Musawah ('equality'; in Arabic: مساواة) is a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family, led by feminists "seeking to reclaim Islam and the Koran for themselves".
Contents
History
Twelve women met in Istanbul as the planning committee in March 2007, from countries around the world: Egypt, the Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Musawah was officially launched in Kuala Lampur in February 2009, at a meeting of 250 Muslim activists, scholars, legal practitioners and policy-makers from 47 countries. Mona Eltahawy, the Egyptian-American journalist and Musawah member, commented on this founding moment: "Panel discussions and dinner talk [...] were heated, but not about headscarves or education. We had much heavier issues on our minds — like a woman’s right to initiate divorce, how to protect women against clerics who say Islam gives a husband the right to beat his wife, fighting forced marriage. In other words, wrestling Islam back from the men who use it against us."
The name "Musawah" comes from an Arabic word that translates as "equality".
Focus
Musawah's advocacy draws from four primary sources:
In practice, this has translated into advocacy around issues such as reforming divorce laws in Muslim countries. Tools used by Musawah to advance this goal have included research into the differences between traditional Muslim family laws and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, publication of books on Islamic jurisprudence, and toolkits for advocates.
Role And Challenges
One of Musawah's co-founders, Malaysian activist Zainah Anwar, offered this perspective on Musawah's role in the broader women's and human rights movements: "What Musawah brings to the table is a rich and diverse collection of interpretations, juristic opinions and principles that makes it possible to read equality and justice in Islam, and construe these twin values at national and international levels. It is a vital contribution at a time when democracy, human rights and women's rights constitute the modern ethical paradigm of today's world."
Challenges in Musawah's work include ongoing debates around the multiple interpretations of the Koran, and the defence of a human rights interpretation from within Islam, rather than a secular human rights framework.