Second International Congress on Islamic Feminism – Conclusions

Muslim Feminists denounce discriminatory
family laws

The Second International Conference of Islamic
Feminism wrapped up Sunday the 5th in Barcelona with attendance topping
400. The Conference focused on problems with the Shari’ah (Islamic Law)
and discriminatory family laws enforced in many Muslim countries. It was a
demonstration of the will of feminist women and men of Islam to continue
their gender jihad, the struggle against patriarchy within Islam.

For three days, we facilitated an intense exchange of ideas between
secular and atheists feminists, Muslims and Christians, women and men of
diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Some sessions dealt with polygamy,
divorce, family planning and abortion, while others addressed the tensions
between Islamic Feminism and Islamism, the Quranic hermeneutics from a
Feminist perspective, the perspectives of Islamic Feminism in a lay
context, and the current situation of the movement for equality in
Islam.

They denounced family law which discriminates against women and called
out for collaboration between Feminists of different perspectives, a
collaboration which now exists in many places around the globe. In words
of Margot Badran, “It is not necessary to be a Muslim woman to consider
oneself an Islamic Feminist”.

It has been insisted on the need to connect the academic efforts of
women theologians with that of activists who work for the improvement of
women’s rights at the grass roots level. According to Sheija Amina Teslima
al-Yerrahi, “We must rescue Islam, with all the richness of its spiritual
legacy, from the control of reactionary clerics”.

In the closing ceremony, the organizers thanked the audience for their
participation. “For Muslims, the debate over gender equality and the place
of our religion in the modern world is not capricious, but an ethical
imperative,” said the Conference director, Abdennur Prado.

The conclusions for the Conference were drawn up by a committee
consisting of Shaheen Sardar Ali (Pakistan), Nayereh Tohidi (Iran), Na’eem
Jennah (South Africa), Margot Badran (the United States) and Abdennur
Prado and Ndeye Andujar representing the organization. At the end of the
Conference, the Catalan Islamic Committee announced the creation of an
“Observatory of Islam and Gender” in Spain, dedicated to the promotion of
Islamic Feminism on the national as well as the international level. One
of the numerous objectives of this Observatory will be to give continuity
to the Conference of Islamic Feminism.

Conclusions of the Second International Conference of
Islamic Feminism

We denounce the discriminatory family laws that are enforced in many
countries with a Muslim majority.

We voice our commitment to continue the gender jihad for the recovery
of the equalitarian message of Islam, the freedom of interpretation and
conscience.

Islamic Feminism is an integral part of the Global Feminist
Movement.

We denounce all forms of violence against women that are justified in
the name of Islam, such as honor crimes, domestic violence, mutilation of
female genitalia, stoning and other forms of corporal punishment.

We call for the participation of women in all areas of society.
Therefore, we are against all those cultural practices which are not truly
Islamic and which inhibit this participation.

We announce the creation of the “Observatory of Islam and Gender” in
Spain to be headquartered in Barcelona. This Observatory attempts to
consolidate the work of the two International Conferences of Islamic
Feminism, to serve as a common ground between intellectuals and Feminist
organizations in the Islamic world, and to promote Islamic Feminism in
Spain. The Observatory will serve the task of giving continuity to the
International Conference of Islamic
Feminism.