Introduction
Islam is one of the major religions around the world that have shaped moral values and other social issues such as women’s rights. Some countries such as Iran underwent a religious revolution that determined their internal affairs and socialization. Islamization involves converting and shifting society towards Islam and becoming largely Muslim. Human rights have become a major concern of social institutions, including religions. Islamic feminism is a political and social concept that involves women’s roles as prescribed by Islamic practices. This essay explores articles by Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi and Ziba Mir-Hosseini who present various arguments against the Islamization of Iran and Islamic feminism, consecutively.
Islamization of the State: Iran
Iran is one of the countries that are dominated by Muslims, determining their legal systems and social aspects. Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi in her article “Women’s Rights, “Shari’a” Law, and the Secularization of Islam in Iran” explores the impact of Islamic influence on social issues affecting women. According to the author, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was a major social shift for the country (Ghamari-Tabrizi 238). The sole intention of the revolution was to ensure social freedom, democracy, and independence from the ruling class (Ghamari-Tabrizi 238). It was believed that the revolution would shift Iran into an Islamic state that is solely guided by Islamic moral values and teachings.
The revolution resulted in the secularization of Islam, leading to cultural beliefs, teachings, and moral values that contradict the Quran and the Sunnah. The author uses abortion rights and women’s inheritance legislation to support her argument. Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi states that although Sharia law prohibits post-fetal abortion, Iran has legalized it (Ghamari-Tabrizi 247). Additionally, she states that legalizing the actions of the state to confiscate land from women is unIslamic (Ghamari-Tabrizi 249). Although the Islamization of Iran was intended to free the state from social problems, it has resulted in “secular” legislations that are un-Islamic.
Islamic Feminism
While women’s rights were ignored in the past, contemporary society has prioritized natural rights for all genders. Ziba Mir-Hosseini in the article “Beyond ‘Islam’ vs ‘Feminism’” presents the conflicting approaches of feminism in Islam. According to the author, the concept of ‘Islamic Feminism’ is loaded with disputed meanings and conflicts (Mir-Hosseini 67). She argues that the concept was an ‘unwanted child’ of political Islam. Ziba Mir-Hosseini means that ‘Islamic Feminism’ did not emerge because its supporters had an egalitarian vision of gender relations. Instead, the concept was adopted to return to Sharia law that disfavored women’s rights (Mir-Hosseini 71).
Moreover, Islamists supported the concept because they wanted to legitimize patriarchal rulings. Consequently, ‘Islamic Feminism’ has failed to achieve its objectives in promoting women’s rights (Mir-Hosseini 72). Issues such as gender equality and inheritance of property by women are promoted in egalitarian societies. However, Islamic Sharia laws are against such issues, holding that men are at the center of major social issues. While ‘Islamic Feminism’ tends to protect women’s rights, Islamists are misguided by their intentions to support the concept.
Conclusion
Women’s rights are a major concern of contemporary societies. Iran, through the 1979 Islamic revolution, underwent a significant political shift. Although the revolution was meant to transform the country into an Islam-abiding country, it led to the development of social issues that are contrary to Islamic moral values and teaching. Abortion and the taking away of land by the state are un-Islamic rules that resulted from the revolution. The need to fight for Muslim women’s rights led to the development of ‘Islamic Feminism’. However, the intention of adopting the concept was inconsistent with the egalitarian notion of gender relations. The contradicting aspect of Islam and women’s rights needs new and effective interventions.
Works Cited
Ghamari-Tabrizi, Behrooz. “Women’s Rights, ‘Sharia’ Law, and the Secularization of Islam in Iran.” International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, vol. 26, no. 3, 2013, pp. 237–53. Web.
Mir-Hosseini, Ziba. “Beyond ‘Islam’ vs ‘Feminism’.” IDS Bulletin, vol. 42, no. 1, 2011, pp. 67-77. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.