Women in the Middle: challenging hyper-liberalism, challenging ultra-conservatism

Presented at IPSA Spring Symposium.

Published at Voice of the Cape.

I would like to begin by stating from the outset, that I approach this topic, not as an Islamic scholar or expert of any kind, but rather, as a student, a gender activist, and quite simply, as a woman who is trying to walk the middle way. There is, I believe, no better spokespeople for Muslim women as Muslim women ourselves, and therefore, I thank IPSA for extending this invitation to me, although I am quite humbled and hesitant to express my opinions on the same platform as such accomplished scholars, especially my esteemed teacher, Shaykh Seraj Hendricks, with whom, not surprisingly I have discussed this topic, time and time again.

It would be very easy and painstakingly clichéd to approach a topic such as “women in the middle” with the usual bout of “Islam has given women so many rights”. This is both simplistic and does not meet the challenge of answering exactly why and how so many things have gone awry with women and Islam. Instead, I wish to provide an overview of the new gender discourses in the tradition, a middle way approach by way of ‘fiqh al-Nisa’ and reference to some examples of South African women treading the middle way.

They Don’t Have Prayer: the Media and Eid for Muslim Women in South Africa

Published at Muslimah Media Watch, Muslim Matters and Racialicious

Several weeks after Eid al Fitr and before Eid al Adha, it’s a good time to analyze the recent media embroglio about women and Eid prayers in South Africa. The ways in which South African Muslims interact with the media has changed drastically in the last few years with the rise of social media, and this has reflected itself especially in what has been called “the desktop gender jihad” (women using the internet to fight, lobby and advocate for their rights).

In the weeks following Eid al-Fitr, a group of South African women from different cities and affiliated with different groups put their heads together to make a statement: Women have the right to attend Eid prayers. Traditionally, South African Muslim women in the north have been barred from attending the prayers, as part of the dominant mindset of women as a source “temptation” and “distraction.” Muslims in the South, especially in the Cape, have always had women as part of their congregations. These differences are sometimes attributed to ethnicity and sometimes to madhab (school of law).

Faithworks Inaugural Documentary Screening

 

Published in Al Qalam newspaper

A group of young Muslim women, working under the brand of Faithworks, have launched an exciting documentary screening project, the aim of which is to showcase alternate expressions of Islam, fostering inter and intra-religious tolerance.

Months of tireless work to secure licenses and funding to screen the movies and grapple with the logistics, have finally paid off, and the response from the Johannesburg community has been overwhelming.

Muslims are not a monolith, and the world over, articulate their faith in diverse ways. Using the power of film, Faithworks hopes to showcase some of these different expressions, as well to explore divisive issues, especially related to the arts, gender, spirituality and politics. (photo via Safeeyah Kharsany)