ZAHED, L.-M. (2020). HOMOSEXUALITY, TRANSIDENTITY, AND ISLAM: A STUDY OF SCRIPTURE. CONFRONTING THE POLITICS OF GENDER AND SEXUALITY. AMSTERDAM: AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS

The book under review is authored by Ludovic-Mohammed Zahed (b. 1977), a French scholar of social psychology and the founder of Homosexuels musulmans de France, an association for gay and queer Muslims in France. With his work Zahed, who identifies as a feminist, gay Muslim and holds a position of an imam in an inclusive mosque in Paris, seeks to contribute to the expanding body of academic work that engages with issues of gender and sexuality in Islam. As his sources of inspiration, he names Islamic feminist scholars Fatima Mernissi (e.g. 1987; 2003) and Amina Wadud (1999; 2008), as well as a prominent scholar on sexual diversity in Islam, Scott Siraj Kugle (2010; 2013). If Islamic feminist studies have already evolved into an established field that has its roots in the 1980s, topics of homosexuality and non-binary gender identity in Islam have begun attracting scholarly interest only relatively recently. Particularly in the last decade, there has been a visible growth in the number of published works that have engaged with these topics from theological, sociological, and historical perspectives (e.g., Roscoe & Murray, 1997; El-Rouayheb, 2009; Habib, 2010; Shah, 2018). Challenging the premise that homophobia and misogyny are in compliance with Islamic ethical values, Zadeh’s book clearly draws on the arguments developed in these trailblazing works.

Feminist Occidentalist Discourse in ‘Shehrazad Goes West: Different Cultures, Different Harems’ by Fatima Mernissi

Occidental discourses tend to revise orientalist images about the orient. Many authors have taken the responsibility of giving a new voice to the occident and among those is Fatima Mernissi. In this regard, this paper aims at discussing the shift that has marked the writings of Fatima Mernissi with a particular focus on her book, ‘Shehrazad Goes West: Different Cultures, Different Harems’. It is undeniable that Fatima Mernissi‘s thoughts have known a radical change in terms of ideology and discourse. ‘Shehrazad Goes West’ seems to promote an Occidentalist discourse that isn’t based on appropriating orientalist rhetorical images of the orient but rather on revising/ reconsidering the tropes of essentialism, dehumanization and fixity that Orientalist texts usually opt for. From an auto-orientalist discourse that Mernissi advocated in her narrative Dreams of Trespass, we move to another discourse that manifests itself in ‘Shehrazad Goes West’, which is Occidentalism. In this article, based on a postcolonial feminist approach, I argue that Fatima Mernissi uses another approach of occidentalism in her construction of Western gender relations and the space of Western Harem. Instead of constructing a counter-hegemonic discourse to orientalism that based on misrepresenting the “other” and denying their voices, Eastern representation of the West in ‘Shehrazad Goes West’ does not keep with the same rhetoric of orientalism; rather it dismantles that logic which victimized people of the East and replaces it with a humane vocabulary. Moreover, the Occidentalist approach appropriated in the book does not only target the occident but also the orient resulting on what Abdelkbir Khatibi calls “double critiques”. The significance of this paper lies in highlighting such a potentially inclusive and democratic discourse that would counterbalance the politics of othering inherent in the discourse of orientalism.

Challenging Grand Narrative through Little Narrative: An Analysis of Fatima Mernissi’s Perspectives

In this post-modern world, intellectuals and visionary scholars putting together Little Narratives on a tactical basis for challenging the ‘Grand Narrative. Most recently, religious identification has taken the status of political grand narrative in post-colonial Arab Countries. Social, economic, military, and political failures have galvanized, progressive religious responses to western domination and globalization. Feminism and especially Islamic Feminism, playing its role as a little narrative for challenging the grand narrative of religious authoritarianism. This paper will focus on the work and ideas of Moroccan thinker, Fatima Mernissi in the theoretical framework of Carool Krestan’s Progressive Category. In this paper, the Analytical, critical and comparative research methodology will be adopted with the qualitative research paradigm.

Virginia Woolf in the Canon of Women’s Literature Narrative Futures of The Feminist Novel

Virginia Woolf’s novels have historically been regarded as exceptional for their nuanced characterization, particularly of women, and as foundationally influential to women writers after 1945. This chapter investigates the feminist underpinnings of Woolf’s portrayals of female characters in order to trace Woolf’s ongoing legacy in the feminist writing of today’s women authors. Focusing on three archetypes—the Angel, the Artist, and the Girl—the chapter evaluates Woolf’s techniques for female characterization alongside those deployed by women writers including Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, Doris Lessing, Claire Messud, Fatima Mernissi, and Jenni Fagan. These comparative readings show the ways in which Woolf’s fiction inspires contemporary women writers to explore relationships between women and gives them a map for creating complex narratives of affiliation to encompass women’s physical, emotional, and intellectual lives.

