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Islamic Feminism
According to Umm Yasmin of the Centre for Muslim Minorities and Islam, she states that feminism is often mistaken as a western movement, but addresses that Muslim feminists have been active since the early nineteenth century. Muslim feminists tasks aren't to reform the religion of Islam, but rather "promote gender equality within a secular society". Yasmin further concludes that Muslim feminists have "adapted" their views "in which Islam can be contextualized" in order to advocate equality between men and women paralleling with their faith; for Islam doesn't condone violence against women. Since the 19th century, both men and women question the legal system regarding the Sharia Laws affect on women such as strict veiling, education, seclusion, polygny and concubinage. In reforming these social issues, Muslims women started advocating for legal change, establishing schools for girls, and opposing to veiling and polygny. In support of Yasmin's argument, Fatima Mernissi undermines that the ideal Muslim woman being portrayed as "silent and obedient" has nothing to do with the message of Islam. In her view, conservative Muslim men manipulated the religious texts of the Quran to preserve their patriarchal system In order to prevent women from sexual liberation; thus enforcing the justification of strict veiling and limitation rights.

Feminism in Islam

Moroccan writer and sociologist, Fatima Mernissi is widely recognized as the founder of modern Islamic Feminism. Her famous feminist piece Beyond the Veil exploits the oppressive status of women in Islam, sexual ideology and gender identity through the perspective of Moroccan society and culture. Beyond the Veil argues against the discourse on women's sexuality by breaking their silence with providing a voice against the dominance of male patriarchy.

Women in Islam

Allah states in the Quran that 33:36: Surely, men who submit themselves to God and women who submit themselves to Him, and believing men, and believing women, and obedient men and obedient women and truthful men and truthful women, and men steadfast in their faith and steadfast women" . This demonstrates that Muslim men and women are spiritually regarded as equals and woman can attain the same of devotion to God as men. Allah created men and women to equally follow the same commandments and entitled the same rights, but only distinguished them base on their martial status. Even still both men and women are expected to fulfill the same duties; worship, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage to Mecca. The Quran goes again to explain that : fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and of its kind created its mate, and from them twain spread many men and women. Single soul signifies that both sexes are unified together as one soul, belonging to the same species and having the same propensities.

Main Article: Islamic feminism

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