What do Muslim feminists think of Islam’s persecution of women? Human rights service

It seems somewhat odd that only Muslim women have to cover themselves in public, while Muslim men mostly wear whatever they want. I want to challenge Muslim feminists to have a discussion: Why do Muslim women inherit only half of what men inherit? What do Muslim feminists think of the fact that a woman’s testimony in court constitutes only half of a man’s? And how do they defend, if a woman is killed or injured, the compensation that the offender must pay to the family of the victim or the victim himself, half of it to the man?

I respect that Somaya Gerdi Ali is fed up with all the debates about the hijab, but I want to challenge Ali as a Muslim feminist to talk about Islam’s view of women.

The new year started with a heated debate about the headscarf in newspaper columns and on social media. Dagsavisen now has two Somali women on its front page in January – Somaya Gerdi Ali and Rawda Mohamed – They both take pride in wearing the hijab.

According to the two women, they wear the headscarf to protest against racism and as a sign of independence and cultural affiliation.

These views have been vigorously opposed, among others Lily Bandhi and Kjetil Rolness, who states that the veil symbolizes an ancient religious custom of not attracting men’s sexual attention. It is a dress that in large parts of the world is a symbol of women’s oppression and gender segregation.

Don’t wear hijab for anyone

Somaya Jerdi Ali says that she does not wear the hijab for anyone, and that she will no longer answer inquiries or questions about the hijab. Understandably, Muslim girls and women get tired of all the focus on how they dress.

And in our open democracy (unlike many Muslim countries which are dictatorships) – both women and men should be allowed to wear exactly the clothes they want. However, it seems somewhat odd that only Muslim women have to cover themselves in public, while Muslim men can mostly wear whatever they want.

I remember an episode from my trip to Dubai a few years ago. In one of the shopping centers, a young couple came – in the summer the man was in a T-shirt and shorts, and the woman was in an all-black niqab. The sight of the two seemed absurd. But in hindsight, I realized there was nothing to laugh about.

Covering women is a serious issue in many Muslim countries. It is not about racism, independence or cultural affiliation – it is about Islam as a religion and political ideology.

I respect that Somaya Gerdi Ali is fed up with all the debates about the hijab, but I want to challenge Ali as a Muslim feminist to talk about Islam’s view of women.

What is the opinion of the feminist Somaya Gerdi Ali that a woman inherits only half of what a man inherits? What is her opinion of the fact that a woman’s testimony in court constitutes only half of a man’s testimony? And how will you defend, if a woman is killed or injured, the compensation that the offender must pay to the family of the victim or the victim himself, half the amount to the man?

We need tough Muslim women and women for these conversations

In addition, there are a number of commands and prohibitions in Islam that regulate marriage and divorce. The first constraint relates to the choice of spouse. While a Muslim man can marry a Christian or a Jew, a Muslim woman can only marry a Muslim.

What does feminist Somaya Jerdi Ali think of that? Is this not discrimination against women?

What does Somaya Jerdi Ali think of gay rights in relation to Islam and women’s lack of legal security in relation to divorce? And what does Ali think of the text of the Qur’an that describes the woman as the man’s field (2: 223) and another text that gives the man the right to corporal punishment of the woman (4:38)?

On these issues, we need tough and strong Muslim women who can fight these discriminatory and undemocratic aspects of Islam.

First published in Nettavisen. Republished here with permission from Gelius.

Feature image: HRS in Lillehammer in an interview with Gelius.