Aisha Anees Malik
Dr Aisha Anees Malik is Assistant Professor in the Centre of Excellence in Gender Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. She holds a PhD in gender and social policy from the Univers
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: Muslim women, Islamic fundamentalism, Iran, Pakistan, despotic rulers, misogynist approach, feminist fundamentalism, bargaining with patriarchy, convenience of subservience, Holy Qur’an, Hadith, oppressive system, middle class, submission
Abstract
Muslim Women’s support for Islamic fundamentalism in Iran and Pakistan has its roots in the liberation struggles of their peoples against despotic rulers seen as agents of the West and colonial masters. The rise of Islamic feminism in these countries, once again, is perceived as either an outright support for Islamic fundamentalism or as an apology for its misogynist approach—a case of feminist fundamentalism. This paper draws a distinction between the case of Islamic feminists in Iran and Pakistan using the framework of Kandiyoti’s ‘bargaining with patriarchy’ and Jalal’s ‘convenience of subservience’. It is argued in this study that the feminists in Iran are engaged in an active debate with the republic, bargaining to negotiate concessions for women. Grounding their arguments in the words of the Holy Quran and Hadith, a language that the fundamentalists understand, they have won considerable ground. In Pakistan, however, owing to their own upper and upper-middle-class status, their failure to attack the roots of the oppressive system, or their accommodations and submission to it, has either been convenient or rewarding for them.
First Published
March 25, 2017
How to Cite
Anisha Anees Malik, “Muslim Women’s Support for Fundamentalism: Comparing Iran and Pakistan,” Regional Studies 35, no.2 (Spring 2017): 73-89, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/muslim-womens-support-for-fundamentalism-comparing-iran-and-pakistan/
Issue
Volume 35, Issue 2