Daily Times

To some liberals, Islam and feminism are not compatible terms. They believe that these two ideas contradict each other and that Islam impedes the freedom of women in our society. Till now, we have witnessed the first waves of feminism, that have since further broken down into various forms, including the recently emerging Islamic feminism. A feminist can be defined as someone who believes in equal rights for both men and women, and contests the preconceived notions that society holds about women. Muslim women have found their own version of feminism, in order to find the perfect balance between basic human rights and religious dogma.

In Pakistan, it has been heartening to see an increase in political participation from the women in our country, while many have taken over the responsibility of preaching a more liberal and modern version of Islam, that does not keep women on the periphery, but helps them become active members of our society. This mobilisation among the women of our country stems from the changing dynamics amongst men and women around the globe, as well as the rise in incidents of racism and hate against Muslims, especially after 9/11. It appears that women are increasingly more likely to take a strong position when it comes to defending their status as both females and Muslims. A prominent example is that of the female followers of the Lal Masjid, who not only spearheaded many of the group’s extremist activities, but even took up arms against the government when it tried to intervene.

Women are more comfortable working with the existing patriarchal social and religious structures prevalent in our country and are taking a greater role in determining their own futures

Women are more comfortable in working with the existing patriarchal social and religious structures prevalent in our country and are taking a greater role in determining their own futures. Aminah Jamal is a, Pakistani-born, Canadian professor, who did an in depth study of the Jamat-e-Islami (JI).

She concluded that the women in this extremely conservative organisation were free to organize their own affairs, on par with the other clerics, and were mostly well educated, belonging to good economic backgrounds as well.  Going by the teachings of Abdull Alaw Mududi, women in the organisation have taken up the equal responsibility to help the JI grow, and add to their considerable numbers.

These women reject the popular liberal feminism that is supported by many in the west, calling it propaganda, and instead draw focus to the great benefits of religion for human beings, especially women. Whether their beliefs are right or wrong is not for us to determine, and secularists will definitely dismiss these claims outright. However, an objective person would realize that there might be some truth to their claims, as any movement that helps empower women is a step in the right direction.

Now, coming back to the big picture. We have already established that women are getting a greater role in many Islamic organisations and are using their new found power to teach people across the world about their version of Islamic feminism. This wave is described as the “Saudisation of Pakistan” by Pervez Hoodbhoy. While these movements have indeed helped some women, their impact on the spread of Islamic fundamentalism however cannot be overstated. Their extremist ideology leads to quite a few issues, as most of these Islamic organisations have branches across the globe, which turns this local movement into an international one.

Today, our great nation is divided, as some segments of our society become more liberal, while others become more religious. Right now it seems that it is the religious voices that are more likely to be heard by the youth, as they have the preparation, the funding and the conviction that is required to sway public opinion. Even with liberal feminist movements becoming popular in our country, many aspects of our society still lack the proper knowledge or passion required to bring about change. If the liberals want to have the same impact that the conservatives do, then it high time that they unite and promote their ideas with the same fervour and belief that their opponents do.

The writer has a Masters in Human Rights Law from the Netherlands and has served as a lecturer at FC College [department of political science

Published in Daily Times, June 14^th 2018.