An educational opportunity for (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of faith and citizenship : a South African case

Date
2022-09-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Abstract
The centring of Muslim women in Islam resides in an intertwining historico-politico -theological narrative of gender reform, first promulgated in a seventh century revelation of the Qur’an. Significantly, the gains derived by the women of Islam’s first community, have become lost in the dominance of contemporary androcentric-patriarchal interpretations. The argument advanced by this paper is that Muslim educational institutions have a responsibility in (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of the scripture; and in establishing resonance between identities of faith and citizenship. I commence by looking at the disjuncture between what Islam says about gender equality, and how it unfolds under the predominant auspices of a patriarchal gaze. As an example of this disconnection, I focus on the trajectory of the ‘women in mosques’ campaigns in South Africa, spanning from an apartheid to a democratic context – noting that despite, or perhaps, because of far-reaching political change, the resistance encountered by Muslim women has remained the same. Thereafter, I turn my attention to an intertwining consideration: the responsibility of Muslim education in (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of the scripture; and the obligation of Muslim education in establishing resonance between identities of faith and citizenship.
Description
CITATION: Davids, N. 2022. An educational opportunity for (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of faith and citizenship: a South African case. British Journal of Religious Education. doi:10.1080/01416200.2022.2123305
The original publication is available at https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/cbre20
Keywords
Gender justice, Citizenship, ‘Women in mosques’, Religion, Citizenship, South Africa
Citation
Davids, N. 2022. An educational opportunity for (re)-scripting gender justice as an imperative of faith and citizenship: a South African case. British Journal of Religious Education. doi:10.1080/01416200.2022.2123305