The Mother, the Muslim & the Feminist
The mistreatment of women within the Muslim community is not only a societal issue, it’s also a spiritual issue. 🧵
It’s an issue that invokes the most lethargic & uninterested response from practicing Muslim men. Yet vast numbers of such men have a profound ability to produce countless refutations in opposition to western feminism. The contrast is clear.
The Muslim discourse against feminism, which is largely theoretical, is not conducive & beneficial to society at present. Reason being, we are not adequately dealing with the very real mistreatment of Muslim women within our community. This should be prioritised. We have prioritised theoretical discussions and debate over lived realities.
The main contention Muslims make against western feminism, is that it has come to disregard the importance of motherhood. Women’s role (and the role of men) in a traditional family and society should be acknowledged and respected. The problem is not gender. The differences between genders has been made very limited for a purpose. The reality is, men & women have much more in common than differences.
The purpose of differences are not simply for reproducing. Rather, the differences are much more dignified; to produce future generations that will succeed. The importance of motherhood and parenting should not be ignored in order to explain gender differences. Children cannot raise themselves and they need effective guidance and nurturing to develop properly.
According to a 2018 survey, being a mother is equivalent to approximately 2.5 full-time jobs.
Traditionally, parenting is an extremely taxing job and a huge responsibility to undertake. Islamically, men have traditional roles in society in order to remove all obstacles, so mothers can continue being mothers. Rather than change or redefine the societal role of women which is what western feminism is inclining towards, we should correct it. Women need to be treated as equal companions, and this will allow free flow of communication, which in turn will allow effective parenting.
However, the Muslim counter narrative against western feminism taking place today has no real substance. Here’s why I say this. The Muslim discourse against western feminism has largely overshadowed the fact that many of our Muslim women are mistreated, abused & relegated to second class citizens within their own community. Relegating the rights of women in the name of Islam is all too common within the Muslim community in the UK.
To list a few examples…
- Muslim men insisting in their right to marry multiple wives without any real thought if it is even compatible for life in the UK.
- Equal access to institutions and mosques just isn’t provided in the UK as women are encouraged to stay within the household as much as possible.
- Improper matrimonial protection for British Muslim married couples that are not registered in UK law.
Muslim women are more likely to be open to vulnerabilities in marriage and separation. The Sharia is clear concerning the rights of either party, but what if one party decides to act on bad faith? The Sharia cannot be enforced in the UK.
The examples just given help demonstrate that there is a need to redefine feminism within a Muslim and cultural framework. Many Muslims might detest the idea and will feel triggered by the word. The name really doesn’t matter. The discussion on how women are actually perceived and treated within Muslim communities actually matters and has real life consequences.
Expectedly, people will say that the feminist discourse is anti Islamic. While this is largely correct for the current state of feminism (especially in the west), it must be understood that man made ideologies can and have always been subject to evolution and adaptation. The crux of the matter is, with the lack of attention on many issues regarding Muslim women and how they are treated in the UK, many are looking towards feminism for solutions. Theoretical debates are unlikely to change this.
