By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam
29 April 2024
We Know The Brilliant Women In Modern Islamic History Who Have Re-Read The Dangerous Depths Of This Systematic Misogynist Construct. These Women Are Role Models For The South Asian Community To Initiate Much Delayed Feminist Reading Of Islam.
Main Points
1. In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Muslim women opened the front of struggle in different countries
2. Had they been able to continue to develop the way of their investigations and struggles, it would have been possible to transform and introduce Islam to the level of the liberating vision of modern societies instead of being labelled as a '6th-century tribal religion'!
3. At various points in modern Islamic history, there have been brilliant women who have recognized the dangerous depth of this systematic anti-feminist construction and re-read it. The first wave of it was the Egyptian women's rights struggles of the last century
4. Indian Muslim women can learn from these reformers the importance of resilience, solidarity, and active engagement in efforts to promote gender equality and social justice. They can draw strength from their legacy and work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for themselves and future generations.
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Attitudes towards women within the Muslim world have become the greatest example of the grave degradation that has taken place in the Muslim community. The Muslim woman and her headscarf are being discussed again in the world through the women of Iran. Its ripples are rising in India too. It has been a long time since the conservative clergy and their minions started throwing 'fatwa baits' at her, but now that the girls have gained the insight to recognize such baits, the religious authorities who claim to have the right to subvert the Muslims are in a state of complete disarray. There is no point in blaspheming against these people who do not turn their attention to the words they utter, even if they reach the result of lying down and spitting. However, the bright chapters of the past need to be placed against the background of the current female awakenings in the Muslim world. It would be an injustice to those individuals and to history not to dwell on some of those struggles that are not so far behind.
In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Muslim women opened the front of struggle in different countries. Religious leaders and political power centres joined hands to liberate the victimized women and girls from the society of that time. Some women fought along the lines of women's liberation in the West, while others saw liberation from within their own existence. Accordingly, they forcefully and persistently questioned the male narratives of Islamic precepts through historical re-reading and logic. They found gender equality, equality and justice, which they interpret as modern values, from these same creeds. At the same time, 'Islam', which deviated from these same values, was constantly ridiculed and scorned by the world.
Peace was alien to these fighters in the ways of justice and rights that Islam had opened before them. Because of the internal and external agitations, rejections, jails and beatings were sought. But the reality is that the governments of many countries had to kneel before them in the last century. Laws were rewritten to accommodate women in education, suffrage, family and social positions. They have made unprecedented progress in many areas.
All of them were qualified and capable enough to compete with or stand ahead of the male world of that time in terms of spiritual and material education. Had they been able to continue to develop the way of their investigations and struggles, it would have been possible to transform and introduce Islam to the level of the liberating vision of modern societies instead of being labeled as a '6th century tribal religion'! However, later, attempts were made to make these women's struggles invisible in the dustbin of history by the authoritarian rule in Muslim countries.
In the second half of the 20th century, there was another reason for the decline of those advances. One of them is the West's 'war on terror'. When the neo-colonial invasions that started from Iraq and spread all over the West Asia destroyed the Muslim countries, the women's lives in those countries were also fragmented. The combination of war and flight made it hellish. On one side, the black hands of the priesthood, on the other, the imperialist foreigners who pretended to be the saviors of Muslim countries. Between the devil and the sea, the female awakenings that had occurred earlier in the Muslim world had weakened roots.
Islam has been relegated to the past by those who have no capacity to guide the Muslims of the modern age, either spiritually or intellectually. Theirs was an approach and intervention that poured oil into the post-September 11 state of affairs in the Muslim world. The attempt was to defend all external attacks on it as a religious community by cloaking it in strict orthodoxy. The body of a Muslim woman was a rusted sheet of it. They have convinced the world within their sphere of influence that its internal and external challenges can only be covered up. Male and female slaves were created accordingly. Arab nationalism was co-opted to label neo-conservatism as Islam. Modern technology has also been used to spread misinterpreted creeds around the world. The result was that misogyny, a vestige of pre-Islamic Arabian tribal life, was exported to various parts in the name of Islam. Its apparent spread was through the black long dress.
