feminism, the red pill and islam
DISCLAIMER: Everything below is based on personal thoughts, experiences and research
feminism
/ˈfɛmɪnɪz(ə)m/
noun
the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
As a young woman who advocates for women’s rights, I often get asked whether I am a feminist. The answer to this is- No.
For me, my identity as a Muslim comes before anything else. I advocate for the rights of women according to the boundaries of my faith, something which mainstream feminism rarely allows me to do. According to Islam, and the basic principles of science, men and women are not equal. Although we are all equal in the eyes of our Lord, each gender has their own strengths and weaknesses, their own capabilities and their own roles in this world. Despite our differences, both men and women have the same opportunity to reach heaven- the ultimate goal.
Why do muslim women turn to feminism?
I think the answer to this question is simple.
Allah gave men rights. Allah gave women rights. Unfortunately, we live in a society where women’s God-given rights are not upheld. Muslim women are living in a world where every action of their’s is criticised.
With the growth of the Red pill and Incel culture in Western society, Muslim men are increasingly mistreating women, disrespecting them and forgetting their roles as “caretakers of women” [Quran 4:34]. Muslim men are following and promoting online creators that reek of misogyny and toxic masculinity. Muslim men are leaving behind the best role model that is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And the worst thing is, so many young boys have become normalised to using language that is degrading to women, with many simply believing it is okay and ‘not that deep’. Well, I’m telling you now, it’s in fact way deeper than you think.
It angers me that this behaviour is not called out more often. Normalising such ‘influencers’, encouraging their content and supporting them has a much greater harm on the community than some may think, and is in fact a cause of femicide- the murder of women. The objectification of women has seeped through almost every aspect of Western media and entertainment, seen in music, movies and news headlines. But it has not stopped there. The rise of male Muslim ‘influencers’ and the ‘dawah brothers’ is tarnishing Islamic principles of tolerance, respect and dignity. This trend of ‘advising’ sisters by publicly shaming them on social media platforms is not according to the sunnah. Making blanket statements in short videos about supposed gender roles with no reference to the Quran or sunnah is not correct etiquette. Increasingly, these posts are targeting Muslim women, shaming them and in some cases, taking them further away from the fold of Islam. Gendered Islamaphobia is a real thing and Muslim women are victims of it every day, both in and outside of social media.
If these men, the same Muslim men that have been told by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to “treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers”, are constantly demeaning women and stripping them away from their rights, many Muslim women feel as though they have to turn to feminism to get back these rights. In no way am I saying this is correct, but in some ways, who can blame them when this is the culture that is trending on social media.
moving forward
Mainstream feminism is not the solution to Muslim women getting their rights back. Firstly, it fails to represent the needs of women of faith, women of colour and women of lower socio-economic backgrounds, to say the least. As argued by Mikki Kendall in her book ‘Hood Feminism’, mainstream feminism supports a white woman’s fight for an even better position in society, usually at the expense of other women, the forgotten women. Mainstream feminism does not take into account the strengths and challenges associated to one specific gender, as well as the added layers of differences a woman of colour/faith has. If the textbook definition of feminism is ‘equality of the sexes’, as Muslims, we should already know that this is not our goal.
For Muslim women to reattain their divine rights, which should be our goal, the attitude of the Muslim community towards Red pill culture and misogyny needs to change. It it an epidemic that needs to be taken more seriously. The issue has to be publicly spoken about more in Islamic institutions, mosques and youth groups. And most importantly, the behaviour must be called out by both men and women, young boys and girls, whenever they come across it. Simply ignoring the off-hand comments and taking them as a harmless joke is exactly the reason why this language breeds and becomes normalised.
Muslims, both men and women, need to be in spaces that offer knowledge of the rights we have over one another. We must teach and learn about the Prophetic method of treating women, the divine rights that Allah has spoken about in the Quran, in an environment that is safe, understanding and compassionate.
As writer Mariya bint Rehan perfectly wrote for Amaliah:
“What we need to see is Muslim men unequivocally denouncing this movement which is part of a larger, unrelenting course of punishing Muslim women that exists beyond our faith community and appears to have no geographical borders or limits. If Muslim women are the ideological punch bag of world leaders, domestic policy, and the wilderness of internet discourse and its material impact on our homes – what hope do we have of moving forward as a community? Who can muslim women turn to if we are both the cause and victim to our apparently justified abuse?
Muslim men need to be educated on our history, to fully recognise that misogyny is not a Muslim trait, and never has been.
The idea of Muslim women’s rights, based on Islamic tenets and not lies we are being told about our own religion needs to be reestablished amongst Millennial and Gen Z Muslims in an uplifting, non-condescending way, we are not lollipops and we need to jettison the fable like narrative of femininity that infantilises us as less than male believers in the eyes of our Creator.”
Link to full article: https://www.amaliah.com/post/66016/muslim-incel-mincel-red-pill-ideology-islam
This change can only begin when Muslim men publicly show that they are in solidarity with their Muslim sisters. This change can only begin when Muslim men internalise their duties and responsibilities to Muslim women in a way that is not condescending. This change can only begin when Muslim men realise that they too are victims of the Red pill culture, that in fact this culture of misogyny is stripping away their masculinity rather than enhancing it.
Until next time,
atiyahtalks x