RELIGION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Ratna Osman

Sisters in Islam

Global Peace Convention Kuala Lumpur, 5 December 2013

Islam – Historical Context Practice during the period of Jahiliyah (Ignorance)

• Baby girls buried alive

• Women had no rights – marriage, inheritance, custom of

taking wives of deceased relatives against her will, wife-

beating

When Islam came:

• A liberating religion that at its inception uplifted the status

of women and gave them rights that were considered

revolutionary 1,400 years ago — the rights to contract

marriage, to divorce, and to inherit and dispose of property,

the right to education, etc

Forced Marriage of Child

2010 Progress Report to the UN on HIV in Malaysia (report prepared by Ministry of Health)

Age Girls Boys

Below 10 32 -

10 -14 445 2

15-19 6815 1911

Numbers

Pre-marital HIV screening data reveals the following (2009 status):

Polygamy Made Easy

Sisters in Islam polygamy research:

• 70% of first wives cited a need for more counselling after their husbands’ second marriage

• About 53% of them cited an increase in domestic violence.

• Dissatisfaction of first wives on emotions, time, resources and communications with husbands

• Children from 1st family and 2nd family – psychological impact, defence mechanism, difference in dealing with ‘absent father’

• Not many Husbands able to divide time equally, or spending quality time – and most children feel left out; yet taking the role of comforter for their mothers.

CURRENT SCENARIO

In 1984,

Malaysia’s Islamic family law was regarded

the most progressive

in the

Muslim world at that time

BUT

changes to the law have reversed

many of these gains

Trends in Law Reform:

Discrimination Against Muslim Women

Equality between women & men Regressive amendments toward

further discrimination

Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce 1976) -- equal right to marriage and divorce. monogamy

Islamic Family Law Amended 1994, 2005 – easier polygamy, easier divorce

Guardianship Act, amended 1999 Only Policy Reform – Mothers can

sign forms

Distribution Act , amended 1999

Faraid Distribution for Insurance, amended 1996; and EPF – National Fatwa Council , 2000

WOMEN OF OTHER FAITHS MUSLIM WOMEN

Rise of Political Islam

●Islam is the solution- Islamist forces invoke

Islam and Shari’ah as a legitimising devise to

support demand for Islamic state and assert

supremacy Shari’ah law;

●Use and abuse Islam – only one version of

patriarchal interpretation to maintain power;

opposition forces use Islam to de-legitimise

secular, autocratic government.

●Extremist voice deemed to be more Islamic

Dismantling of Reform

“Return to Shari’ah” - gains made by women in 1970s and 80s

reversed due to Islamisation of laws;

Patriarchal gender notions - in classical Islamic jurisprudence

dusted out from the closets and presented as authentic Islam.

Examples of discriminatory amendments to Islamic Family Law:

●Iran – age of marriage brought down to 9, custody of children

went to father and male line.

●Malaysia – divorce and polygamy made easier. Loophole to

allow illegal divorce and polygamy to be registered.

Feminist/Feminism Demonised

▪ Feminism as an extension of colonialist politics – seen

as plot by Western elites to undermine Muslim way of

life by imposing alien values on the ummah.

▪ Feminism and demands for equality and reform of

discriminatory family laws rejected as unIslamic, against

God’s teachings

▪ Warnings against feminism, secularism, pluralism,

liberalism, etc

▪ CEDAW without reservation vs. Shari’ah without

reservation – constructed false binary to de-legitimise

women’s demands

Engaging with Islam

Using Sacred Texts to challenge Patriarchy and Extremism

● These voices are:

➢ Separating patriarchy from Islam’s sacred text

➢The universal message of Quran on peace and justice, equality and kindness as opposed to extremism and conservatism

➢Understanding what is ‘Shari’ah’ and what is ‘Fiqh’

➢To relate with reality on the ground and change in society

Sisters in Islam:

FRAMEWORK SIS work is grounded in:

• Islam as a source of Justice, Non-discrimination,

Equality, Freedom and Dignity for all

• Changing Lived Realities of both women & men

• Constitutional Guarantees of fundamental liberties,

equality and non-discrimination

• International human rights principles and Government

obligations to international conventions eg CEDAW,

CRC

SIS first letter 1990

Maqasid Shariah Purpose of Shari’ah : to achieve goodness and benefit and to

ward off harm, injury and loss

● Religion

● Life

● Lineage

● Intellect

● Property

“We have the right to protection

that Islam gives us”

Musawah

❖A global movement of women and men who

believe that equality and justice in the Muslim family

are necessary and possible. In the 21st century there

cannot be justice without equality; the time for

equality and justice is now!

❖ Initiated by Sisters in Islam and launched in

February 2009 at a Global Meeting in Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia, attended by over 250 women and men

from 47 countries, including 32 OIC countries.

No to Religious Extremism

Yes to Equality & Justice

Final verse in Quran on male-female relationships based

on Surah At-Taubah 9:71:

“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another. They

enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil. They observe regular

prayers, pay zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will

Allah pour His mercy, for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.”

TERIMA

KASIHratna@sistersinislam

.org.my

Empowering Voices

for Change