In the last decade, there has been a feverish race by feminist movements to spread their ideas in our Islamic world, coinciding with an atheistic wave that partially centered around the issue of women's rights, using it as a gateway to spread atheistic poison. Consequently, the cultural phenomenon was not limited to social and political demands but extended to include religious and intellectual influences, sparking wide discussions about the core relationship between feminist movements and atheism.
The roots of feminist movements go back to the 19th century, where women in the West began to demand their basic rights such as education, work, and political participation. Over time, these demands evolved to include more complex issues such as bodily rights and sexual freedom, putting them in direct confrontation with the traditional religious concepts in Christian Europe at the time, which considered women as subordinate to men.
As a result, modern feminist movements have become synonymous with challenging religious norms that feminists consider restricting women's freedoms. This is expressed by researcher Karen Armstrong in her book "Women and Religion," pointing out that traditional religions often adopt a derogatory view of women, reinforcing male dominance, as she puts it.
Although many feminists do not explicitly adopt atheistic thought, there are clear intersections between some feminist currents and atheistic ideas. Radical feminist thought intersects with atheism in its rejection of religious laws on the grounds that they are a source of discrimination against women.
One of the most prominent activists in this field is feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir, who linked the liberation of women with the liberation of humans from religious constraints in her famous book "The Second Sex." She argued that religion is used as a tool to keep women in a subordinate state and that true liberation for women requires freeing from these constraints.
French researcher Élisabeth Badinter, in her book "The Unopposite Sex," confirms that some Western feminist currents saw religion, especially the Abrahamic religions (referring to the three scriptural religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), as a source of discrimination against women and reinforcement of male dominance. This led some feminist activists to adopt explicit atheistic positions, considering the critique of religion an integral part of the feminist struggle!
And here arises the question about Islam's stance on women's issues and rights compared to Western feminist propositions. The late Islamic thinker Dr. Muhammad Imara, in his book "The Islamic Liberation of Women," asserts that Islam honored women and granted them rights that did not exist in pre-Islamic times, such as the right to inheritance, ownership, and education. He presented a model of justice between genders that differs from the Western model based on absolute equality.
In this context, Dr. Aziza Al-Barikan, in her book "Women's Rights: Between Contemporary Trends and Islamic Guidance," provides a detailed comparison between the Islamic perspective and some Western feminist propositions. She concludes that Islam offers a balanced framework that preserves the dignity and rights of women without eliminating the natural differences between genders.
According to Al-Barikan's view, Islam acknowledges equality in human value and dignity, while recognizing the complementarity between genders in roles and responsibilities.
In his encyclopedia "The Liberation of Women in the Era of the Message," Dr. Abdul Halim Abu Shuqqa explains that Islam granted women the right to education, work, the right to choose a spouse, and participation in political life. However, one cannot deny the existence of different interpretations and jurisprudential opinions that may vary in their stance on women's rights.
Some stringent Islamic propositions have contributed to the spread of radical feminism, as mentioned by Dr. Amina Naseer in her book "Women's Issues: Between Heritage and Modernity," where she provides a critical analysis of cultural practices attributed to Islam that have marginalized women's roles in some Islamic societies.
Amina Naseer calls for a re-reading of religious texts away from traditional male interpretations, asserting that true Islam inherently carries the elements for women's liberation and empowerment.
In light of this, a trend has emerged in recent years that adopts criticisms of prevailing Islamic interpretations regarding women and seeks to "reinterpret religious texts in line with the spirit of the times and women's rights." This trend has come to be known as "Islamic feminism."
Researcher Omaima Abu Bakr, in her book "Women and Gender: Eliminating Cultural and Social Discrimination Between the Sexes," asserts that feminism and atheism are not two sides of the same coin. She points out the existence of religious feminist currents, including Islamic feminism, which seek to achieve justice for women from within the religious framework. These currents believe that religion, if understood correctly, can be a source of liberation rather than oppression.
But can feminism truly be Islamic? Posing this question is almost akin to questioning whether capitalism can be made communistic!
Professor of Comparative Religion Dr. Sami Amiri offers a critique of this proposition in his book "Islamic Feminism: Between Disassociation and Fabrication," where he argues that this current represents a deviation from the authentic principles of Islam and expresses gender bias, using Islam merely as a marketing label.
Amiri describes the Islamic feminism trend as a byproduct of the crisis of Islam being hijacked by foreign schools opposed to its definitive principles.
I believe that Dr. Amiri's perspective is correct, while emphasizing that the relationship between feminism and atheism is not necessarily inevitable or necessary. The demand for women's rights and achieving gender justice does not necessarily conflict with religious faith.
However, the real challenge lies in how to present this Islamic model in a contemporary manner that transcends the erroneous practices and stringent interpretations attributed to the religion. Here, the role of Muslim thinkers and researchers comes into play in re-reading Islamic heritage and presenting a balanced vision that combines authenticity with modernity.
Women's issues and their rights remain among the most important contemporary issues that need further research and study. The Islamic approach, with its values of justice and human dignity, can make a significant contribution to this field, away from the ideological polarization between extreme feminist currents and stringent religious interpretations. The ultimate goal should be to achieve a just society that respects the dignity of all its members, both men and women, within the framework of the great values of Islam.
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