Türkiye: How Muslim women are fighting patriarchy ᐉ News from Fakti.bg – World

Can a woman be both Muslim and feminist? In the eyes of many, these two identities are mutually exclusive. In Türkiye, secular feminists have long insisted that they define what a feminist should look like and what issues she should address. On the other hand, it is mainly Muslim men who have defined what they consider a Muslim woman to be.

Hadice Kübra sees things differently: for her, Islam and feminism are not contradictory, and their combination is a necessary complement to Islamic and feminist discourses. The 36-year-old English teacher and academic is part of a growing group of women in Türkiye who identify as Muslim feminists.

“I asked myself: What will I say to my children one day if they ask me what I really did when the situation in our country was getting worse?” This is how Kübra describes the moment that inspired her to unite with like-minded women. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly repressive policies, particularly after the 2013 protests and the 2017 constitutional referendum, influenced his decision to join the Muslim Women Against Violence initiatives. and “Women in mosques”.

Against the patriarchal interpretation of Islam

In 2018, Kübra founded “Havle”, a non-governmental organization that describes itself as the first Muslim-feminist women’s association in Turkey, along with other activists. “Havle” means strength in Arabic and refers to the 58th surah of the Quran – “The Dispute”, in which a woman turns to God after her husband mistreats her and her prayers are heard.

The Istanbul association is seen on the one hand as a solidarity network in which mainly Muslim women can exchange life experiences. On the other hand, it opposes the patriarchal interpretation of Islam by exposing and deconstructing the supposedly religious arguments used to impose social norms and practices.

Tackle the Problems

Hadice Kübra gives a specific example: “The marriage of underage girls is a big problem. Certain political circles often justify it with religious arguments. We conducted a study that showed that only 2% of people who married their children under 15 did so for religious reasons. »

Most often, financial reasons or fear of sex outside of marriage play a determining role. Part of “Havle” activities also consists of training for mothers, adapted to the religious context, on the sex education of their daughters. “These are all areas that secular feminists neglect,” she points out.

Promote local feminism

An important aspect is also the promotion of so-called local feminism. “In religious or conservative circles, feminism is often seen as a Western invention, foreign to our culture and values. We believe this understanding is erroneous. Feminism can take different forms.”

If activists from Femen (an international feminist organization) organize an action in which the participants are naked, this is considered feminism, says Kubra. “But the refusal of a woman in France, for example, to remove her headscarf can also be a feminist position. We are against the idea that white feminists should come and save us – women of different skin color from men of different skin color. We are also feminists, no one needs to save us. And if we do it, we will do it ourselves.”

Clean solutions

It is about finding individual solutions to discrimination based on sex, unequal treatment of girls or femicide. “Havle” maintains active exchanges with other NGOs, for example with “Spod”, which fights for the rights of the LGBT+ community and organizes campaigns such as “HIV is neither a sin nor a punishment”.

Activists often face hostility, especially on social media, Kyubra says. “A lot of people – I think it’s mostly men – think they are preaching the only correct interpretation of Islam. But as Muslims we also have a right to our faith,” she says.

From “working mothers” to “Muslim feminists”

Defenders of Muslim women’s rights, however, have not always been so confident. Their movement dates back to the 1980s. Along with the secular women’s movement and the rise of political Islam, Muslim women also came together. At one time, they rejected the term “feminist” – for them, feminism is a Western concept. Instead, they call themselves “working mothers” and discuss topics such as the injustices they experience in their community in an Islamic context.

They also fight for greater visibility in public life. Especially after the “postmodern coup” of February 28, 1997, when the Turkish army forced the Islamist government of Necmettin Erbakan to adopt strict secular measures, including banning women from wearing headscarves in public institutions. At the time, Muslim activists never received support from secular women.

Against patriarchy with religious arguments

The current generation of Muslim women is more openly and directly critical of patriarchy. They challenge the patriarchal interpretation of their religion and use religious arguments against inequality, violence against women and child marriage to confront problems in Islamic discourse.

Today, there are many organizations, associations and initiatives across the country that pursue the same goals as “Havle”. Their number is constantly increasing. Despite growing restrictions on civil liberties in Türkiye amid increasingly authoritarian policies, Hatice Kübra is optimistic about the future.

“For around ten years, pressure from the State has continued to increase,” she says. “NGOs have less and less room for maneuver and their funding has been reduced. At the same time, the number of our members and volunteers, as well as the organizations that want to work with us, and the quality of our work are improving year by year. I think that the more pressure increases, the stronger public self-organization becomes.”

Author: Seyda Nurç