ISLAMIC FEMINISM

Feminism's existence in Bangladesh and in Islam is not new phenomena. There are a lot of feminist jurisprudences in Islam which are still unreachable to Bangladeshi women. Since as of modernism, women have been struggling for their equal rights and empowerment which are already enshrined in the Islamic philosophy of life. However, in Bangladesh, some of the women's jurisprudential rights in Islam were ignored somehow due to social norms and customary legitimacy although this is a Muslim-majority country. It is notable that, Bangladesh is gradually developing women's rights-related challenges day by day; besides, its overall progress in the country. Some specific rights are very obvious, such as the right to education, political rights, social rights and so on. Yet, there are certain issues regarding women's rights in Islam that has a negative approach in Bangladesh and they do exist in the country while Islam does not conflict as religious disputes. Some women activists in Bangladesh are claiming that Islam discriminates between male and female in feminism. But it van be argued that Islam has given women rights and empowers them in a unique way. Islam is a religion that is in favor of women's emancipation in the society. This study will find out those issues with Islamic arrangement, following core principles outlined in the Quran and Hadith in terms of Islamic Jurisprudence of feminism and scholarly opinions of renowned scholars.

Beijing Law Review, 2019

Allah (SWT) has created both men and women without subordination of one another. Islam has ensured gender equality and women's rights in every sphere of their life. Islam has guaranteed rights of men and women in an equal degree and there is no discrimination between men and women. But due to the prevailing socio-cultural norms and practices in Bangladesh sometimes the guarantee of Islam do not get translated into tangible actions. Islam is the religion which liberated Muslim women by ensuring equal rights to them in comparison to their male fellow. There are some misconceptions prevailing in Bangladesh regarding women's rights in Islam. Sometimes Muslim women themselves falsely knew that they are backward and oppressed by their religion. Some make great mistake in presuming that all conduct and practices of a Muslim are connected to Islam. The prime object of this study is to pick out how rights of women are ensured in Islam. This study concludes with an allusion that women are not subordinate of men and indicate an avenue to identify properly women in the light of Islam. This research is actually qualitative in nature where only secondary data has been used. Analytical method was also used in this research. Data has been collected from various books, journals, holy Qur'an and sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This research finds that Islam does not deprive the women rather ensuring proper rights, dignity and status but due to lack of proper Islamic knowledge and awareness and sometimes to dominate or neglect some misconceptions prevailing in Bangladesh. To eliminate prevailing misconceptions regarding women rights in Islam proper Islamic knowledge and awareness of the women is essential. The core implication of this research is that it will play a vital role to eliminate prevailing misconceptions regarding women rights in Islam and to ensure the rights, dignity and status of women as given in Islam. This study will open a new avenue for scholars who will be

Masters thesis , 2015

This thesis explores the multifaceted dimensions of women's rights within the context of Islam and its practical application in Bangladesh. The primary aim is to critically analyze the intersection of Islamic principles with contemporary issues concerning gender equity, focusing on the legal, social, and cultural aspects of women's rights. The research begins by examining the foundational concepts of women's rights in Islam, highlighting the theological and historical underpinnings that inform these rights. It then assesses the current state of women's rights in Bangladesh, addressing discrepancies between Islamic teachings and the realities faced by women in the country. Key areas of investigation include the interpretation of inheritance laws, the impact of socio-cultural practices on women's rights, and the effectiveness of legal reforms aimed at improving gender equality. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive view of the issues. Interviews, surveys, and a review of existing literature and legal documents are used to gather insights into the experiences of women and the functioning of relevant legal frameworks. The findings reveal significant gaps between the ideal of gender justice as envisioned in Islamic teachings and the lived experiences of women in Bangladesh. The study identifies key factors contributing to these gaps, including socio-economic challenges, cultural norms, and legal limitations. It also offers recommendations for policy changes and legal reforms designed to better align Islamic principles with contemporary human rights standards. Overall, this research aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on women's rights by providing a nuanced understanding of how Islamic teachings can be harmonized with modern concepts of gender equality. It underscores the need for continued efforts to bridge the gap between religious ideals and practical implementation, ultimately seeking to enhance the protection and promotion of women's rights in Bangladesh and similar contexts.

