 Statement
to the Plenary of the United Nations
Fourth World Conference on Women
Written by Ms. Zahra Seif-Amir Hosseini and Ms. Hoda Mohajerani
Dear Chairperson, honourable members States and fellow women, we are privileged to be participating in our collective efforts towards the realization of Equality, Development, and Peace across the world. The honour has been given to us to represent the voices of those who are not often heard. We are here today as a group of independent Muslim women, from the Ja'fari school of thought, and have before us a very great task; that of attempting to "de-myth"the popular misconceptions regarding the position of women in Islam. We are offering an alternative perspective -- firmly rooted in the Qur'an -- of the various roles of women, and hope to arrive at an alternative solution in overcoming the disempowerment of Muslim women in the contemporary world. We believe that the key to women's empowerment is Education at a "Grassroots" level, which encompasses both Doctrinal and specialized learning.
The position of women in Islam has long been a point of great controversy. The Muslim woman is seen as the ultimate symbol of subjection to male-dominance, seemingly encouraged by the religion itself. Much evidence form early biographical and literary sources indicates that women actively participated in the life of their community in the formative period of Islam. The study of the lives of Khadija, Fatima, and Zeinab, seem to support this view. Khadija was a successful business-woman and financier in her right. She was also the first person to embrace Islam, and it was through her financial support that Islam gained its initial strength. Fatima was renowned for her public speeches and played a vital role in the life of her community. Zeinab, the brave heroine of Karbala, was a powerful political force to be reckoned with, to the extent that the Caliph, Yazid, in fear of her creating a rebellion against his corrupt rule, exiled Zeinab, as his only means of silencing this majestic and powerful woman. Zeinab was and remains to be the voice and embodiment of womanhood in Islam.
The advent of Islam marked a
distinctive break from oppressive
traditions, yet throughout time, the original message became diffused within firmly established, patriarchal cultures. The violations of women's and the girl-child's rights continued, only now, beneath an Islamic guise. The egalitarian, timeless message of the Qur'an addresses issues ranging from a woman's spiritual autonomy to her socio-economic and political roles. The intrinsic rights of women which have been acknowledged in the Qur'an, have been throughout history, and continue to be, denied to them.
As Muslim women, we have not only suffered the marginalization caused by misinformed, tradition-bound interpretations of our faith, but also by the reaction of western governments and media to these interpretations and practices as the "bona fide Islam." It is time, once again, for history to be made to repeat itself, and for all our misconceptions to be shattered by the doctrines own truth. The onus of objectivity is therefore not upon us, but upon you. It is you who have to be objective in listening to us. It is you who have to understand who we are and why we are. It is you who collectively hold the key to our successful futures as women.
So why are so many Muslim women denied their rights? What are the obstacles preventing our empowerment and our ACTIVE movement towards a Just and Peaceful participation in the development of our societies? It is our opinion that suppressive, cultural traditions are the primary contributors to the prevailing violation of women's rights. These are established within and continue to thrive through the following factors:
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The oppression of society as a whole and the "double" oppression of women, especially impoverished women. |
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Lack of substantial funds directed at "Grassroots" educational programs which are sensitive to the particular needs of women. |
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The inaccessibility to unbiased centres of doctrinal and spiritual education for women. |
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The formation of "extra-Qur'anic" gender-roles, due to the lack of education, i.e.: Gender roles derived from cultural traditions, rather than Qur'anic teachings. |
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The perpetuation of these gender roles within the family. |
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The acceptance of the "given" gender-identity and its consequential outcome for women: lack of education, illiteracy, economic dependency, and violence, to name but a few. |
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The lack of women's participation in economic and political spheres on both "grassroots" and policy-making levels.
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In light of the above, we propose that education be given the utmost priority as the only viable option for combating, oppressive "extra-Qur'anic" traditions which disempower women. For far too long woman's role have been determined by men on the basis of her miraculous biological ability to bear children. It seems that the vital role which men play in procreation has been overlooked, and just as the roles of men are not limited to their biological functions, it seems only logical that women should not be restricted to theirs. We must learn to appreciate and cooperate with one another on all levels of our humanity.
The International community and the Islamic world in particular have suffered a great loss by neglecting the invaluable resources hidden within women and girls. In the words of Malcolm X, "To educate a man is to educate an individual but to educate a woman is to educate a nation."
The issues put forward here today, must be taken into consideration and relevant steps taken to implement effective "grassroots" programs, which will further the development of women's potential in all spheres of life. We leave you with the words of a great thinker, Dr. Ali Shariati:
I wanted to say that Fatima is the daughter of the noble Khadija,
I saw this was not Fatima;
I wanted to say that Fatima is the daughter of Muhammad,
I saw this was not Fatima;
I wanted to say that Fatima is the wife of Ali,
I saw this was not Fatima;
I wanted to say that Fatima is the mother of Hassan and Hussain;
I saw this was not Fatima;
I wanted to say that Fatima is the mother of Zeinab,
I saw this was not Fatima;
Fatima is all of these but all of these are not Fatima.
Fatima is Fatima.
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