The Arab Women Discourses on Feminism and Islam: Fear of an Oxymoron?

Abstract

The academic discourse that deals with feminism and Islam makes some people cautious given the inherent double standards or oxymoronic nature of the combination of the following terms: “feminism” and “Islam”. Hence questions arise as to whether it is worthwhile for women to study Islam from a women’s issues perspective, or whether the religious monotheistic tradition and the patriarchal system it entails can coexist with the feminist standpoint. Do feminist Muslim women actually exist? Is Islamic feminism just “a trend” since Islamic discourse is en vogue and is widely discussed and dissected?