This book contains English essays on gender issues the author Shah Abdul Hannan originally wrote in Bangla over more than two decades. As part of his continuing quest for justice, he has been passionate about establishing gender egalitarianism in Bangladesh society. Even though the sociocultural reality of Bangladesh has been at the back of his mind while penning his thoughts transmitted in these essays, they can be effective in addressing gender disparities in other societies as well. The crux of his arguments with regard to gender issues corresponds with what the emerging Islamic feminist discourse promotes, that is, the best way to address gender inequities and gender based discrimination is to go back to the teachings of Islam. At the same time, Shah Abdul Hannan believes, it is important to understand the primary sources of Islam – the Qur’an and the Sunnah – in the context of contemporary concerns and perspectives. This book should be highly useful to all those who are interested in Islam and gender as well as policy makers and researchers in this field.

2000

Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction Women in Islam: A Reappraisal Mullas, Popular Islam and Misogyny Women as Victims of the Salish: Fatwas, Mullas and the Village Community NGOs and Empowerment of Women: Some Problematic Prognoses Militant Feminism, Islam and Patriarchy: Taslima Nasreen, Ulama and the Polity Conclusions Index

Women's Studies International Forum, 2010

This paper addresses the common question, 'Does Islam empower women?' in the context of contemporary Bangladesh. Its aim is not to offer a substantive answer, but to bring out the politics of the question, and to suggest some new criteria by which specific cases might be assessed. The paper begins by exploring the complexity of question, given the longstanding use of gender as key signifier of both modernity and Islam, which is intensified in the current 'war on terror.' It then outlines briefly the situation in Bangladesh, characterised by narrowing indicators of gender inequality on the one hand and increased visibility of Islam in society and politics on the other. Tracing how religion figures in the gender literature reveals shifts from absence, to masculine (and oppressive) presence, to stressing women's (oppositional) agency, and to seeing women themselves as religious subjects. Two individual religious women in Bangladesh are then introduced, and the commonalities and contrasts between them analysed. The paper concludes that the gender politics of Islam cannot be assumed, since there is diversity by broader political perspective, experience, and social location. Affirming the moves of recent scholarship to understand religious narratives in their own terms, it nevertheless argues that this is not sufficient. There is need to explore two further basic questions: how others are positioned through the exterior constructed by the constitution of the self; and whether one domain may be co-opted by another, to serve very different political ends.

There is no denying that women in many societies suffer from multiple layers of discriminations and social exclusion, and that the patriarchal social structure aggravates their susceptibility to various forms of oppression and abuse. Men have enjoyed various privileges at the expense of women’s rights and wellbeing. Whenever challenged, custodians of gender-based inequalities have used social mythologies, and sometimes pseudo-religious arguments, to facilitate and sustain the complex structure of gender stereotypes and to defend their privileges, and thus to perpetuate their domination over women. As a result, as far as gender relations are concerned, especially in Muslim cultural contexts, religion and patriarchy seem enmeshed and inseparable because of misuse and wrong interpretations or misapplications of Islamic religious texts. However, people of good will and sound judgment and intellectuals with substantial socio-cultural knowledge and Islamic scholarship have said it over and over again that the religion of Islam is a means of, and not an impediment to, women’s liberation and empowerment.

Women’s emancipation is one of the important issue in focus now a days and one of six goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Islam is the second largest and fastest growing popular religion over the world. In the context of Bangladesh, contemporary experiences and writings of some feminists shows that Islam is a big barrier to women’s emancipation. On the other hand, the Islamic scholars and Ulamas claims Islam as a religion where women are given priority and equality and criticize women’s movement activists negatively. Personal experiences of researcher shows that there is a conflict between Islam and women’s emancipation. Through a qualitative research methodology, I have conducted a research on perceptions of people on the relation between Islam and women’s emancipation. The findings of the study indicate some emancipatory elements of Islam and shows that Islam emancipate and creates opportunity to emancipate women in many spheres. Also some non-emancipatory elements found in Islam through people’s perception that claims Islam as a religion influenced by patriarchy. Findings of the study also shows two different phases of Islam; pure and practice in Bangladesh. Study shows that pure Islam has very few spheres where patriarchy influence, but in practice, men use and misinterpret Islam and Islamic laws to dominate and oppress women.