Can a woman be both Muslim and feminist? In the eyes of many, these two identities are mutually exclusive. In Turkey, secular feminists have long insisted that they define what a feminist should look like and what issues she should address. On the other hand, it has been predominantly Muslim men who have defined what they believe a Muslim woman to be.
Hadice Kübra sees things differently: for her, Islam and feminism are not contradictory, and their combination is a necessary complement to both Islamic and feminist discourse. The 36-year-old English teacher and academic is part of a growing group of women in Turkey who identify as Muslim feminists.
"I asked myself: what will I tell my children one day if they ask me what I actually did when the situation in our country was getting worse?" That's how Kübra describes the moment that prompted her to unite with like-minded women. The increasingly repressive policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially after the 2013 protests and the 2017 constitutional referendum, shaped her decision to join the "Muslim Women Against Violence" initiatives. and "Women in Mosques".
Against the Patriarchal Interpretation of Islam
In 2018, Kübra founded "Havle", a non-governmental organization that describes itself as the first Muslim-feminist women's association in Turkey, together with other activists. "Havle" means strength in Arabic and refers to the 58th surah of the Quran - "The Dispute", in which a woman turns to God after her husband mistreats her and her prayers are heard.
The Istanbul association is perceived on the one hand as a solidarity network in which mainly Muslim women can exchange life experiences. On the other hand, it opposes the patriarchal interpretation of Islam by exposing and deconstructing supposedly religious arguments used to impose social norms and practices.
Tackling the problems
Hadice Kübra gives a specific example: "The marriage of underage girls is a big problem. Certain political circles often justify it with religious arguments. We conducted a study that showed that only two percent of people who married their children under 15 did so for religious reasons."
Most often, financial reasons or the fear of extramarital sexual relations play a decisive role. Part of the activities of "Havle" are also trainings for mothers, tailored to the religious context, on the sexual education of their daughters. "These are all areas that secular feminists neglect", she emphasizes.
Promoting local feminism
An important aspect is also the promotion of so-called local feminism. "In religious or conservative circles, feminism is often perceived as a Western invention, alien to our culture and values. We believe that this understanding is wrong. Feminism can take different forms."
If activists from Femen (an international feminist organization) organize an action in which the participants are naked, this is considered feminism, says Kubra. "But the refusal of a woman in France, for example, to take off her headscarf can also be a feminist position. We are against the idea that white feminists should come to save us - women of different skin color from men of different skin color. We are also feminists, no one needs to save us. And if we do, we will do it ourselves."
Own solutions
It's about finding individual solutions to gender discrimination, unequal treatment of girls, or femicide. "Havle" maintains an active exchange with other NGOs, for example with "Spod", which fights for the rights of the LGBT+ community and organizes campaigns such as "HIV is not a sin and not a punishment".
Activists often face hostility, especially on social media, says Kyubra. "There are many people - I think these are mostly men - who believe that they preach the only correct interpretation of Islam. But as Muslims, we also have a right to our faith," she says.
From "working mothers" to "Muslim feminists"
Muslim women's rights activists, however, have not always been so confident. Their movement dates back to the 1980s. In parallel with the secular women's movement and the rise of political Islam, Muslim women have also come together. At one time, they rejected the term "feminist" - for them, feminism is a Western concept. Instead, they call themselves "working mothers" and discuss topics such as the injustices they experience in their community within an Islamic context.
They also struggle for greater visibility in public life. Especially after the "postmodern coup" of February 28, 1997, when the Turkish army forced the Islamist government of Necmettin Erbakan to adopt strict secular measures - including a ban on women wearing headscarves in public institutions. Muslim activists never received support from secular women at the time.
Against patriarchy with religious arguments
Today's generation of Muslim women is more vocal and direct in their criticism of patriarchy. They challenge the patriarchal interpretation of their religion and use religious arguments against inequality, violence against women and child marriage to confront problems within the Islamic discourse.
Today, there are numerous organizations, associations and initiatives across the country that pursue the same goals as "Havle". Their number is constantly growing. Despite the increasing restrictions on civil liberties in Turkey under increasingly authoritarian policies, Hatice Kübra is optimistic about the future.
"For about ten years, state pressure has been steadily increasing", she says. "NGOs have had less and less room to operate and their funding has been reduced. At the same time, the number of our members and volunteers, as well as the organizations that want to work with us, and the quality of our work are improving with each passing year. I think that the more the pressure increases, the stronger the public self-organization becomes."
Author: Seyda Nurç