WOMEN OF ISLAM
Are Islam and our modern view of women mutually exclusive? We talk to female scholars of Islam, authors and artists about Islamic feminism.
Can feminism be Islamic? The role of women in Islam is a constant subject of controversy. Is the headscarf really a symbol of oppression? Does the Qur'an allow men to tell women what to do, to beat them? Does our modern view of women conflict with the texts of the Qur'an? Must a woman therefore decide whether she wants to be a devout Muslim or a self-determined feminist? This film offers female scholars of Islam the opportunity to express their view that it is not Islam or the Qur'an that is misogynistic, but certain interpretations and patriarchal traditions. They call for a gender-sensitive interpretation of the Qur'an and try to reconcile religion and feminism. Other women's rights activists, such as Zineb El Rhazoui, the former Charlie Hebdo columnist, vehemently reject their religious backgrounds and consider Islam to be unreformable. We take a closer look at the discourse and come up with some surprising insights – beyond common prejudices. Islam and women – a relationship that needs to be redefined after hundreds of years of male interpretation.