an interview with Dr Towhidi, Professor at University

Dr Nayareh Towhidi, Professor at the Centre for Women’s Studies, University of California –

The views expressed here are based on an interview conducted with Dr Towhidi in March 2005

Women’s liberation movement has had a tumultuous history, and encompasses diverse views and opinions, ranging from liberal feminists to socialist and Marxist feminists. During the past few decades, ‘Islamic feminism’ has also emerged, referring to women’s struggles for legal equality in Moslem countries. In this connection, we discuss Dr Towhidi’s views on these issues.

Feminism has been defined in various ways. For example, women’s suffrage activists in the 19th century and early 20th century Europe and the USA were called feminist. Women’s liberation movement has had a tumultuous history, and encompasses diverse views and opinions, ranging from liberal feminists to socialist and Marxist feminists. During the past few decades, ‘Islamic feminism’ has also emerged, referring to women’s struggles for legal equality in Moslem countries. In this connection, we discuss Dr Towhidi’s views on these issues.

On the question of Islamic feminism and interpretations of religious feminism within different cultures, Dr Towhidi is of the view that

In Iran, for example, where during the past few decades we have confronted religious movements, especially Islamic fundamentalism (of course fundamentalism is not limited to Islam, and there are Christian, Jewish and Hindu fundamentalisms as well), one of the solutions or mechanisms put forward is to reinterpret religion from within (the system), that is, defining the struggle in terms of an attempt to reconcile Islam with the concept of (gender) equity, or to offer interpretations that are in accord with feminist thought and precepts or with Moslem women’s struggle for gender equity.

In her work, Dr Towhidi uses the term ‘Moslem feminists’ rather than ‘Islamic feminists’, and explains that the reason for this distinction is

because ‘Islamic feminism’, given that is mostly coined and accepted in the West, may suggest that feminism in the Islamic world must have a religious content, like the concept of democracy, which suggests that we must necessarily have an ‘Islamic democracy’ in Moslem countries. This is incorrect, both theoretically and practically. If by Islamic feminism, and basically by Moslem feminists, we refer to those women who, while preserving their religious beliefs, seek to present a modern and progressive interpretation of Islam which promotes gender equity, then not only is this necessary but also a positive step forward, for Moslem and secular women, as well as for non-religious and non-Moslem women, such as Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian women who live in Moslem countries.

The struggle for women’s equality has taken a religious aspect, not only in Moslem countries but also elsewhere. Dr Towhidi says

Within the women’s movement in Europe and other countries, there are now feminists with religious tendencies, such as Catholic, Protestant or Jewish feminists. It is thus natural that we should have Moslem women who are feminists and who want to break the monopoly over the interpretation of Islamic texts exercised by patriarchal and sexist religious authorities; authorities who want to represent their voice as the only voice and their interpretation as the only interpretation available.

Given Iranian women’s educational level today, in some cases higher than those of men, they are able to take responsibility for themselves and to provide an interpretation of Islam. This is a very positive step towards social democratisation and towards rendering women active in cultural and religious spheres.

source:DW(Persian)

Taranslated:by focus of iranian woman/Minoo Ardalan