A Critical Assessment of Turkish Islamic Feminism: A Simone de Beauvoirian Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Mehmet Kanatli

Abstract From the early years of the Turkish Republic to the end of the 1990s, the individuals who constitute the Turkish Islamic feminist movement have been the ‘other’ to Kemalist secular women. In the mid-2000s, having found a solution to the ‘headscarf question’, Muslim women started to express their demands, ranging from equal opportunities in education to the transformation of patriarchal structures and the reconstruction of female identity. The article’s main objective is to develop arguments for how dilemmas can be transcended in the process of identity-building. The main hypothesis put forward is that the participants in the Turkish Islamic feminist movement, who could turn their dilemmas into advantages if they managed to establish their relationship with the ‘other’ in line with the universal secular values of equality and freedom, will achieve their existential freedom only to the extent that they are able to act from an existential perspective.

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 489-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
SYLVIA VATUK

AbstractI describe here a nascent ‘Islamic feminist’ movement in India, dedicated to the goal of achieving gender equity under Muslim Personal Law. In justifying their demands, these women activists refer neither to the Indian Constitution nor to the universalistic human rights principles that guide secular feminists campaigning for passage of a gender-neutral uniform civil code of personal law, but rather to the authority of the Qur'an—which, they claim, grants Muslim women numerous rights that in practice are routinely denied them. They accuse the male ‘ulamaof foisting ‘patriarchal’ interpretations of the Qur'an on the unlettered Muslim masses and assert their right to read the Qur'an for themselves and interpret it in a woman-friendly way. Their activities reflect an increasing ‘fragmentation of religious authority’ in the globalizing Muslim world, associated with the spread of mass education, new forms of media and transport and a mobile labour force, in which clerical claims to exclusive authoritative knowledge are being questioned by a wide variety of new voices, women's among them. Whether it can ultimately succeed is an open question but the movement is clearly having an impact, even on the clerical establishment itself, insofar as the legal issues it considers most pressing for women are concerned.


2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. i-iii
Author(s):  
Jasmin Zine ◽  
Katherine Bullock

Introduction Historically, the category of"Muslim woman" has been a malleable construct subject to constant redefinition to suit particular political, cultural, or ideo­logical purposes. Policing this category is done by errant religious groups like the Taliban as well as western secular feminists. Both groups inscribe com­peting and contradictory frames of reference on Muslim women's bodies. Located within this dialectical dynamic, the rhetoric of Muslim women's lib­eration is all too often caught up in the vast undercurrents of ideological extremism on the one hand, and racism and Islamophobia on the other. Tn the dominant academic discourses, the images of subjugated Muslim women persist, despite feminist movement away from essential ism and the increasing academic and political investment in polyvocality and personal narrative. Discourses of "Otherness" in feminist writing quite often begin with liberal notions of "letting women speak." However, these voices are often muted by the alterity of the oppressed or victim-centered tropes through which they are represented. This type of representational politics implicitly denies that Muslim women possess the political maturity to speak for themselves ...


2007 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 5-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kader Konuk

AbstractThe place of Jews was highly ambiguous in the newly founded Turkish Republic: In 1928 an assimilationist campaign was launched against Turkish Jews, while only a few years later, in 1933, German scholars—many of them Jewish—were taken in so as to help Europeanize the nation. Turkish authorities regarded the emigrants as representatives of European civilization and appointed scholars like Erich Auerbach to prestigious academic positions that were vital for redefining the humanities in Turkey. This article explores the country's twofold assimilationist policies. On the one hand, Turkey required of its citizens—regardless of ethnic or religious origins—that they conform to a unified Turkish culture; on the other hand, an equally assimilationist modernization project was designed to achieve cultural recognition from the heart of Europe. By linking historical and contemporary discourses, this article shows how tropes of Jewishness have played—and continue to play—a critical role in the conception of Turkish nationhood. The status of Erich Auerbach, Chair of the Faculty for Western Languages and Literatures at İstanbul University from 1936 to 1947, is central to this investigation into the place of Turkish and German Jews in modern Turkey.


