Towards the Urge of "Islamic Feminism"

In my previous post I have been intrigued with the question about the trend of feminism in Islam. How is the trend of feminism in modern day Islam? Has it been going through the same evolution as that of modern feminism nowadays (I discussed about this so-called "evolution" of feminism before)? And is the concept of feminism applicable and feasible to Islam? If so, how should Muslim women pursue the spirit of feminism?

The history of feminism in Islam could be dated as far back as the 14th century when intelligent Muslima figures lived and played important role in helping the teaching of Islam. Back then, few Muslima figures including Prophet Muhammad's wife Aisyah, had strived to show their existence by lending their intelligent mind and attitudes to help configuring strategies in da'wah.

But, is the form of feminism in Muslim women still the same as many decades before? Do we, as Muslim women, still struggling with the same old question of motivation?

With the media continuously expose the image of Muslim women being mistreated (especially in the third world), there is no doubt that it would affect our motivations to just "get our b*tt out there and compete". Perhaps, just perhaps, the trend of feminism in Muslim women has not been going through the same evolution as I discussed in the beginning of this post. We still persists with the same old question of "can I?" and "if I go out there, will I survive?" It is time for the sisters in Islam to counsel each other, especially their fellow who are still persisting with their fear of being not accepted.

But perhaps, just perhaps, the space and opportunities given out there for us maybe are not as much as what given to other women in the world. We must not forget that Muslim women might not be as well accepted as other women. With the false paradigm towards Muslim women and Islam in general currently spreading all over the world as the cause of impartial media coverage, it is possible that the world out there is unfriendly towards Muslim women. Especially, if we are talking about career, we ought to keep in mind that to build a career means to get in touch with secular world that may or may not accept conservative, religious Islamic outlook such as praying five times a day, wearing hijab, etc. All of those would eventually result in lower acceptance of Islamic values in the secular, career-oriented world. It is an urging problem, to transform the image of conservative Islam to a more modern, friendly, and adaptive image.

Talking about feminism and its relation to the task to shift the image of Islam, I myself believe it is indeed important to raise the spirit of feminism among Muslim women. If we wanted to open people's eyes that Islam is a modern, and all-around not a traditional religion, we ought to do it by showcasing positive images in the media. Media nowadays are highly saturated with images of Muslims in conflicting countries, crying for helping hands. It is now the best moment for Muslim -if we embrace it - to show our success story, since we are currently under the spotlight. And arguably, Muslim women are under the forefront limelight if compared to men. Muslim women, to the media, are easy prey since their image could easily and instantly portray the symbol of being under control, mistreated, and burdened. Especially, Muslim women carries more religious symbols than men. First they have hijab, that might carry connotation meanings i.e. restrictions. Then burqa and abaya, that might symbolize alienation from modern world and outside world. Moreover, there are many issues concerning men dominations in Islam countries: forced marriage, career and socialization restrictions, obligations to stay at home.... and many more. Everything above justify that Muslim women are the ultimate tool for shifting the traditional, conservative image of Islam. If there are more images in the media about Muslim women in modern world who are able to break the ground, showcasing symbols of success in their career and their existence (in politics, educations, economic sector, or elsewhere) especially if they are portrayed wearing hijab or anything else that symbolizes their practice and embrace of Islam; it would be a powerful shifting gear in Islam movement against negative images saturating the media. Hence the urge to embrace spirit of feminism among Muslim women!

All in all, feminism in its new trend could be a powerful tool to motivate Muslim women all over the world. And when combined with the teaching of Islam - which not only teach us to respect women but also tell us the importance to do the best we could since God has entrusted the world in our hands - the spirit of feminism could transform itself into a magnificent spirit for all women in Islam. The spirit that would help shifting the paradigm towards Islam into a whole new respected image. The motivation to join the fight in Allah's path not just because they are Muslim, but also because... they are women. And no jihad will ever be perfectly powerful without their presence in the league.