The propagandists of neo-liberalism along with the Muslim man come in as the real beneficiaries of the obfuscation of this past in the new circumstances where all democratic interventions towards the problems of the Muslim woman are overturned and hidden on a piece of cloth. Muslim women have begun to rise up in many countries with the support of the new social media while this invasion is intensifying by suppressing the local diversity and rights struggles of Islam. It was a succession of early and later interrupted awakenings. That is what is unfolding in Iran now. Its waves spread to many lands.
While the Muslim community around the world is going through turbulent times under the sharp claws of imperialism and fascism, the power priesthood is busy blocking the outside light and wind with the easily acceptable shield of 'Islamic doctrine', attacking the faith and confidence of women. Unfortunately, in Kerala, which boasts of being a very fertile ground for Muslim 'renaissance', such reform efforts can be seen being trampled with utter disdain. Its stench is emitted by the words of the Maulavis.
At various points in modern Islamic history there have been brilliant women who have recognized the dangerous depth of this systematic anti-feminist construction and re-read it. The first wave of it was the Egyptian women's rights struggles of the last century. Through this, famous fighters who were not brought close to reading areas, including those of India, are being introduced. In the language of the mullahs here, the 'libertines' who challenged the religion.
Huda Sharavi: The Woman Who Pulled Off Her Headscarf In The Face Of The Priesthood
Huda Shaarawi was born in 1879 to Egypt's extreme orthodoxy. Huda Sharawi is the first name on the list of women who changed Egypt. She is also considered to be the pioneer of the women's movement in that country. She was born into the 'harem' system where men and women were separated. Her father was Muhammad Sultan Pasha, who was active in Egyptian national politics.
Huda Sha'arawi - Wikipedia
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Despite being born into an elite family, they too were destined to grow up in oblivion. In those days girls were denied schooling. Women huddled indoors in secluded rooms and wore face veils when going out. Huda Sharawi's situation was no different. She was deeply disappointed that she was denied the same schooling as her brother. She was deeply saddened by the family's neglect of her studies and their secondary attitude towards her as a girl. Huda realized that being a woman stood between her and her freedom.
The Egyptian Feminist Union was founded in 1923 by Huda Shaarawi, president of the Women's Central Committee of the national political party 'Wafd' in 1920. In March of the same year, she removed her headscarf and face covering from a train at the Cairo railway station. He jumped out of the train with his head open. Other women were invited to join this movement
At the age of 13, she was forced to marry her cousin, Ali Shaarawi, who was 40 years older than her. She had no choice but to give in to save her family's honor. But Huda decided to speak out about his pain and start the revolution himself. So as a child she started speaking to people against this injustice. As a result, many women came out of hiding for the first time in their lives. In 1908, under the leadership of Huda, the first secular charity organization run by Egyptian women was formed. It was for service activities for underprivileged women and children.
Huda and her husband Ali were strong supporters of Egyptian independence from Great Britain. In 1920, Huda became the president of the Women's Central Committee of a national political party called 'WAFD'. The open participation of women in the national movement marked a turning point in Egyptian society. Never before had so many women been openly involved in political activities. After her husband's death, Huda Sherawi shifted her focus from the nationalist movement to efforts towards women's equality. In 1923, she founded the Egyptian Feminist Union. It spurred women's suffrage, personal law reforms, and educational opportunities for girls and women.
In March of the same year, an incident that shook the country took place. It was when Huda Shaarawi was returning home after attending the International Women's Conference in Rome. She removed her headscarf with face covering from the train at the Cairo railway station. He jumped out of the train with his head open. Other women were invited to join this movement. This was the first anti-headscarf protest in Egypt. It became a strong blow on the face of the religious priesthood. Many women came out from inside as part of the protest. Huda then ventured into the practical ways of women's education. Schools were started for girls. An organization called the Egyptian Feminist Union was also formed. Their fight to raise the marriageable age of girls to 16 was successful. Huda Shaarawi remained president of the Egyptian Feminist Union for the rest of her life and became the founding president of the Arab Feminist Union in 1945. She left this world in 1947 after constant struggle for the liberation and rights of women and children.
