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Segran Elizabeth. “The Rise of the Islamic Feminism: Muslim women are fighting for their rights

from within Islamic tradition, rather than against it. The Nation.

https://www.thenation.com/article/rise-islamic-feminists/

Sikandi, Yoginder. “The Course and Future of Islamic Feminism. ResetDoc. Published October

13, 2010. https://www.resetdoc.org/story/the-course-future-of-islamic-feminism/

van Es, Margaretha A. "Norwegian Muslim Women, Diffused Islamic Feminism and the Politics

of Belonging." Nordic Journal of Religion and Society 29.02 (2016): 117-133.

Zempi, Irene. "Negotiating constructions of insider and outsider status in research with veiled

Muslim women victims of Islamophobic hate crime." Sociological Research Online 21.4

(2016): 1-12.

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