PEREMPUAN DALAM TAFSIR; UPAYA PEMBACAAN FEMINIS TERHADAP TEKS-TEKS AGAMA

The interpretation about women that has been carried out by Muslim scholars can be mapped into three groups. First, traditional interpretation. Interpretation by using certain subjects according to the interests and abilities of the interpreter, such as fiqh, linguistics, history or sufism. Second, reactive interpretation. It is the reaction or response of modern thinkers to a number of obstacles experienced by women who are considered to come from the Qur'an. The problems discussed and the methods used often come from feminist and rationalist ideas, but without a comprehensive analysis of the verses in question. Third, holistic interpretation. This interpretation uses a comprehensive method of interpretation and relates it to various social, moral, economic, political issues, including women's issues that have emerged in the modern era. This article will discuss Muslim feminist interpretations, including Amina Wadud, Fatima Mernissi and Asghar Ali Engineer.

The Spread of Muslim Feminist Ideas in Indonesia: Before and After the Digital Era

Internet has changed the way how knowledge is spread. This paper describes the spread of Muslim feminist ideas in Indonesia. It answers the questions of what constitute feminist ideas, how Muslim feminist ideas spread before and after the Digital Era and what challenges and opportunities provided by the internet that hinder and help the spread of these ideas. Muslim feminism has spread in Indonesia since the early 1990s through the translation of the works of non-Indonesian Muslim feminists such as Fatima Mernissi, Riffat Hassan, Asghar Ali Engineer and Amina Wadud. Since 2010, the increasing use of internet among Indonesians has made the spread of Muslim feminist ideas faster. However, it is challenging that conservative groups also mobilized the internet to oppose Muslim feminist ideas. Another challenge is that not all Indonesian Muslims have easy access to the internet and therefore Indonesian Muslim feminists still have to adopt various offline media such as seminars or radio to spread their ideas. [Internet telah mengubah cara penyebaran pengetahuan. Artikel ini akan menjelaskan penyebaran ide-ide feminis Muslim di Indonesia. Artikel ini akan menjawab pertanyaan tentang apa yang dimaksud dengan ide-ide feminis Muslim, bagaimana ide-ide feminis Muslim tersebar sebelum dan sesudah Era Digital dan tantangan serta kesempatan apa yang diberikan oleh internet yang menghalangi dan membantu penyebaran ide-ide ini. Feminis Muslim telah tersebar di Indonesia sejak awal tahun 1990-an melalui penerjemahan karya-karya Muslim feminis yang bukan dari Indonesia seperti Fatima Mernissi, Riffat Hassan, Asghar Ali Engineer dan Amina Wadud. Sejak tahun 2010, meningkatnya penggunaan internet dikalangan orang Indonesia telah membuat penyebaran ide-ide Muslim feminis lebih cepat. Akan tetapi, terdapat tantangan yaitu bahwa kelompok konservatif pun menggunakan internet untuk menentang ide-ide feminis Muslim. Tantangan lainnya adalah bahwa tidak semua Muslim Indonesia memiliki akses yang mudah terhadap internet, oleh karena itu para feminis Muslim Indonesia masih juga harus menggunakan berbagai media di luar jaringan seperti seminar atau radio untuk menyebarkan ide-ide mereka.]

Fashion Designer Sebagai Alternatif Keterlibatan Perempuan Maroko Di Ruang Publik

