The Foreign Service Journal, April 2011

30 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 temporary questions. But over the centuries, the literalists gained ground, leading to what some have referred to as a “closing of the gates of ijtihad.” At the heart of Islamic feminism is a renewed effort to push open those gates. Across the Muslim world, Islamic feminists are combing through centuries of Islamic jurisprudence to highlight the more progressive aspects of their religion. They are seeking to reconcile a modern role for women with the Islamic values that more than a billion people in the world follow. Under Attack from Both Sides Islamic feminism is not without its challenges. For starters, it is unpalatable to die-hard secularists, both in the West and in the Middle East. Some years ago, I gave a talk in New York about the promise of working with re- ligious leaders in some of the most conservative regions of the world to promote girls’ education. I had recently re- turned from Afghanistan, where I had seen mullahs in the countryside championing girls’ education, even opening their mosques to classes for them. But when the discussion turned to the use of the mosque itself as a classroom for girls, a woman in the au- dience interrupted. This was exactly the wrong approach, she insisted: “We should be working to dislodge religion, not further entrench it.” Clearly, she has never been to the highlands of Afghanistan, I thought to myself. And she was probably also unfamiliar with the long history of failure of those who have tried to dislodge religion from places where it dominates every aspect of life. Outright opposition to religion is simply counterpro- ductive in many Muslim-majority countries today, as it is in many Western countries, as well. So if women’s rights in the Middle East depend on the removal of Islam, Mus- lim women will be waiting a long time indeed. Some critics dismiss Islamic feminism as a fringe movement, claiming it is too weak and marginal to move mainstream opinion, let alone overturn 1,400 years of op- pressive Islamic law and practices. The women involved are undeterred, however, for while they are at the begin- ning of a long, intergenerational process, they believe time is on their side. Islamic feminismwill also be unappealing to those who insist that Islam is an inherently misogynistic religion and refuse to believe it can be a force for women’s empowerment. Skeptics contend that by emphasizing the parts of the Quran that are pro- gressive for women, and minimiz- ing those sections that are harder to reconcile with gender equality, Islamic feminists are simply glossing over the fundamental issues. But this is the same process of rein- terpretation and contextualization that has occurred over the centuries in every major religion in the world. Indeed, many Islamic feminists see their efforts as a critical driver of a larger reform initiative within the faith. As Muslim women engage more deeply with Islamic texts and jurisprudence, through casual study groups, as schol- ars and activists, or even through formal training to be- come religious leaders, they are forcing debate over Islamic interpretation. At the same time, many of them are uncomfortable with being labeled as “Islamic femi- nists,” going to great lengths to distance themselves from the Western cultural baggage that term carries. Instead, they see themselves simply as Muslims pur- suing rights for women within Islam. But when asked whether they believe that the spirit of the Quran is one of gender equality, and whether Islamic discourse can and should be used to promote women’s empowerment, their answers to both questions are a resounding yes. Such convictions are playing a small but important role in one of the great ideological struggles of the 21st century. Some Islamic feminists are deeply devout, while oth- ers are not. Some wear a headscarf for reasons of piety; others do so only for tactical reasons, adhering to social conventions in an effort to enhance their credibility. And a few eschew such attire completely, because their un- derstanding of Islam does not require it. But all of them are using Islamic discourse in one way or another to pro- mote women’s access to education, to jobs and to the public sphere — access which is already beginning to transform Muslim societies. They are also taking advantage of rising levels of fe- male education and greater access to global media across the Middle East to shift the terms of religious debate. Networks across national borders are already helping il- literate peasant women marshal the religious justifications they need to push back on centuries of tribal customs and traditions that have been sustained in the name of Islam. F O C U S Islamic feminism strives to work within the values of Islam, not against them.