FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUALITY IN CONSIDERATION
CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION
The issue of feminism movement and gender equality are many studied in various field now. Beginning from academic field, government field, till politic field. As example in government field, now is close study about law programof gender equality (RUU KG), meanwhile that law has be planned to enter National legislative program (Prolegnas )2013. Although this program make many conflict and contradiction, the government still defend to realization it. Just at the moment, in election of legislative seed for regions, the percentage amount among men wnd women must be determined. And in various education institution established many of centre for women study or centre for gender study, which try to maintain the concept of feminism and gender equality.
More, this concept has entered the Islamic field, then the position among men and women which has arranged in Islam, they try to change it with this concept. The shari’ah law which they consider unfair, is asked and debated. According to activist of feminism, the shari’ah law has discriminated and humiliate women.
But actually, the concept of feminism and gender equality can not be applied is Islamic world. Actually this concept come from western postmodern society, which the main purpose is to envolve the equality between men and women in various field. The equality has be a big problem for western society, cause in their history, women always be crushed and humiliated.
This is different with Islam. In Islam, womens is respected and have a high value,and have a self position, which adapted with their capability and ability. The Islam arrival also has raise women status and fight for their rights which before crished, humiliated, not hoped for born and so on in pra jahiliyyah society. Every women in Islam has a task and role according to her ability and capability. The women also be one of pillar to support a family, society, nation, and country. Al Quran has explain about this problem too, that many from it’s verses explain about an equality between men and women in them position..
CHAPTER TWO
A. History and Development of Feminism Movement
According to literally, the term of feminism from latin fei-minus. Fei mean faith, and minus mean less,then feminus mean less of faith. According to history, womens in West, is be treated like a human which less of faith. In western society, feminism movement appear as reaction of unsatisfied which be treated unfair in many field. They consider that domination of men has marginalize women.
Also in western religion, the woman position has marginalized with domination of men. Next paragraph is explaining how Bible, a Christian holy book, see a women :
1. Evil men is better than righteousness, and women come with shy and insult. (Sirakh 42 :14)
2. Every evil is only small compared with evil of women, may the fate of sinnergived to them ( Sirakh 25 :19)
3. Their position is under men, and they have to submission as a submission to God. ( Efesus 5:22)
4. Cause husband is leader for wife as the Christ is leader of jema’ah. He’s save the body. (Efesus 5: 23)
5. The beginning of sin from women, and cause her, all of us have to die ( Sirakh 25:24)
Few verses above and other has samecontens, few of groups use them as a theology base to justify the opinion that men is on women in position.
Likewise with few figures, from Plato and Aristotle in pra Christian, till Thomas Quinas and Nietschze era, women is never considered to be equal with men. Womens considered as a slave and as a unpowered children.
If we go trace, the accusation of feminism come from western confusin to understand the mean of justice. In “ The New Oxford of English” justice mean is a quality action based on fair and rational. And rational meaning in this dictionary is a action based on logic and mind. Such as these means will make the understanding that justice based on consideration of human logic
The western feminist group consider Marry Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) as their predecessor. With her famous writing inder title ‘, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’ she cavil various forms of women discrimination, demand right equality for womens in education and politics. Women must be allowed to study in school and give their suffrage in general election. Womens can’t to be bird in birdcage. They must be liberated from duty of household and other prison. According to her, the various of women weakness is more caused by environment, not from their physical body. From her, the concept and ideaof feminism and gender equality spread to whole Europea and Asean.
B. Impact From Feminism Movement
The development of feminism absolutely has impacts and implications, in social field, or public field or in Islam field. The impacts that appear not in positive mind, but in negative mean.
The idea of feminism that enter in public field has change and deconstruct the arrangement which occurred now, while that arrangement has arranged well so can be according with being condition. This condition caused that feminism is born from postmodernism with it’s characteristic is nihilism. Nihilism mean to abolish and reject an arrangement and values which being exist.
With feminism impact, the accustion of construction appear, in social and biologic. They demand equalilty between men and women. The men domination not caused by biologic factor, but caused by social construction, then this social construcrion has to be changed. If necessary, mens have to pregnant and giving suck, meanwhile womens can to lead mens.
If the men has a freedom to worl and seek a money outside home, then why womens have to stay and manage everything in home. Then, the career womens appear in order to treat the same as mens. Many of them feel depression, and psychology interruption, cause they try to fight against their fitrah. Meanwhile their sons and daughter in home less the education and affection from them this caused a bad impact for children growing.
Most of womens in west also choose to do not marry. The marriage according to them is one form of men holding on womens. And as the impact, the practice of lesbian and zinah is spread among society. And when religion try to forbid it, the activist of feminism still fight for it under name ‘freedom.
And in government, the gender equality whisc supported by spirit of feminism considered as measure of building development. Then in United Nation (UN), the building of nation is masured with the role of women inside with form GDI (Gender Development Index), but actually, the corelatin between gender equality and building advancement is unproof. Many countries that apply the idea of gender equality not make an advancement, on the contrary, few countries where the idea of gender equality not be applied, they not descend in economy field and other field.
