Implications
of the Interpretations of Islam:
Comparative
Gender Studies in
Ayaan
Hirsi Ali’s Infidel
and
Davar Ardalan’s My Name Is Iran.
Nurul Kamilah Mat Kamil
1007C10614
Period 3
ENG4U
Mr. S. Wise
May 5, 2011
The status of Islam‘s relevance and
compatibility to modern context such as individual women’s rights is a
debatable issue. Presently, in Muslim communities, discrepancies in gender
equality still occur despite the claim that Islam has already given women their
rights. Muslim women are being discriminated against in education, are deemed
unfit to lead in some countries and they don’t have rights to their own bodies
and opinions. These discrepancies, examined in Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Infidel and Davar Ardalan’s My Name Is Iran are caused by the
different interpretations of Islam.
A woman’s education opportunities are stripped as they
get married because the society demands women to be homemakers and faithful
wives to their husbands. Some of them don’t even get the chance to finish their
education as they are married off to their family’s man of choice, “even though
most of the girls were reluctant and some were petrified” (Ali 78). Due to stringent perspectives of how a
“marriage should be” (Ardalan 211), education no longer becomes the priority of
married Muslim women. Although Ardalan was not completely restricted from
pursuing education compared to Ali, her husband was still not being supportive
of her financially and morally, “I realized that I wanted him to support me to
better myself and my children’s lives through my own education” (Ardalan 210). The
circumstances that both Ali and Ardalan faced are both contradictory of Imam
Bukhari’s encouragement of the husband as the wife’s guardian to ensure that
she improves her education (Sahih Bukhari,
3:46:723). Strict adherence to society-conceived gender roles causes this
unfair implication onto Muslim women as men are regarded more deserving for an
education as they can contribute more to a country in leadership. When in Saudi
Arabia, Ali commented that “It wasn’t fair that we weren’t allowed to go out
with him and do all the things Mahad could” (Ali 50). Gender segregation in
schools also led to the differences in syllabus between girls and boys because
some fields are considered inappropriate for a woman’s nature (Hamdan). However,
Ardalan had a somewhat secular upbringing which allowed her more freedom in
education. To her family, “gaining knowledge … was life itself” (Ardalan 71)
and every family member should pursue knowledge regardless of gender. The Muslim
community are also taught to oppose Western teachings, and this caused much
discontent to Ali, “As much as I wanted to become a devout Muslim, I always
found it uncomfortable to oppose the West” (Ali 109). In contrast, Ardalan’s
childhood experiences had direct exposure to the West as she went to an
American high school as her grandparents agreed “that it was best to raise the
children in America” (Ardalan 49), while Ali only had her Western exposure in
her childhood through harlequin novels. Islam does not completely oppose Western teachings and does
encourage pursuing it, as it is complementary in acquiring knowledge
(Gbadamosi). Therefore, it is evident that different communal interpretations
of a woman’s rights to education in Islamic teachings are a cause of gender inequality
in Muslim societies.
Man rules over
woman; even Muslim communities are not spared from this traditional norm that
is detrimental to women’s rights. In many patriarchal Muslim societies, men are
perceived as the leaders and breadwinners of the family and women were
attributed the role of the homemaker. The women then end up confined to their
homes and are not allowed to work as the “money earned by
a woman has never made anyone rich” (Ali 121) and a “pious woman should not
work outside the home” (Ali 67). The fact that the society puts more value “on
male experiences and perspectives [makes man more deserving of] the privileges
given to them, and resulting [in the] devaluation of women’s status, no matter
what contributions they make” (Wadud 100). The confinement of women in a
patriarchal society is psychological as one would feel conflicted with the
majority if one does not conform to the mainstream (Leung). However, it is
stated in the Quran, men
and women can both have a share of what they earn, meaning that both men and
women can work (Quran 4:32). Another
issue is women’s position in religious rituals. Why is it that for most rituals
which involve men and women, the men is appointed to lead prayers and such, and
not the women? “Why does Allah will it? He made me too, but he
always prefers Mahad” (Ali 44). Wadud shares the same view with Ali and adds, “Gender
separation in the mosque also reflects gender disparity through space and the
opportunities that limit women’s access to or participation in the mosque
activities and especially in decision-making” (Wadud 175). With only the
exception of religious practices, women have equal opportunities to men because
the ruling concerning acts of worship is that
anything not prescribed in Shari`ah in explicit texts is prohibited, so that
people may not innovate matters in religion not ordained by Allah (“Yusuf”). There is no denial that women are
created different from man, therefore, both genders play different roles in
religious rituals, but their piety is equally valued. The different roles that
they play do not necessarily mean that one is better than the other. In Iran,
women were forbidden from political involvement and “decisions were made at the
highest level within the patriarchal clerical establishment” (Ardalan 250). Wadud
expounds the argument, “If women only demonstrate and exemplify their ability
to be “like men”, or to be victims of patriarchy, then nothing is learned from
them over and above men in the pulpits, at the head of the line, as well as in
the parliament” (Wadud 182). Since the only difference of gender roles for
women is only in religious matters, it does not limit women’s opportunities in
other aspects of life, or their opportunities to be better Muslims because a woman's role on earth is not limited only to childbirth. As
a Muslim, she is required to do as many good deeds as any other man is required
to do (Azeem). So, it is permissible for
a woman to make contributions in politics, especially if it is for the betterment
of the nation. Even Aisyah, the wife of Prophet Muhammad, led an army in the
Battle of the Camel and became a source of reference for many people at that
time (Geissinger). In short, contributions from both genders are essential
in the development of nations, especially in leadership. Although some
practices in Islam veered to be patriarchal due to social norms, it should not
limit women’s opportunities to contribute to leadership in other aspects
outside religious rituals. It is only due to the different interpretations of
Islam that Muslim women face limitations in leadership positions.