Maroko pada dasarnya tidak jauh berbeda dengan negara-negara Arab lainnya, yang mana perempuan memiliki akses yang terbatas di ruang publik. Sikap konservatif dan tradisi patriarki mengantarkan perempuan ke tingkat yang sulit untuk terlibat aktif di sektor publik. National Strategy for Equity and Equality di Maroko menginisiasikan untuk mengurangi tingkat diskrimasi terhadap perempuan, tetapi fakta lapangan menunjukkan sebaliknya. Kebiasaan dan tatanan sosial di masyarakat menjadi faktor yang menghambat proses perubahan. Tulisan ini mengkaji berbagai upaya yang dilakukan oleh pemerintah Maroko untuk meningkatkan keterlibatan perempuan. Selain usaha yang dilakukan pemerintah, karya ilmiah ini juga memaparkan peran aktif yang dilakoni oleh perempuan Maroko secara langsung pada saat negara tampak tidak maksimal dalam mereduksi ketidakadilan bagi mereka. Nama-nama tokoh penggerak perempuan dari negeri Maghribi ini kemudian mulai bermunculan, seperti Fatima Mernissi, seorang sosiolog yang menaruh banyak perhatian terhadap persoalan perempuan. Namun, fokus tulisan adalah perempuan Maroko yang menunjukkan ketertarikannya di bidang fashion desainer yang kemudian memiliki label dan jangkauan pasar yang luas. Pengakuan sosial mulai didapatkan oleh Sofia El Arabi dan Ilham Benami melalui bidang ini. Rosaline Delmer menyebutkan bahwa perempuan memiliki kemampuan untuk memajukan kepentingannya didasarkan kepada pemahaman yang mereka yakini. Perempuan Maroko menemukan tempat untuk mereka di ruang publik melalui profesi sebagai desainer. Berkarir di bidang ini menjadi sebuah apresiasi bagi mereka tanpa harus terlibat konfrontasi dengan laki-laki di ranah publik.[Morroco has not especially differences among Arab countries, in which woman have limited access in public sphere. Conservative tradition and patriarchy lead woman to difficult level to be actively involved in public field. National Strategy for Equity and Equality in Morroco initiate to decrease inequity of woman, despite the reality has denoted of divergence. Custom and social order are preventation of change in society. This paper examines various efforts which was made by Morroco’s government to expand woman’s involvement. In addition, the article will explain how far woman contributed in directly activity when the government is not earnestly to reduce injustice for woman. Then, names of female activists from Morroco began to appear, such as Fatima Mernissi, a sociologist who lay down her interest in women’s issues. Nevertheless, this article only focus on Morocco’s women who show interest in fashion desaigner, through this field they have their own label and extend market places. Social recognition has been earned by Sofia El Arabi and Ilham Benami from this field. Rosaline Dalmer addresses, based on comprehension every women has ability to extend her needs and desires. Morrocan’s women have actively found their role as designer in public sphere. A career in this field is an appreciation for them whose they can be spared with men from confrontation in public field.]

Du réalisme magique au récit autobiographique de Fatima Mernissi, 'Rêves de femmes. une enfance au harem'

L’objectif du présent article est de retracer les notions de réalisme magique et leur déploiement au fil du XXème siècle de l’Amérique latine jusqu’à atteindre le nord de l’Afrique. Un type de vision qui se manifeste dans la littérature marocaine d’expression française et, essentiellement, dans l’ouvrage de Fatima Mernissi, Rêves de femmes. Une enfance au harem (1994). Un récit autobiographique capable de refléter les mentalités populaires sous diverses formes de mythes et de manifestations surnaturelles. Une hybridité entre le folklore et le contemporain, entre l’usité et l’inusité. Une cascade de contes où l’imaginaire et le quotidien se côtoient et s’entremêlent, où les superstitions, les croyances et les rituels sont contestés, où les personnages féminins qui peuplent le harem, perturbés par l’incertitude, se questionnent sur le statut des phénomènes mystérieux de leur propre réalité, où l’étrangeté provoque chez les personnages un sentiment de désaccord avec leur milieu, où la réalité ne paraît point univoque, péremptoire ou tangible mais aléatoire et muable.

Konsep Kesetaraan Gender Perspektif Fatima Mernissi dan Implikasinya dalam Pendidikan Islam

Penulisan karya tulis ini bertujuan untuk setiap manusia memperoleh perlakuan yang sama, adil, dan merata dalam kehidupan kesehariannya didalam segi aspek apapun terlebih dalam dunia pendidikan. Dan juga menghapus ideologi patriarki yang mengaharuskan kedudukan laki-laki di atas perempuan. Dalam penelitian ini penulis mengunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif, di dalamnya penulis mencoba menjabarkan apa saja yang berkaitan dengan judul skripsi ini. Hasil dari penelitian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa Fatima Mernissi memandang bahwa pendidikan adalah suatu tahap awal dalam pendidikan Islam. Dimana orang tua berperan sebagai guru pertama di rumah. Materi bahan pembelajaran maupun pengetahuan agama, kebudayaan dan adat istiadat sosial. Dalam hal ini Fatima menjelaskan bahwa antara kaum perempuan dan laki-laki, keduanya adalah seorang pendidik dan peserta didik, mereka semua mempunyai kesempatan belajar yang sama karena mereka memilki tanggung jawab yang sama. Hal tersebut sudah terjadi pada zaman Rasul, beliau tidak memecah belah umatnya hanya karena persoalan keagamaan dan keduniaan, seperti perkara sosial dan individual. Fatima memandang bahwa masalah perbedaan antara laki-laki dan perempuan itu akan terus ada tetapi dalam batas-batas kewajaran dan tanpa menghilangkan aspek kebebasan hak asasi yang melekat pada dirinya, serta tanggung jawab hak asasi individu aupun sosial.