In religion field, activist of feminism consider that Bible now is too masculine, then they try to make it feminine in order to get legitimation from it. They not write word ‘God’, but ‘Goddes’. Cause the form of God in their religion is masculine, and they want the women. An women activist, Tivka Frymer-Kensky in her book ‘Goddesses Bvilical Echoes and other activist, Pamela J. Milne write that Bible has be main source to humiliate womens. In 1895, Elizabeth Cady Stanton publish book under title ‘The Women’s Bible’ where she recite about Bible text which related with womens. And as result, she see that Bible contains teachings that humiliate womens, and these formed by christinian basic view to womens. Next, Stanton convince that Bible is not God Word, but only a collection about history and mythology written by mens. Then, womens have not a moral duty to follow a Bible teachings. Next, the Christian figures see her book as satan book.
Then the activist of feminism try to debate men leadership on womens. If the men have a right to be Imam in Prayer, then why womens have not ? Then, in 18th of January, 2005, there’s one awesome accident. Aminah Wadud, be an Imam and khatib in Jum’at prayer, n one of mosques in US. The muadzin is also from women. And mens and womens pray together in one shaf.
The activist of feminism is also reject men’s right to lead womens in household, meanwhile this concept had been arranged in Islam. According to them, the hardeness action that happened on womens such as assault and abterry, are despotism action. They also debated and reasked Al Quran which discuss about leadership basic in household :
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The men are the leaders of women, because Allah has preferred those partly (men) on partly the other (women), and because they (men) spend out of their property.
The verse above gives the sense that men are the leaders of women. This understanding, for feminists is a form of discrimination against women. Riffat Hassan, a Pakistani Muslim feminist interpretations assess patterns generated by the scholars' of the verse,bring theological and psychological implications for the superiority of men over women, and putting women under the subordinate males. Therefore, Riffat perform the deconstruction of the interpretation. Criticism leveled Riffat Hassan, why “qawwamuna” interpreted as leader, ruler, not a crutch or a shield. If “qawwamuna” interpreted as a crutch, meaning men are protective or support for women. More precisely said “qawwamuna” interpreted as breadwinners or those who provide the means of life.
Another idea that was invented by feminists are limits of genitals for a woman. Mohammad Sahrur, argued that the definition of genitals is 'what makes him embarrassed when shown to others'. Genitals was not concerned with the affairs of haram or halal. According to him also limit any shame for every single person is different, depending on the circumstances and conditions that surrounded him. If the woman feels her chest showed no shame, it is not the genitalia.
Not only that, he also deconstructs back interpretation of the Qur'an relating to close the genitals.
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O Prophet, say to your wives, your daughters and wives of the believers: "Let them extend their scarf to the whole body". Thus it is that they are easier to be recognized, therefore they are not alone. and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful
He said: "This verse is preceded by lafadz 'O Prophet' which means that on the one side, this verse is teaching, and not a verse for law enforcement . On the other hand, the fall in the Medina verses should be understood by understanding the temporal, as they relate to safety purpose of the fraudulent interference, that is, when the woman was traveling on an errand. however, these terms (is security reasons) now has lost everything ". Therefore, considering the verse above is verse teaching, which is recommended, then he said, should be for women mu’minah,-recommended not required, to cover body parts that can cause interference if visible. There are two types of interference: the natural and the social. Natural disturbances are related to weather such as hot and cold temperatures. So mukminah women should dress according to the weather standards, so he spared from natural disturbances. While the disorder is related to social conditions and customs of a society. Therefore, mu’minah clothes to come out should be appripriate to the community, so do not invite scorn
Regardless of the limits of privacy for a woman, feminists sued the estate division specified in Islam. About the division of the estate, Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd argued that before the arrival of Islam in the Arabian peninsula 7M century, women did not get the estate at all, because the regulatory system adopts a patriarchal society. Eldest son inherits all treasures. Then it converts this rule, such as that embodied in Al-Quran :
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Allah prescribed any of you (the division for inheritance) your children. Namely: a portion of a boy with two portian’s womens
According to Abu Zayd, the verse above emphasizes the change in the law society, women have the right part in the estate. The substance of his speech is a principle of justice (justice). But actually, when examined in depth, the above verse emphasizing instead the restriction of the rights of men (limiting the rights of men). Because in the verse above (Surah Al-Nisa ': 11), their mention clearly prioritize the li l-dzzakari (for men), and not vice versa, li l-untsayaini mithlu haddzi l-dzzakari (part two adult daughters together with parts of a boy). The mention of the man who started the women, means that the Qur'an busied himself with the restriction part inheritance for men. Because the jahiliyyah tradition, men inherit all treasures, without limit.
C. The Status of Women in Islam
While feminism has criticized exhausted shari'ah prescribed by related women, so the laws of Shariah that have been deconstructed by any standard they are, then how can Islam and the position of looking at women?