1993 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 291-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Hayhoe

China's present leadership sees universities as being of key importance for the country's economic development and for its relationship with Western countries. This is a kind of two-edged sword. On the one hand, considerable support and encouragement for scientific and technological development is provided, together with pressures for scientific findings to be applied to specific economic development needs. On the other, the reflective and theoretical social sciences and the humanities are being purged of Western influences in efforts to mobilize all resources against what is seen as the Western strategy of fostering “peaceful evolution” towards capitalism. The kinds of tension that arise out of this highly contradictory situation are severe.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66
Author(s):  
Amri Azhari

There are two different thoughts of the scholars since the last period to the present about the use of Veil. The first thought which oblige a woman Muslim to close the face [Veiled] in front of the male who is not her Mahram; because the face is a primary body part that must be covered. This thought being the opinion of Imam Ahmad bin Hambal, and a strong thought of Imam Syafi'i. The second opinion says Istihbab [Highly recommended], this being the opinion of the Imam Malik and Abu Hanifah's thought and Imam Malik, but, on the other thought of Hanafi and Maliki, since then,  they oblige a veiled woman when they're worried about a slander that will occurr to them. It could happen to her if she is pretty girl, so it appears a libel damages and a malice outbreaking. As this opinion asserted by Al imam Ibn ' Abidin Alhanafi his book [Raddul Muhtar ' Ala Addurul Mukhtar] said: the young girl is prohibited to open her face in the presence of a male [that is not her mahram], it does not because of the face is a body part that must be covered, nevertheless it is concerned as a defamation that occur to the tempted men though his desires are not appeared. Then, the thought about this istihbab is strongly assumed by Shaykh Muhammad al-Albani, a great scholar in the field of Hadith. In addition, he also has a considerable role in enriching the treasure in the field of Islamic law by producing a good works such as the book: (Hijab Almar-ah Almuslimah Fii Alkitaab Wa Assunnah) and a book (Arradul Mufhim ' Ala Man Khalafa Al ulamaa Wa tasyadda Wa ta'shshaba Wa alzama  Almar ata antastura Wajhaha Wa kaffaiha Wa awjaba Wa lam yaqna ' Biqaulihim Innahu Sunnatun  wa Mustahabbun). those two books were his Ijtihad about the use of the veil and islamic law.  Mustahabbun/Sunnah (highly recommended for Muslim women and it does not up to the obligatorily required status). Based on the some Imam Madzhab's thought being compared with the opinions of Shaykh Muhammad al-Albani about the veil, as a result, the author of this scientific works has  aims to explain a different thought among Mutaqaddimin and Muakhkhirin scholars about the veil. I pray to Allah, may Allah gives a great benefits, Aamiin Yaa Rabbal 'alamiin.Para Ulama sejak dahulu sampai sekarang berselisih paham tentang hukum Cadar dangan dua pendapat: yang pertama pendapat yang mewajibkan seorang wanita muslimah untuk menutup wajah [ Bercadar ] didepan laki-laki yg bukan Mahram; dikarenakan Muka adalah Aurat yang wajib di tutut, hal ini menjadi pendapat Imam Ahmad bin Hambal, dan pendapat yang kuat dalam madzham Imam Syafi’. Yang kedua pendapat yang mengatakan Istihbab [ Sangat di anjurkan] , ini menjadi pendapat Madzhab Imam Abu Hanifah dan Imam Malik, Namun di sisi lain para ulama Hanafi dan Maliki- sejak dahulu kala meraka mewajibkan wanita bercadar ketika di khawatirkan terjadinya fitnah yang akan menimpanya; hal tercebut bisa terjadi jika seorang wanit yg cantik maka timbullah fitnah berupa kerusakan dan merebaknya kefasikan. Sebagaimana pendapat ini di tagaskan oleh Al imam Ibnu ‘ Abidin Alhanafi di dalam kitab beliau [ Raddul  Muhtar  ‘Ala  Addurul Mukhtar ]  berkata: Wanita yg masih muda di larang membuka wajah di hadapan laki-laki [ yg bukan mahram baginya] , bukan karena wajah iyu Aurat , namun khawatir fitnah yg akan menimpa laki- laki seperti terlena/ tergoda walaupun tidak bangkit syahwatnya. Lalu pendat yg mengatakan Istihbab ini di kuat oleh Syaikh Muhammad Nashiruddin al Albani, beliau adalah seorang yang mampuni dalam bidang hadits. Di samping itu beliau juga memiliki peran yang cukup besar dalam memperkaya khazanah  dalam bidang hukum-hukum Islam dengan karya-karya yang bermutu semisal buku beliau:  ( Jilbab Almar-ah Almuslimah Fii Alkitaab Wa Assunnah ) Dan kitab  ( Arradul Mufhim ‘Ala Man Khalafa Al ulamaa Wa tasyadda Wa ta’shshaba Wa alzama Almar-ata An Tastura Wajhaha Wa kaffaiha Wa awjaba Wa lam yaqna’ Biqaulihim Innahu Sunnatun Wa Mustahabbun .dua  buku tersebut merupakan Ijtihad beliau tentang hukum Cadar  dalam huk um Islam yaitu: Mustahabbun/ Sunnah ( Sangat di anjurkan bagi wanita muslimah dan tidak sampai ke status Wajib). Berangkat dari pendapat Para Imam- imam Madzhab dan di bandingkan dengan pendapat Syaikh Muhammad Nashiruddin al Albani tentang Cadar, maka Penulis karya Ilmiah ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan khilafiyah di antara ulama Mutaqaddimin dan Muakhkhirin tentang Cadar tersebut. Saya berdoa kepada Allah Suabhanu Wata’aala memberikan Manfa’at  yang  besar, Amiin Ya Rabbal ‘Alamiin .   اختلاف العلماء قديماً، وحديثا في حكم النقاب على قولين: الأول: يجب على المرأة ستر وجهها أمام الرجال الأجانب؛ لأن الوجه عورة، وهو مذهب الإمام أحمد، والصحيح من مذهب الشافعي، الثاني: استحباب النقاب، وهو مذهب أبي حنيفة ومالك، لكن أفتى علماء الحنفية والمالكية - منذ زمن بعيد - أنه يجب على المرأة ستر وجهها، عند خوف الفتنة بها أو عليها، والمراد بالفتنة بها: أن تكون المرأة ذات جمال، والمراد بخوف الفتنة عليها، أن يفسد الزمان بكثرة الفساد وانتشار الفساق؛ قال "ابن عابدين الحنفي" في (رد المحتار على الدر المختار): "وتمنع المرأة الشابة من كشف الوجه بين رجال، لا لأنه عورة، بل لخوف الفتنة كمسه وإن أمن الشهوة. إن العلماء الذين يقولون باستحباب حكم النقاب لقد أيده الشيخ محمد ناصر الدين الألباني, كان رجلا بارعا في المجال الحديثي وله مساهمة غير قليلة في إثراء المكتبة الفقهية الإسلامية بالمؤلفات المفيدة منها: جلباب المرأة المسلمة في الكتاب والسنة والرد المفحم على من خالف العلماء وتشدّد وتعصب وألزم المرأة أن تستر وجهها وكفيها وأوجب ولم يقنع بقولهم: إنه سنة ومستحب, ومنخلال كتابيه راى وأخذ القول مجتهدا أن النقاب مستحب/ سنة وليس بواجب. انطلاقا من أراء العلماء المتقدمين والمعاصرين ثم المقارنة باجتهاد الشيخ الألباني عن النقاب, فلبى الباحث كتابة هذه الرسالة مبيّناً عن خلافية العلماء في أحكام النقاب, الله أسأل أن يمن علي الأجر والنفع الكبير, ويرزقنا العمل الصالح, آمين يا رب العالمين