Doria Shafiq: The Daughter Of The Storm-Turned-Nile
Doria Shefiq, a poet and editor, was one of the prominent leaders of the women's liberation movement in Egypt in the mid-1940s. As a result of their struggle, Egyptian women won the right to vote.
Doria Shefiq, a poet and editor
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Doria was one of the first Egyptian girls to graduate from secondary school with a baccalaureate degree at the age of 18. The Egyptian Ministry of Education awarded her a scholarship to study at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He received his PhD in Philosophy. She wrote a thesis on equal rights for women. When she returned to Egypt from France in 1940 after her studies, she wanted to contribute to the education of her country's youth through teaching, but was denied a teaching position by the Dean of the Faculty of Literature at Cairo University on the grounds of being 'liberal'.
The event that caused a storm in the Egyptian Parliament took place in February 1951. Doria Shefiq secretly brought 1500 women to the parliament through Bint Al Nil and the Egyptian Feminist Union. She stalled Parliament for hours with several demands related to women's socio-economic rights. This created a huge uproar in the country
He then became the editor-in-chief of La Femme Nouvelle, a French cultural and literary magazine. It was decided to publish an Arabic magazine called Bint Al Nil (Daughter of the Nile) aimed at educating Egyptian women and helping them play the most effective role in the family and society. The first edition sold out immediately after its release in November 1945.
Two years later Doria formed the 'Bint Al Nil' Union to address the primary social issues of women and ensure their inclusion in the country's policies. Efforts were made to eradicate illiteracy by setting up centres for the purpose across the country and setting up employment offices and cafeterias for employed women.
The event that caused a storm in the Egyptian Parliament took place in February 1951. Through Bint Al Nil and the Egyptian Feminist Union, Doria secretly brought 1500 women to the parliament. She stalled Parliament for hours with several demands related to women's socio-economic rights. This created a huge uproar in the country. In the same year, Doria formed a uniformed paramilitary unit. She led a senior brigade to surround and shut down a bank in the country. Police arrested them during the demonstration.
After the Egyptian revolution of 1952, the government invited Bint al-Nil to recognize it as a political party. Doria Shafiq herself became its president. In March 1954, she went on an eight-day hunger strike in protest against the formation of the Constitution Committee without women. They ended their strike after receiving written assurances from President Najib that he would commit to a constitution that respects women's rights. As a result of the interest sparked by the hunger strike, Doria was invited to lecture on Egyptian women in Asia, Europe and America. She travelled to Italy, England, France, the United States, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. As a result of Doria's tireless efforts, women got the right to vote under the 1956 Constitution.
Doria went on a second hunger strike at the Indian Embassy to protest the dictatorial rule of President Jamal Abdul Nasser. Nasser put them under house arrest. Their names were banned from the newspapers and their magazines from circulation. They waged an unrelenting and continuous struggle against the priesthood and the state. In addition to print media, she has written a novel, 'El Eslave de Sultan' (The King's Slave) and several poems about the slavery of women to men.
Nawal El Saadawi: Owner of Bright Liberation Politics
It seems that there is no other women's liberator in the world who has fought and struggled with the authoritarian system within religion and within capitalism like Nawal El Saadawi. Nawal Saadawi is the second wave in the fight for women's rights in Egypt. That life was a vast sea of experiences that at once baffled and thrilled those who sought to know them. A brilliant personality who shined in diverse fields like writer, activist, physician, mental health expert, teacher and organizer.
