Islamic Feminism Controversy

The controversy about being both feminist and Muslim has been something that many people have debated for decades now. The question still remains, can a woman both be feminist and a Muslim or is this contradictory? While there are many things that tie into this decision being debated, many people have different opinions on this subject. The common themes when debating the term Islamic Feminism are what exactly the phrase Islamic feminism means, if Islamic feminism can be tied in with the religion of Islam, and whether or not taking part in Islamic tradition goes against feminism. The authors all have one thing in common: They agree that this is a complex question, that allows many interpretations. The author’s arguments fall into two broad

The authors who have researched Islamic feminism agree on one thing: explaining or identifying the terms Islam and feminism can be complex due to geographical and religious meanings and issues. Adis Duderija explains the negativity often associated with the word feminist. Duderija implies that while there are bad associations with the word, he also believes Islamic feminism can successfully be a positive union. Duderija explains, “When framed in this manner, the outlined hermeneutics of Islamic feminism could ensure the future viability and perhaps even increased acceptance of Islamic feminism, especially among those who might be prejudiced against it on the basis of its employment of the word feminist” (Duderija 63). Although he acknowledges the interpretation of Islam into a religion of the patriarchy, he believes Islamic feminism can be something that is

Since the Islamic texts are what every Muslim abides by, they can be seen as a solution to the debate about being a woman who is both feminist and Muslim and how these two identities might contradict each other. This idea that Islamic feminism ties into the holy texts of Islam is something relatively new; however, there are many supporters of this concept. Haleh Afshar believes that the reason the Islamic religion is so predominately patriarchal is the absence of women when people first began to interpret the Quran. Afshar argues that the Quran does support women’s rights; it is simply the men’s early interpretation of the Islamic religion that has caused this common misconception of the Quran not supporting equality. Ziba Mir-Hosseni disagrees with Afshar, and contests instead that the idea of feminism emerging from the holy texts something that is not accurate. While she does support the idea of Islamic feminism, she explains “This transcendental ideal, which condemns all relations of exploitation and domination, underpins Muslim women’s quest and the critique of patriarchal constructions of gender relations.” (Mir-Hosseni 633). She understands the holy texts differently than Afshar, in a way that leads her to believe there is an emphasis on a patriarchal society within the Islamic religion. However,