A key issue of women’s rights is the fight against the
objectification of women and to prove that women have rights to their own
bodies and opinions. In Ali’s clan, the women could not object to the groom the
clan has chosen for them, otherwise they were considered a disgrace to the
clan. “Love marriages were a stupid mistake…You sank into a hideous destiny of
impurity, godlessness and disease” (Ali 79). Ali even married a man named Mahmud
just to have sex (Ali 140), because a Muslim could not engage in pre-marital
sex. Marriage is not just for the pleasures of sex, but it is also an
institution that a man and a woman find companionship and a refuge from the trials
and tribulations of life (Patel 37, Quran
30:21). A woman is not a plaything in the hand of
man but a spiritual and moral being who is entrusted to him as a sacred pledge
to which Allah is made a witness. The wife is, therefore, not meant to provide sensuous
pleasure only to the male, but to fully co-operate with him in making the life
of the family and ultimately of the whole humanity significantly meaningful (Sahih Muslim). In certain cultures, arranged marriages are common,
but Islam actually gives the liberty to choose one’s partner based on certain
guidelines (Sahih Muslim 8:35:3457).
A woman has a right to deny her father’s choice if she does not will the
marriage because a woman who has been previously
married is more entitled to her person than her guardian, and a virgin must be
asked for her consent for herself (Muwatta’
28:2:4). Although some Muslim communities make it a practice for
arranged marriages, forced marriages have proven to be more detrimental than
beneficial. Islam emphasizes compatibility in a marriage, and considers mutual
affection in choosing a spouse. A woman’s sexuality is also suppressed with the
justification that “a man’s erotic thoughts were always the fault of the women
who incited them” (Ali 110). “Girls in Somali were excised and the practice is
always justified in the name of Islam…Imams never discourage the practice: it keeps
girls pure” (Ali 31). This
tradition is pervasive because of the insistence of imposing righteousness on
the society by certain groups of people and justifying their violent acts by “endlessly
quoting the famous verse from the Qur’an” (Sardar). This practice of controlling women is not a
teaching of Islam, rather, it has its roots in foreign customs, like the
Byzantine and Persian cultures of female seclusion and the female circumcision
from North African traditions, and is
practiced today only among the Muslims of that region, along with many non-Muslims
(Aykol). Islam does not view sexuality
as a taboo subject, rather it is regarded sacred, and promotes marriage as an
institution that will maintain societal order and as a channel for sexual
pleasure among the spouses. Lastly, the patriarchal society also deems women
fickle and unable to make decisions for themselves, so the decisions are made by
the men. “Certain decisions, he informed me, were better made by
the men of the family” (Ali 127). Ardalan and the Iranian women at the time of
the Revolution had the awareness to “assume the right they had to rule over
themselves instead of imitating the West or the East” (Ardalan 136) after
reading Ali Shariati’s work. In Islam, the concept of shura, literally meaning counsel
in Arabic, encourages participation from all members of the discussion
regardless of gender. Therefore, women can and should offer their opinions to
make their own decisions as well as decisions for an organization as a positive
change is only balanced if it is made and agreed by all the individuals
involved (Farooq). Conclusively, the suppression of women’s rights to her
opinions and her body due to different interpretations of Islam causes gender
inequality in Muslim communities.
In summary, Islam is interpreted differently due to
differences in cultural context as well as other political reasons. Some may be
stricter than the other and even detrimental to both women and society in
aspects of education, leadership and the woman’s individual rights itself.
Therefore, it is best to consider the interpretations that best comply with the
modern understanding of human rights which also stays true to Islam’s vision of
an egalitarian society.
Word count: 1829
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