Jordan's Speech at the "Women and Shariah: Separating Fact from Fiction" Conference Dismantling the Narrative of "Islamic Feminism" (Translated)
- Published in I.Media Conference
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Muslim women were granted their full rights without having to resist and fight, and without carrying out marches and strikes for them. Islam and its rulings are equitable to women as human beings first and foremost. She was able to contribute positively and effectively in all aspects of life: political, economic and social, as well as in education and employment. This was at a time when women in the West were suffering the ravages of humiliation, marginalization, and contempt, and did not have any rights to be mentioned, not to mention the poor male treatment of females in the family, society and the church. This prompted women in Western societies to establish a movement for women's rights and the rejection of the so-called male domination. Therefore, what is now known as feminism emerged. One of its definitions is "The theory that calls for equality for both genders, politically, economically and socially, and seeks as a political movement to achieve women's rights and interests and to eliminate gender discrimination and male domination suffered by women."
Some have tried to imitate the solutions for this injustice suffered by Western women through importing feminist ideas and attempting to Islamicize them. This "Islamic feminist theory" seeks to update the view on women by reviewing Islam from a new modern perspective. Margot Badran was the first researcher to use this term in 1999, where she pointed out that religion is not a problem for women, but the problem lies in the way the religion is misinterpreted and misapplied.
Yes sisters, what they call "Islamic feminism" distinguishes between the Qur'an and the Hadeeth. It believes that the Qur'an is more equitable for women regarding the gender, and accuses the Hadeeth of being biased against Muslim women. Therefore, these feminists use the term "Ijtihad" in order to dismantle the religious texts and extract rules and Fatwas that they can resort to, in what they claim is the defense of all women's rights. I.e. they work within the framework of Islam, depending on many linguistic approaches in the interpretation of religious discourse. And here lies the danger my sisters; it is more difficult for Liberal and secular feminists to achieve a similar change, simply because of how they are viewed by others; that they are carrying the thought of the West who came to destroy the principles, morals and religion of the East. Thus the Islamic society is cautious of them, it may even place obstacles in front of any women's project coming from them and will view it with suspicion and mistrust. However "Islamic feminists" are working to impose western feminism but in a very savvy manner; where they are seeking to convince the Muslim men and women that Western feminism is the essence of what Islam calls for, and that therefore there is no reason to resist or criticize it. They claim that these values are a collection of humanitarian modern progressive ideas, which correspond with what was brought by Islam. Several female academics are spearheading this discourse, they have invented this new term in order for it to be accepted and promoted in the Islamic countries, and this is why we now hear of so-called "Islamic feminism".
Here we recall Amina Wadud who lead worshipers, men and women in prayer in America. She views Islam as not incompatible with freedom, that it does not prohibit thought and does not force women to wear the head cover! In other words, they praise Islam in order to destroy it, and so avoid being accused of treason and being agents of the West. They draft several proposals for the reform of the situation of women, but they use the same language and context so as to fall within the religious framework. As a result of this we are currently witnessing a global movement for the reform of the so-called Islamic personal status laws in favor of women, or so they claim. For example, one of them says, "The rights of women were amputated because of the predominance of the male perspective for several centuries, particular interpretations of the verses of the noble Qur'an that are popular were not always complete and accurate, but were influenced by the male perspective. That is why women are calling upon themselves to strive to read the Noble Qur'an again from a female perspective with a view to defend their rights!"
As for Islam, it is Allah's eternal and final Deen, as it is well known; it is highly concerned with women's issues, even naming one of the longest Chapters "The Women" (Surat An-Nisa'). According to an integrated balanced view, Islam has decreed a number of rights matched by a set of obligations and responsibilities. This criteria was introduced by Islam to view the world as neither masculine nor feminine, but as a divine criteria placed by Allah (swt); it means that the human being - male or female - views any issue with this criteria: Is this matter loved and pleasing to Allah or is it detestable and not acceptable to Him?
The discussions about the differences between men and women, and attempts to interpret the verse: ((وَلَيْسَ الذَكَرُ كَالْأُنْثَى)) "And the male is not like the female" [Al-i-Imran: 36], exploration of the causes of differentiation between men and women in matters such as inheritance, in being a witness, blood money, work, education, dress code... and so on, are just irrelevant sophistry of thought. Islam views men and women as equal, without distinguishing between them in terms of both being human, and of which two types were created, male and female:
((يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً))
"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women" [An-Nisa: 1]
Women are not inferior or superior to men, but they are equal in obligation and in reward and punishment,
((فاستجابَ لهُمْ ربُّهم أنِّي لا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عاملٍ منكم من ذَكَرٍ أو أُنْثَى بعضُكم من بَعْضٍ))
"And their Lord responded to them, "Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another" [Al-i-Imran: 195]
Islam has set for both men and women roles and responsibilities, and each seeks to carry out this role to the fullest in order to please Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says, ((وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثَى)) "And the male is not like the female" [Al-i-Imran: 36]. And He (swt) says,
((أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ)) "Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?" [Al-Mulk: 14]
We must silence all tongues calling for equality by human standards, whether male or female. A woman's rights are granted to her by Allah Azza wa Jal, women did not demand or fight for their right. There are Ahkam that Allah specified for women and there are Ahkam that Allah specified for man, for a divine reason not mentioned by Allah Almighty. But these differences are definitely not due to any so-called deficiency in the mind of women, meaning that she is incompetent; if this was the case for women, why did the Prophet (saw) order us to receive our Deen from Aisha (ra)?
From the early days of Islam, women understood their role and objective in life; they were always trying to compete with men to gain the pleasure of Allah Azza wa Jal to win paradise. They concerned themselves with nothing except being careful of not missing or being deprived of an opportunity to gain reward. Competition was not for the greatness of literary prestige, God forbid, these people left all that is precious for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. Some of them emigrated, forsaking prestige and money, and were greeted by their brothers to share with them their possessions, however large or small, so that the Glory remains to Allah and His Messenger and the believers.
Since the early days of Islam, women were not concerned about the Islamic view towards them or thought that men were preferred over them, because Islam honors women. But when they distanced themselves away from Islam and did not find the system of Islam completely implemented, many misconceptions were able to prevail. We ask Allah Almighty for the return of the rulings of Islam to be implemented in the State of the guided Khilafah "Caliphate" on the method of Prophethood and to eliminate everything that is contrary to Islam.
Wa Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu
