OIB-COSIMENA Research Colloquium on Gender Ethics

Through four engaging lectures, including “What is an Ethical Tafsir of Gender?” by Prof. Dr Omaima Abou-Bakr (Cairo University), “Al-insān al-kāmil, perfect or complete? Why are female humans excluded from being an insān kāmil?” by Dr Yasmin Amin (OIB Cairo), “Women in Shari’a Courts: A True History” by Dr Wafya Hamouda (Tanta University) and “Women, Life, Freedom – What is this all about?” by Prof. Katajun Amirpur (University of Cologne), the colloquium was able to present evidence-based proof of gender ethics in Arab and Islamic societies. While the first two presentations offered a theoretical overview of the academic research on the topic, the last two lectures introduced examples of the lived realities of women according to court case documents as well as a practical example of Muslim women’s mobilization in recent times. As a number of attendees pointed out in successive interviews, each lecture offered the chance to question common beliefs deeply ingrained in Arab and Islamic societies, stimulating contrasting feelings of curiosity and surprise together with bewilderment and confusion. Indeed, from the first lecture, which analysed various exegetical discourses to assess past interpretations and to generate new reading perspectives, the content presented tackled provoking issues, which inspired the audience to deconstruct common views and to reflect on profound existential questions.

In the first lecture, Dr Abou Bakr pointed out attempts at ethical readings of Qur’anic verses and explained how the classical exegetes recognized ethical concerns, yet mostly could not translate these concerns into gender equitable interpretations. The gender just interpretations exist, however, the bulk of the interpretations are patriarchal. Remarkably, in the context of the second lecture, Dr Amin clarified how female humans have been traditionally excluded from the possibility of being an ‘insān kāmil’ (perfect or complete human), although an accurate study of the women presented in the Qur’an demonstrates women’s capability of rational reflection and sound judgment as well as showing initiative and complete agency. After learning about widespread general misconceptions about gender in Arab and Islamic societies, the third lecture introduced new perspectives in the highly debated context of women’s rights under Islamic Law.

“This trend of research is new because it contradicts other research in Fiqhi studies; [this research], especially using quantitative and qualitative methods in Islamic studies, is considered a breakthrough,” explained Dr Hamouda in a personal interview after her lecture. The documents from archival real court-cases analysed in the lecture showed the discrepancy between the theoretical legal framework and the applied practical judgments, showing the autonomy of judges, as well as their gender equitable rulings.  As Ms Lorena Mohr (Head of Science and Protocol at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Egypt) highlighted in her opening remarks to this lecture, the studies of legal systems and the analysis of how legal norms are applied are crucial to understanding the larger society, as “legal systems and courts have a profound impact on society”. In this way, Dr Hamouda’s detailed analysis of controversial issues throughout history, such as dower (bridal gifts) and furniture, guardians and brides, legal privacy, minimum marriage age, obedience, and maintenance, revealed myths about Islamic Law that court records defeat. “It was extremely interesting to attend this lecture on the position of women in Islamic Law especially because it was able to address complex issues in a clear and accessible way to all,” an attendee stated, expressing appreciation for the knowledge acquired during Dr Hamouda’s lecture on the position of women in Islamic Law.

In line with other lectures, the information presented opened the door for a lively discussion during the final Q&A time and the joint networking dinner, when participants had the chance to ask for clarifications, raise their concerns, as well as contribute to the debate with their own expertise on the topic. This was particularly the case at the end of the last lecture, which gave an overview of the historical and political situation leading to the protest in Iran, spearheaded by women and supported by men under the slogan “women, life, freedom,” when the presentation of the Iranian example of women’s mobilization triggered animated debates, with attendees questioning the possible impact of this movement on the larger Islamic world, as well as expressing surprise for the magnitude of this protest, which did not receive much attention in the national media. “I am overwhelmed by the amount of information received in the last hour,” an attendee stated in a personal interview at the end of the lecture. “I only heard about these protests in a general way, but I now understand the depth of this protest, which extends beyond Iran,” she added. Remarkably, in that one-hour-long presentation, Prof Amirpur was able to unravel the key points of the ongoing revolutionary process in Iran, from its root causes and its formal beginning after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian girl Jina Mahsa Amini on September 16th, 2022, until today. Not only did the lecture provide the essential historical, socio-cultural, and political background to understand the context of how this revolutionary movement is evolving, but it also made the link to the general theme of gender ethics, highlighting the leading role of Iran in shaping what is currently known as ‘Islamic Feminism’. Moreover, Prof Amirpur highlighted the intersection among crucial social causes represented by this movement and clarified the image of removing the hijab as a symbol of the popular rejection of oppression and injustice as a whole, mentioning the world-famous song “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour, which lists a variety of reasons driving people to join the protest. As a result, the audience could learn fundamental facts on a relevant and current example of popular mobilization initiated by women in the context of a country that, as Dr Carsten Walbiner (Director of the DAAD Regional Office Cairo) affirmed at the beginning of the lecture, is often overlooked in the public discourse, but deserves greater attention.

Overall, despite the presence of specific concepts and specialised vocabulary, in each lecture the speakers were able to clearly explain the major takeaways of their studies, even to a lay audience, raising awareness of the presence of abundant historical, religious, legal, and societal basis for gender ethics in Arab and Islamic societies.