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulki Al-Sharmani

This article focuses on contemporary interpretive knowledge projects that engage critically with Islamic religious sciences, and which are driven by the question of gender justice. These projects, which have been loosely termed as Islamic Feminism, are undertaken by Muslim women scholars from different countries who are committed to their religious faith and who are working towards the production of alternative, gender-sensitive religious knowledge. The paper has three aims: 1) to review the contestations about the definition, categorization, goals, and significance of what has been termed Islamic feminism, 2) to provide an alternative description of these knowledge projects and identify some hermeneutical characteristics that link them and which perhaps could be the basis for delineating them as a new field of knowledge, 3) to map out the trajectory of building new religion-based feminist knowledge in Egypt, shedding light on light on current knowledge projects that can be labelled as Islamic feminism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Andry Indrady

This paper discusses the implementation of free visa policy in Indonesia from a neorealist perspective. By utilizing the perspective of interdependence sovereignty and domestic sovereignty, this paper critically assesses the implementation of the free visa policy in Indonesia. From the interdependence sovereignty perspective, which elaborates the economic benefits, reciprocal and security approaches the paper finds that the free visa policy in Indonesia has yet to formulate a rational and objective policy that would lead to potential security – order threat. On the other hand, from the domestic sovereignty perspective the paper finds that although the state performs its immigration control capabilities effectively, however the said immigration control measures are implemented at a rather repressive level, instead of at the ideal prevention level. In the end, the paper suggests further research that fills the gap from findings on the specific methods to enhance the state’s capability in managing challenges posed by the free visa policy in more detail, as well as providing a method to measure public perception on the performance of immigration control.


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