Transnational Perspectives in Gender Studies
Transnational Perspectives in Gender Studies
Modules
2. Islamic Feminisms
Do you think ‘Islamic Feminism’ is a contradiction in terms? In this module Islamic Feminism is investigated in the Moroccan context, but you will find out about the diversity of Islamic Feminisms and you will deal with some of the assumptions with regard to Islam and the Quran. References to Christianity and the Bible are meant to help develop a better understanding.
Coordinators:
Contributors:
About this module:
The expression ‘Islamic feminism’ has many meanings: it might be considered a transnational social movement and it is also a multitude of national movements, it ventures into religious discourse and it is an academic endeavour – needless to say that ‚Islamic feminism‘ is a contested field. The root of the polysemy of ‘Islamic feminism’ resides in the dose of religion that one would include in the instrumentalization of the term by feminists. For ‘hard’ secular feminist activists the expression is an oxymoron as ‘Islam’ and ‘feminism’ should be kept apart, and for other, more ‘lenient’ feminists, academics in the majority of cases, the expression is a reflection of reality where Islam is part and parcel of politics and the makeup of society. Ironically, the term ‘feminism’ raises tension among conservatives mainly because of its ’Western’ connotation, and the term ‘Islamic feminism’ is often totally rejected by secular feminists, who consider it a response to Western feminism.
While providing an introduction into the more general dimensions of Islamic feminism, the materials offered focus on contextualizing it in the Moroccan case, where a hybrid of conservatism and modernism has been co-existing since the independence of the country in 1956. In the last decades of the twentieth century, this hybrid developed into secularism and Islamism in the public sphere, especially politics, but remained seated in the private sphere. For secular feminists in Morocco Islamic feminism emerged as a counter reaction to their own strong mobilization around the reform of the Family Code, and the state’s and society’ recognition of violence against women. Secular feminists claim ownership and legitimacy as the real instigators of the Moudawana reform and see Islamic feminism as ‘State Islamic feminism’ that attempts to reconcile both views. This state of affairs is complicated further by the emergence of ‘feminist’ voices from within Islamist parties and Islamist associations.
This course is grounded in the assumption that in theory, the core endeavour of Islamic feminism is to install equality in Muslim family laws (in Morocco, the only laws still based on Islamic jurisprudence), as well as the demands of women’s rights associations, individuals’ endeavours, and the will of the king as the highest political and religious authority. I underline the homegrown character of this feminism in understanding the 2004 reforms which, among other things, fixed the marriage age at 18, institutionalized the equal responsibility of both spouses for the family, guaranteed women’s right to divorce.
1. Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter
Additional Resources:
Blog Questions:
• Give a brief summary of Mernissi's chapter on surveillance of female sexuality in Islam. Can you connect this to concepts: patriarchy, tribalism, family, and space, introduced in the lecture? Please explain.
• Explain the connections between patriarchy, tribalism, family, and space. "Women can have power but not authority" - Please explain and give examples. What is the role of Islam in this?
• Give a brief summary of Mernissi's chapter on active female sexuality Can you connect this to concepts: patriarchy, tribalism, family, and space, introduced in the lecture? Please explain.
Lesson 1 Quiz (so far there is only one of these but we can either have more of them or none)
2. Quran & Bible / Islam & Christianity: What do they have in common? Where do they differ? by Lydia Potts
3. Underage
Marriage in Morocco
Additional Resources:
Blog Questions:
• Please briefly summarize the narrative of the ‘Breaking Silence’ video. In your discussion. Please connect the video to either the video ‘Männerwelten’ or to last week’s presentation ‘Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter’.
Please briefly summarize the narrative ot the ‘When marriage becomes punishment’ video. In your discussion, connect it to last week’s presentation ‘Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter’.
• What are the main sets of arguments pro child marriage resp. contra child marriage in the presentation? How do women contribute to upholding concepts of patriarchy, tribalism, family and space? Refer to last week’s presentation ‘Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter’.
• Summarize the key arguments in Kecia Ali’s text. What is said about same sex desire and Islam? Does the acceptance of transgendered individuals challenge the binary system? How does the evaluation of same sex relationships lead to questioning heterosexual marriage?
4. Islamic Feminism
5. The Moudawana
6. The Moroccan Feminist Movement
7. Daesh Ideology
Additional Resources:
Blog Questions:
• Please briefly summarize the narrative of the ‘Breaking Silence’ video. In your discussion. Please connect the video to either the video ‘Männerwelten’ or to last week’s presentation ‘Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter’.
Please briefly summarize the narrative ot the ‘When marriage becomes punishment’ video. In your discussion, connect it to last week’s presentation ‘Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter’.
• What are the main sets of arguments pro child marriage resp. contra child marriage in the presentation? How do women contribute to upholding concepts of patriarchy, tribalism, family and space? Refer to last week’s presentation ‘Women and Islam: Concepts that Matter’.
• Summarize the key arguments in Kecia Ali’s text. What is said about same sex desire and Islam? Does the acceptance of transgendered individuals challenge the binary system? How does the evaluation of same sex relationships lead to questioning heterosexual marriage?