Muslim Feminist Scholars and the Politics of Qur'an Reinterpretation: A Reading of Asma Barlas
This article examines the role of Muslim feminist scholars in the reinterpretation of the Qur'an in the discourse of Islamic feminism with particular reference to Asma Barlas, a controversial "'Qur'an-only" feminist. In pursuance of their identity struggle, Muslim feminists...
| Published in: | The Journal of Rotterdam Islamic and Social Sciences |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
De Gruyter, Versita
2014
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| In: |
The Journal of Rotterdam Islamic and Social Sciences
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| Further subjects: | B
Islamic paradigm
B Patriarchy B Gender Equality B polygyny B Misogyny B Veiling B text reading B women liberation B Seclusion B Islamic Feminism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article examines the role of Muslim feminist scholars in the reinterpretation of the Qur'an in the discourse of Islamic feminism with particular reference to Asma Barlas, a controversial "'Qur'an-only" feminist. In pursuance of their identity struggle, Muslim feminists have adopted a new gender sensitive methodology of rereading texts. This is particularly true for Barlas, who argued concisely that traditional exegetes manipulated Quranic interpretation in their favour to oppress women and to establish their "male-centric" authority. In other words, the classical methodology of tafsir is patriarchal, misogynistic and anti-woman. Hence, recontextualization of the Qur’an by adopting a new gender-oriented methodology of interpretation is not only desirable but also necessary. For Barlas, this will ensure the active participation of women in tafsir and create a link between Quranic hermeneutics and the project of gender equality. This article critically analyses Barlas’s views within the Islamic paradigm and examines to what extent she breaks with patriarchal tradition in tafsir. Furthermore, it concludes that Barlas' rereading of texts is nothing but a biased attempt to politicise Quranic interpretation and to provide theological legitimacy to a secular-oriented discourse, Islamic feminism. |
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| ISSN: | 2199-6172 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Journal of Rotterdam Islamic and Social Sciences
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