The word “feminism” in Muslim countries often raises tensions. Many people believe that Muslim women cannot be both religious and feminist, claiming that the fundamentals of feminism are absolutely opposed to those of Islam.

According to prominent Malaysian Muslim feminist Zainah Anwar, nothing could be further from the truth. Morocco World News spoke about the struggle for gender equality within Muslim communities with Anwar, who is also the executive director of Musawah, a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family.

What do you think about the idea that women cannot be both feminists and Muslims?

This is actually a common problem in many Muslim countries, where they will indeed tell you that you cannot be both, a Muslim and a feminist.. For Sisters in Islam (SIS) the organization that I co-founded years ago in Malaysia, polygamy was one of the first issues we had to deal with. As Muslim women, we have been forced to believe that Islam allows men to marry 4 wives. But we have known for a fact how much unhappiness and injustice polygamy brings, and it made sense to us that this could not be what God, the Just, intended for women. It was then that we have decided to go and read what the noble Quran is saying about polygamy. And for the first time we realized that the same verse that allows men to marry four, states clearly that “if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many wives) then one is enough.”

Thus, how come marrying two, three or four women is universally acknowledged as a man’s right, while the command to marry only one wife if the man is not able to be fair, is not ?Who decided that marrying two, three, or four is the law of Islam, while marrying only one for the sake of justice is not? I think the real issue is the question of who has the right to decide which verse should become a source of law and which one should be pushed aside and be ignored. Whose interest should be promoted and protected?

Obviously, it is men who are in power and it is men who are in authority.They chose polygamy over justice and used their own interpretation of the Quran to justify their deeds.This has led us to think about who has the right to interpret the Quran, and who has the right to choose which interpretation will be used in our lives. 

Do you think that women voices are heard regarding this issue?

In every democratic Muslim country where Islam is used as a source of law, everyone has the right to speak out and to contribute to how Islam is understood and how it is used as a source of law. We all have the right to debate, to question, and to challenge whatever causes injustice in our lives. This is one of Musawah’s main objectives:to come up with a right-based understanding of Islam that is rooted in the principles of justice and equality and kindness, which are all within the framework of Islam. Anything that is done in the name of God must be just. Any interpretation that leads to injustice for me can not be Islam.

Do you believe that Islam is a misunderstood religion?

Absolutely, in many occasions we have been told that women and men are not equal, and that men are always superior to women. In reality, some men are better than some women and some women are better than some men..We are not genetically programmed to be inferior to men.

Can you explain your point?

The patriarchal misogynistic “Islam” that has been taught to us doesn’t match reality and does not make sense in women’s lives. There is a disconnect between the ideology, the law, and the reality of women’s lives. In Malaysia for instance, there are educated women who are taking leadership positions. However, we can still hear on television, radio, and in mosques that women are inferior to men, which does not make sense.

What is your message to non-Muslim people who claim that Islam encourages domestic violence against women?

The challenge that we are facing is that many Muslim countries reinforce this patriarchal misogynistic understanding of Islam. I do not blame non-Muslims for having this misconception about us.

 What measures should be taken to diagnose these common misconceptions?

We need to bring to the foreground scholarship and activism that stands against all kinds of misconceptions about Islam. In Muslim countries, there are groups of women who are at the forefront of reform, pushing for a new understanding of Islam. This is exactly what Musawah is doing: producing new understandings of Islam and questioning the patriarchal assumptions that men are superior to women and have more rights, that they are our guardians and are entitled to our obedience. That they can beat their wives and get away with it. All these misogynistic ideas that we have been fed are now being challenged by scholars and activists in the Muslim world.

Do you believe that some Quran verses are inferior to women in terms of inheritance?

There are always differences in opinions and interpretations regarding any verse in the noble Quran, like what I have mentioned before regarding the issue of polygamy. It is about who has the power to decide and to interpret the verses. Why can’t we believe that the verses about justice and kindness are meant to explain that both men and women are each others’ protectors. There are incredibly wonderful verses in the Quran about justice and equality between men and women. Why can’t these verses be the source of values to frame the relationship between men and women. Those interpretations for me are man-made decisions. So far it has privileged men because it was interpreted by men.

Do you think that women are on the move to challenge these issues?

Women’s lives today have changed. They are no longer passive recipients of knowledge. Women are now challenging these issues. They read the Quran for themselves to understand the legal tradition in order to fight misconceptions. It is sad to notice that there are some principles in Islam that are still being ignored, such as love and compassion (mawaddah wa rahmah), serenity (sakinah), dignity (karamah), consultation and mutual consent (tashawur wa taradi), justice, fairness, and equity (‘adl, qist, insaf), kindness (ihsan), and that which is commonly known to be right (ma‘ruf).

Why aren’t these principles used in law? How can beating women be a principle of Islam? How encouraging child marriage can be a principle of Islam? I totally find it outrageous that so much harm is caused in the name of Islam. 

How did you become interested in feminism?

I never understood why men are treated differently than women. For instance, at home when we were children, my brother never had to do housework. And I have never understood why. Is it because he is a boy? I have been taught by mother how to cook, how to make beds, and how to clean the house, while my brother did not do any of that, which I found unfair and did not make any sense to me. I personally question whatever does not make sense to me. From then on I wanted to understand the logic of such way of thinking..

What do you think of Morocco’s stance regarding women rights?

Morocco’s Mudawannah (personal statues code or family code) is regarded in the Muslim world as a very progressive piece of legislation. The Moroccan family code was very inspiring for Musawah as it grants both men and women equal rights in the family with both being responsible for the wellbeing of their family. If Morocco can reform the family law in such a way, why can’t other Muslim countries do it? Morocco’s Mudawannah is a milestone. The framework used by women groups in Morocco to defend their rights and demand equality between men and women is also very inspiring.

If you have to deliver a message to women around the world, what would be this message?

I always ask women to stand up and to speak up because I think if we do not speak up and stand up to face the challenges that we are facing, nobody else will do it for us. We need to have the courage to stand up for our rights. Women also need to stand their ground, and not take steps back when they are attacked. They should never give up on their rights. Your word should be heard in public spaces.

What are Musawah current and future projects?

We have just completed a project questioning men’s authority over women. Musawah is also strengthening  women’s voices at the regional and international levels.  Musawah is consulting with and training activists on the Musawah Framework for Actionand CEDAW and Muslim family laws.