Nawal El Saadawi: Egyptian author and activist
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Till she left this world on March 21, 2021 at the age of 89, she continued to radiate the fresh energy of unique thought and bravery. For decades, she has shared her story and perspectives with the world through novels, essays, autobiographies, and lively conversations. Their brutal honesty and unwavering dedication to advancing women's political and sexual rights struck a chord enough to inspire generations.
Nawal El Saadawi made the most accurate political observation that 'oppression of women has its roots in the global capitalist system, supported by religious fundamentalism'.
Sadavi's works have been translated from Arabic into more than thirty languages. She was a strong critic of capitalism as well as religions. She made the most accurate political observation that 'the oppression of women is rooted in the global capitalist system, supported by religious fundamentalism'.
Born the second of nine children in a village on the outskirts of Cairo in 1931, Saadawi’s life was surprisingly eventful. Saadawi’s father was an official in the Egyptian Ministry of Education. During the Egyptian Revolution of 1919, he was exiled to a small town on the banks of the Nile as a result of campaigning against British occupation. Being relatively progressive, he taught his daughter to grow up with self-respect. Those parents encouraged their children's education. Even so, Saadawi was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) at the age of six according to the local custom. In her book 'The Hidden Face of Eve', she describes the painful brutality on the bathroom floor. She campaigned against this practice throughout her life. It was argued that it was meant to oppress women. Egypt banned FGM in 2008. Yet Saadawi continued to fight against it.
There was an attempt to get her married at the age of 10, but her mother objected. Saadawi learned at an early age that daughters are valued less than sons in that society. When her grandmother once said, 'A boy is worth at least 15 girls,' she cried out against it. Saadawi wrote his first novel at the age of 13! The early demise of her parents put the burden of taking care of the large family on her shoulders, but she did not get discouraged. He graduated in medicine from Cairo University in 1955, worked as a doctor, including in villages, and eventually specialized in psychiatry. He joined the Egyptian government as director of public health.
Ever since she dared to speak out dangerously, Sadavi has faced death threats and imprisonment. They never retreated in fear. 'I am telling the truth. "Truth is cruel and dangerous," they once said. A friend called her 'born with a fighting spirit'. About Omnia Amin Saadawi. She got a fighting spirit and self-esteem from her father. She proudly described herself as a dark-skinned Egyptian woman from a young age. Fearlessly looking the priesthood and its political forms in the face, they exposed the truth. At one point, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat put them behind bars.
In 1972, while director of public health, she was fired after publishing a non-fiction book, Women and Sex, which criticized FGM and the sexual harassment of women. The magazine 'Health' founded by Saadawi was closed down. Yet speaking and writing did not stop. In 1975, the novel 'Woman at Point Zero' was published. The novel was based on the real-life account of a woman on death row.
In 1977, she wrote 'Hidden Face of Eve', which chronicled her experiences as a village doctor witnessing sexual harassment, murders and prostitution. This created a great stir. Critics have accused it of subverting the role models of Arab women. In September 1981, under the regime of President Anwar Sadat, Saadawi was arrested and imprisoned for several months. She scribbled notes on dirty toilet paper using an eyebrow pencil from her sex worker in prison.
After Anwar Sadat's assassination, Saadawi was released from prison. But their work was censored and their books banned. In the years that followed, death threats came from fundamentalists. The courts went up. Eventually he became an expatriate in the US. She has accepted offers to teach in the Department of Asian and African Languages at Duke University in North Carolina and at the University of Washington. From there the attacks on religion, colonialism and Western hypocrisy continued.
He later held positions at several prestigious colleges and universities, including Cairo University, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Sorbonne, Georgetown, Florida State University, University of California, and Berkeley. She received honorary degrees from three continents. But their only dream or hope was recognition from Egypt. She said that she has received honours all over the world but none from her own country. Saadawi returned to his beloved Egypt in 1996. In the 2004 election, he tried to run for the presidency. In 2011, he was in Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest against President Hosni Mubarak. He spent his last years in Cairo with his son and daughter.
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A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-world-women-reformers-part-1/d/132225
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6:30 AM
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