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Controlling the Body: Muslim Feminists Debating Women's Rights in Indonesia
Author(s) -
Van DoornHarder Pieternella
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
religion compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.113
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1749-8171
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2008.00105.x
Subject(s) - fiqh , islam , jurisprudence , agency (philosophy) , gender studies , economic justice , sociology , human rights , gender equality , sharia , gender justice , social justice , feminism , psychology , political science , law , social science , theology , philosophy
This essay discusses several scholarly and activist projects undertaken by Muslim feminists in Indonesia who aim at strengthening the basic human rights of women based on Islamic teachings. Highlighted in this article are the activities that focus on a woman's agency of choice; especially in matters pertaining to her body. According to these feminists, male interpretations of the Qur’an and its related texts of Hadith and Jurisprudence (Fiqh) combined with local and cultural influences led to misogynist teachings. By re‐interpreting these religious sources according to contemporary needs and contexts, they strive to retrieve the underlying Qur’anic message of justice with the goal of influencing patterns of expectations concerning a woman's role and position as constructed by her religious, social, and economic environment.