After centuries of repression, women of Islam are beginning to self-organize against their ultraconservative male counterparts, giving rise to an Islamic feminist movement that is one of the best hopes for countering extremism in Muslim countries. They recently convened the first International Congress on Islamic Feminism in Barcelona, Spain to share and discuss strategies and with the intention of internationally disseminating the emergent movement of Muslim women for human rights, known as the “gender jihad”.
For far too long, the moderate elements of Islam have been silent on the shameful misappropriation of the Koran by conservatives, who have allowed women’s rights to be replaced by manmade rules and tribal traditions masquerading as divine law. It’s shameful because Islam has a long history of being progressive on women’s rights - it’s only in the last two centuries that Islam has been distorted by sharia rulings made by conservative fundamentalists.
The rise of the Islamic feminist movement is in its earliest stages, and deserving of our recognition, support and encouragement. They are speaking out and confronting gender inequalities that spread intolerance and foster hatred, while facing strong opposition from the Saudi-funded men’s club that is modern Islam.
In my mind, that is a jihad worth supporting.
