[This article is in response to Ms. Amina Wadud being invited by University of Madras and the SIET College to speak as an Islamic feminist scholar. Most mainstream Muslims disagreed with the portrayal of Ms. Wadud as an Islamic feminist scholar especially since she is a highly controversial figure whose opinions are at great variance with mainstream Islam. Infact, many Muslims were surprised that such a respected Muslim institution like SIET should have fallen into such error. Unfortunately, media also failed to meet the high standards of non-partisan, objective journalism, and jumped onto the bandwagon by portraying Ms. Wadud as an Islamic scholar and ignoring the voices of mainstream Muslims. This article is not written by a Muslim holding extreme viewpoints, but rather by a “regular” Muslim woman and endorsed by a wide spectrum of mainstream Muslim women who run Muslim institutions in Chennai – educationists, students, activists, business women, social workers, etc. _ Editor]
With many intellectuals issuing statements supporting Ms. Amina Wadud, one would have thought that Muslim women would have been at the forefront in supporting Ms. Wadud’s right to speak. Their glaring absence should make people wonder if the issue is right to speak. Or were the Muslims protesting Ms. Wadud being painted as Islamic feminist scholars? Was she really the popular champion of Muslim women’s rights? Or was this simply a case where a local quack is being projected as the next Christian Barnard?
Islam has a large tradition of female scholarship starting from Ayesha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) to our local Alimas. Even today, there are many women studying in different Islamic seminaries around the world – memorising the Qur’ān, learning the intricacies of Islamic law, the history of traditions or the interpretations of the Qur’ān. Once these women finish their course, they are approached for clarifications on points of law. This is because scholarship in Islam is not limited to men or male intellect. Anyone, even a 50-year-old woman, can acquire formalised religious training by enrolling herself in a seminary and graduating 6-10 years hence as a scholar.
There has also been a weighty tradition of female secular scholarship in the Muslim community –where women like Fathima al Fihri established the one of the oldest universities in the world in 800 C.E., where women like Rufayda, Nusayba, Sutayta, Nana Asma’u, Ayesha bin Ahmed, Rasa, Maryah al Qibtiyyah have been activists, scientists, writers, poets and artists. These women’s contribution is recognised and celebrated by Muslims – men and women. In fact, the idea that a woman cannot be an intellectual would be quite surprising to many Muslims – since it is so contrary to the Islamic religious tradition and endorsed in the Qur’ān and many sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him).
However, Muslims – men and women –don’t consider Ms. Wadud to be either a feminist, or Islamic, or a scholar! Especially since Ms.Wadud’s viewpoints are based on personal opinions rather than objective intellectual research or thought. And are so out of touch with Islamic thought. Not only in India, but world over, including in the USA, Ms. Wadud is considered a fringe element rather than a proponent of the mainstream thought in Islam.
And when the mainstream media which typically has ignored Muslim women scholars, starts touting Ms. Wadud as an Islamic feminist scholar, Muslims are bound to take umbrage. The mainstream media’s definition of Ms. Wadud as an Islamic feminist scholar is part of the broader issue where the mainstream Muslim women’s voices are silenced by the media. The media often decides whothe “right Muslims” are – with ideologies and stances that are in line with media outlook. The media decides who the “valid” spokespersons are. Infact, the media even decides what the issues to be debated in the community are.
Whether a woman leads men in prayer is frankly a non-issue probably raked up to divert people’s minds from the greater Muslim issues of poor access to education and jobs, lack of representation in the government and private sector and the inordinate targeting of Muslim youth by the police.
Feminism is about giving women a voice, not speaking for them, enabling women to make their choices, not making choices for them, respecting women’s intelligence, not assuming that women are unable to think for themselves. The secular intellectuals, by supporting Ms. Wadud against the majority of Muslim women, have in one fell swoop, have disempowered Muslim women. Thanks, but no thanks!
Finally comes the issue of whether Ms. Wadud should have been “allowed” to speak. Definitely she should have been allowed to speak. But not labelled as an Islamic feminist scholar.And in the interests of intellectual honesty and given the nature of her outlandish opinions, a space should have been also given to Muslim women speakers to counteract her view. Today we are left with an unfinished business of wondering at the validity of Ms. Wadud’s claim to scholarship. Giving her a podium would have clearly highlighted the poverty of her intellectualism and fragility of her claim to representing Muslim women.
[ANEESA JAMAL lives in Chennai. She received her education in the US and currently works in the field of education.]