The “F” Word
Thoughts were racing through my head. I was trying to quickly weigh up the pros and the cons. A moment of real self-examination and questioning. On the other side of the phone was the radio producer wanting an answer. If I do confirm what she said back to me will I be a sell out? Am I giving voice to the Islamophobes? What would my community think? But isn’t it time I stood up for my beliefs? Wouldn’t Allah want me to be honest about who I am? If I know Allah approves then who are people to judge? It was then that I decided. I replied to the producer, yes you can call me a Muslim Feminist.
So why is the F word so bad?
Well, feminism in the widest sense is the general concern with women’s issues,
An awareness that women suffer discrimination at work, in the home, and in society because of their gender
Feminist work is the action that is aimed at improving their lives and changing circumstances so that things are more equal.
Rosemary Ruether, a Feminist Theologian and catholic describes feminism beautifully, as the affirmation of the full humanity of women. This means that all the ways that women have been defined as inferior, secondary and dependent on men since the rise of patriarchy.
Feminism is not only for women and it’s not about women replacing men or eradicating them or gaining power over them. It is about an equal and just society for all.Islamic Feminism takes Islam as its source of legitimacy, Muslim men and women standing together and working together to live the values of their faith and helping each other reach their potential.
I am always fascinated by how no one, apart from racists, would describe racial equality and fairness as a threat to society yet many would happily contend that the fight for equality and justice between the genders is a threat to society or Islam.
The Islam and feminism that I recognise and practice are that which can be found in the Qur’an and the inspirational acts of its messenger and its women.
It is a source of empowerment, a well of nourishment and beauty to replenish the soul and make sense of an increasingly complex and contradictory world.
It’s a set of tools and body of armour by which to fight for equality and bring about a vision of the world where human dignity and respect of universal human rights and responsibility for environmental sustainability are the cornerstone of society. That is my Islam and that is my feminism.
As a society we have a long way to go to end gender inequality and injustice but the silence is being broken. We can now begin to publicly name inequality and call for an end to discrimination. We do this by turning to religion and faith as a tool of emancipation that had for a long time been part of the oppressive practice of society, just like how liberation theology was used to fight apartite in South Africa.
Muslim feminists have begun to dig and are unearthing and documenting knowledge. They are using theological tools and methodologies that would allow for more empowering and supportive interpretations of the muamalat field of Shariah and fiqh, from which, so much of our understanding of the ‘natural’ gender roles in Islam comes from.
Muslim feminists also distinguish between Shariah and Fiqh.
Shari‘ah literally means ‘the path or the road leading to the water source’. In Muslim belief it is the totality of God’s will as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), which is continuously unfolding for humanity. Shari‘ah comprises moral and ethical values that embody the spirit and trajectory of Islam’s sacred texts, a path to guide Muslims on how to live in this world and to prepare for the next. It cannot be reduced to a set of legal rulings or a book of statutes.
Shari‘ah is God’s will for humanity as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad — the sum total of religious values and principles that can guide Muslims’ lives.
Shari‘ah is different from tafsir, (the interpretation of Islam’s sacred texts), and from fiqh which is the deduction of legal rules from the texts. They are man-made laws and policies and are not the same as Shari‘ah.
Fiqh is the human process of seeking an understanding of Shari‘ah. Like any other system of jurisprudence, fiqh is human, temporal and local.
These tools and methodologies result in knowledge that reflect more accurately the increasingly active role women have in modern day. It makes women’s perspective visible.
It also enables a more just interpretation of fiqh that takes account of what the world looks and feels like from a woman’s point of view and how it affects women’s lives from the moment of birth to their last days on earth. It makes us ‘see’ women when they have been made invisible. It is no coincidence that the holy Prophet’s first act of public policy was to ban the burial and forced disappearance of girl babies.
So you see, rather than being a threat to Islam or society, Islamic feminism is continually exploring the possibilities and potential for both men and women to fulfil their divine instruction whilst keeping Islam at the very heart and centre of its endeavour.
For me it is a framework that allows me to maintain my values of justice, equality, critical thinking and faith all at once, without one being in contradiction with another. It has brought me closer than anything to the pursuit of the Divine, to the values of justice, equality and fairness that Allah, his Prophet and his holy progeny spoke of and enacted. It can do the same for you too.
My final ask is therefore, next time you are in a discussion, at an event, in a meeting or reading, watching or streaming something particularly in relation to Islam or Muslims, will you dare to ask “where are the women?”.
