Gender equality demand wins support<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Prominent Muslim scholars threw their weight behind a demand for
\nthe revival of the alternative draft Islamic law code, which they
\nsay will encourage gender equality in the country.<\/p>\n
Syafiq Hasyim of the International Center for Islam and
\nPluralism (ICIP) said he believed that the alternative draft
\nwould not cause disquiet among Muslims as some influential Muslim
\ninstitutions had predicted.<\/p>\n
\"I'm pretty sure Muslims here won't have a problem with the
\ndraft because they need it. There are many examples of interfaith
\ncouples, for instance, who want to get married but cannot because
\nthe state forbids it,\" Syafiq, who was also involved in the
\nfinalizing of the draft, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
As for polygamy, he said that Indonesia should take Tunisia as
\nan example. The African country applies sharia but banned
\npolygamy in 1959.<\/p>\n
Syafiq urged a new discourse in order to find some compromise.<\/p>\n
\"We believe that we can overcome the arguments of those who
\noppose the draft. Everything we have done was based on Islamic
\nteachings. Maybe it's our own interpretation, but don't be
\njudgmental because we have applied the legal rules contained in
\nIslamic jurisprudence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Women activists on Monday urged the revival of the draft,
\nsaying it would strengthen the position of women in marriage.
\nThey also regretted the government's decision to ditch it without
\na public discourse.<\/p>\n
Drafted by a team led by gender expert and Islamic
\nlaw scholar Siti Musdah Mulia from the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs, the draft was aimed at accommodating
\ncontemporary issues and women's needs, instead of veering heavily
\ninto chauvinistic interpretations.<\/p>\n
Among the proposed articles that sparked anger among Muslim
\nclerics were those that banned polygamy, allowed interfaith
\nmarriage and gave women equal divorce rights, as extended to men,
\nas well as the right to marry without the permission of a
\nguardian.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs M. Maftuh Basyuni announced on
\nFeb. 14 that the controversial draft had been shelved for fear of
\nit's causing social disorder among Muslims.<\/p>\n
Scholar Lily Zakiah Munir said on Tuesday that the right of
\ninterpretation was not vested in one interest group only.<\/p>\n
\"There should be a process of public discourse instead of
\nsimple abandonment. The draft is important in treating women as
\nits targets,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, scholar and women's activist Maria Ulfah Anshor,
\nwhile agreeing with the revival of the draft and a public
\ndiscourse, thought the team had not come up with the right
\nstrategy for launching the draft.<\/p>\n
\"It was launched too hastily. They should have disseminating
\nthe draft to the public first before announcing it. People got
\nthe wrong impression.<\/p>\n
\"People in this country tend to comment before they know the
\nissues they are commenting on. I know a cleric from the
\nIndonesian Ulema Council (MUI) who said he had not even read it
\nbut commented on it anyway,\" Maria said.<\/p>\n
Syafiq said that whatever strategy was adopted, it would still
\nnot work as the content of the draft was far too progressive and
\ncontroversial for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"But we will keep on going, discussing and campaigning for it
\neverywhere, especially among non-governmental organizations,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In line with the efforts of liberal Muslims and women's
\nactivists to shed patriarchal interpretations of Muslim religious
\nteachings, a woman imam will lead Friday prayers at the Sundaram
\nTagore Gallery, New York, on March 18.<\/p>\n
Dr. Amina Wadud, professor of Islamic studies at Virginia
\nCommonwealth University, will be the first woman to lead public,
\nmixed-gender prayers.<\/p>\n
Maria welcomed the news, saying the move would serve as a
\nreference for feminists here in their fight for gender equity.<\/p>\n
\"There is a text saying there was a woman imam once in the
\nperiod of the Prophet Muhammad named Ummu Waraqah. Unfortunately,
\nthe text has never been used. Instead, people refer to another
\ntext saying that an imam must be a man,\" Maria said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gender-equality-demand-wins-support-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}