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Do Muslim Feminists Exist?

 Illustration by Haejin Park Written by Sofia Negron
 Illustration by Haejin Park Written by Sofia Negron

It’s a never-ending topic of discussion, the topic of Muslim women and our struggle for “liberation.” Certain “white feminists” use us as a way to showcase the importance of feminism, while Islamophobes use us to fuel their hatred toward Muslims; neither group stopping to think or consider the feelings of actual Muslim women. If we’re being honest here, neither group truly cares for the safety or wellbeing of Muslim women; it’s all a tactic to further push their agenda and beliefs. They love the idea of visiting Muslim countries and encouraging women to take off their hijabs—the cloth that we choose to wear around our heads.

As a convert to Islam, I am always asked why I’d choose to convert to such an “oppressive” or “barbaric” religion. People worry about the kind of man I’ll be marrying and whether or not I’ll turn into a stereotypical, submissive Muslim wife. There’s nothing that I find more insulting than this, the assumption that I—and many other Muslim women out there—are nothing more than human beings created to please men. This assumption adds more fuel to the fire and pushes White Feminists and Islamophobes to continue painting Islam in such a negative light. Muslim women are doctors, lawyers, journalists, and most importantly: feminists. We have a voice and deserve a spot in the feminist movement. Our hijab, the men in our lives, and the Imams (Islamic leaders) are not the ones preventing us from achieving our dreams and being successful in our career.

There’s nothing that stops us from succeeding in the West more than employers not looking past our hijabs or Muslim names in job interviews. When a Muslim woman in the West decides to start dressing more modestly or wearing the hijab, she’s usually asked how she’ll find a job “looking like that.” Most people who ask this do not say it out of malice or with the intent of discouraging Muslim women from being modest, but it is a genuine concern that comes with living in a predominantly non-Muslim country. If we want to speak up about the true oppression of Muslim women then we should look at how awfully we’re treated in the West.

We’ve had our hijabs ripped off, been beaten to death, had our veils banned in France and other European countries, and have been denied jobs at stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch simply because we proudly wear a scarf around our heads rather than trying to hide our Muslim identity. There’s no doubt that we’re sometimes still oppressed within our community but that’s a problem that comes with the intermixing of culture and religion and people’s inability to differentiate between the two. It’s a problem that we as a community have to tackle from the inside, not something that must be stopped by outsiders who haven’t got a clue about what Islam truly teaches.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an were clear in their message of love and devotion to God, as well as the importance of treating others fairly; especially when it comes to the treatment of women and children. It’s upsetting to know that these ideas have been twisted throughout history to excuse the wrongdoings of certain extremists, but the same message still stands, regardless of the misinterpretations that sometimes come with it. “I shall not lose the sight of the labor of any of you who labors in My way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other.” [Qur’an 3:195] The truth is that every culture oppresses women, but the religions themselves do not.

Women across the globe, be it in America or Saudi Arabia, will always experience some sort of discrimination and misogyny but that comes from the patriarchal societies that we’ve been raised in. It’s important to fight for the rights of women everywhere, but it’s not right to accuse an entire faith of being inherently misogynistic when these are just false claims that are being rapidly spread everyday and causing more harm than good. “If any do deeds of righteousness—be they male or female— and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.” [Qur’an 4:124]

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