Starting from the concept of justice. In the West, fairness means equality or fivty-fivty. This is in contrast to Islam. In Islam, justice is appropriate to put something in place. And to adjust something in place, should see the abilities, circumstances, and conditions . And also something else in the first place fairness between men and women, have to see their ability to adjust both nature and the ability of men and women.
If we look at history, women before the arrival of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, or the pre jahiliyyah, treated with very improper. Arab cultural society at the time was very patriarchal, and women did not have a decent position and role. Women at that time did not have the right to inheritance. Similarly, in marriage, women do not have the right to choose her future husband. And when they have been married, the husband is entitled to treat his wife with impunity. Husband can just told her to get in touch with another man, in order to get strong candidate and a strong kid..
In short, women at that time was considered a mere gratification, despised and treated with very improper. This is what makes a father at the time when have a daughter would prefer to bury her alive because of embarrassment.
However, since the advent of Islam, the revolution of gender happen in Arab . The rights and role of women where in pre jahiliyyah not recognized, since the arrival of the Arabs recognized. Islam appreciates the role and presence of a woman, and frees women from cultures that pre jahiliyyah tortured.
In Islam, the status of women is very much appreciated. Some examples where the role and status of women acknowledged its existence is as follows:
1. Women in the Family
Within a family, women play a role in two very important positions, namely as a wife and a mother. There are several Islamic glory given to a wife, including: the right to choose and refuse husband, was given a dowry and not give, the right to be treated with a kind and gentle by husband, get a good living or spiritual birth and so on.
Al Quran itself also emphasized how a husband in order to be kind and gentle to his wife:
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O ye who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by way of force, and ye shall not vex them that they might take back some of what you have given them, except when they commit lewdness and hang out with them with worth
And there are many verses of the Al Quran who ordered the husband to treat his wife with the good and decent.
As for the role of a woman being a mother in a family, it is because God created nature of women sensitive and compassionate in accordance with their nature as pregnancy, childbirth, breast-feeding and nurturing her children. It is a noble task that requires physical and mental readiness. Worth if then God created men were loud and strong bodied, not easily influenced, more use of reason before acting, because her husband as a leader must provide for and maintain his wife and children. This shows a husband and wife should be a balanced relationship in the discharge of the rights and obligations of each.
Though in this case, the nature of women as housewives, Islam is a way to glorify women. Mother is an first educator and best teachers for their children. The magnitude of the sacrifice can not be measured by material. So no one if Islam teaches that the first who should be respected, loved and obeyed is mother.
2. Women In Leadership
In the Qur'an, Surat an-Nisa: 34, as written above, states that men is a leader for women. But according to the scholars' does not mean that authoritarian leaders and arbitrary, but is responsible for education, livelihood and welfare of the family. And also because of its weight of leadership mandate anyway, then Islam enjoins man to be the leader, because his body structure is stronger than a woman.
3. Women in the Face of God
Position and degrees of men and women are equal before God Almighty. In terms of creation, for example, equate men and women (an-Nisa: 1), because it does not assess based on sex, but with faith and righteous deeds levels, respectively (Ali-Imran: 195). So also in terms of worship, there is no difference between men and women (an-Nahl: 97) anyone who believe and do righteous deeds then will put in Paradise (An-Nisa: 124), because it was the one that set it apart before worship to Allah (al-Hujarat: 13), although in domestic life and society, every individual has a role and different responsibilities such as typically human relationships in life (al-Baqarah: 228), but in front of Allah, all men are equal.
CHAPTER III. Conclusion and Closing
Feminism movement is the firstly establish from the West. It’s emerged as a reaction to the dissatisfaction women in the West. This is because in the West, women are not respected and did not obtain the position as well as their existence was acknowledged. Women mistreated and oppressed by men. This is what gave birth to feminism, with its slogan demanding justice equalizer between men-and women.
The problem of justice in the sense that the West is fivty-fivty equation. So justice in feminism means equality between men and women in all spheres of life. Both in the household, career, employment, education and so forth. When a man is free to seek employment outside, then why do women keep silence in the house, taking care of children's education and so on. Womans should have the right to pursue carreer and life outside the home, and the obligation to take care of home and children's education is no longer purely for women, but men are also supposed to.
So even in religious matters feminists argue back. When a man has the right to pray in congregation and lead the Friday prayers sermon, then the woman should also have that right. And many other areas of life that seeks to deconstructed by feminists.
Feminists believe that differences in position and right now that happens between men and women is not due to biological differences, but simply because cultures. This is clearly wrong. In Islam, the setting position and responsibilities between men and women is set up with the fairest match the skills and abilities of each. Fair in Islam does not mean the same, but put something in place.
Islam has also arranged and seated woman with very respectable and not like in the West, the existence and role of women is recognized. So even setting responsibilities and respective roles for men and women, Islam has been set in accordance with their respective capabilities. In the presence of God, neither men nor women are viewed together, just the level that distinguishes godly.
And when feminists keep their opinions to equalize men and women in different ways, then this will impact negatively on the woman, because she was trying to fight their nature.
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