Who’s afraid of Islamic Feminism, and why? Raising voices through education

Abstract

The Islamic Feminism is a powerful movement which is shaking the patriarchal structure in the Muslim world, since women have largely granted accesses to education. Even though, the movement is not uniform, and it gathers many different voices even, sometimes, disagreeing of its fundamental goals. The essay states that the reinterpretation of the Quranic message – originated in solid education – by the feminists claiming equality in the society is perceived as a threat by the fundamentalist – and in some cases by members of the Political Islam group – and offers a critique of the mainstream male Islamic discourse, based on some Islamic feminist authors interpretation. Ultimately, the essay finishes presenting the case of Malala Yousafzai as a reference. Furthermore, the essay grounds its analyses juxtaposing various interpretations within this movement and among relevant authors and scholars such as Fatema Mernissi and Amina Wadud. It also presents the discussions from two different angles before stating the conclusion of the research.