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Date Added to
Site: 22nd January 2003 |
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Short Summary
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| Title |
Islamic Feminism and Its Discontents: Toward
a Resolution of the Debate |
| Author |
Moghadam, V. |
| Publication
Date |
January 2002 |
| Publisher |
Chicago: University of Chicago Press |
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Short Summary |
'Islamic feminists' have argued that there are
possibilities to improve the status of women within the theology of
Islam and the politics and society of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The women's magazine Zanan argues that texts and social institutions
can be used to achieve greater empowerment rather than oppression
if women are able to interpret them according to their needs. The
view against Islamic feminism states that it can in fact be an attempt
by a female political elite to 'legitimise the state's gender policy'.
It also argues that Islamic feminism fails to take into account the
many political and ideological differences between Iranian women and
lacks a critical analysis of political structures; thus improvements
in women's status can only be achieved through secular feminism. Moghadam
resists the pressure to come down on one side of this debate or the
other, which she sees as unnecessary if we appreciate the need for
both universal standards (such as the CEDAW) and a cross-cultural
understanding of feminism. Although she does conclude that laws and
policy should not be based on religious doctrine. The debate requires
a deeper understanding and dialogue on: 1) the origins and gender
dynamics of Islamic fundamentalism, 2) the politics of the Islamic
Republic of Iran and 3) the definition of feminism in different contexts
across the world - including analysis the hegemony of western feminism.
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