POWER, ALIENATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF ISLAMIC WOMEN

THE NEED TO FOSTER THE REINTERPRETATION OF ISLAMIC RELIGION IN THE LIGHT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Abstract

The relationship between power and alienation in the field of women's human rights is current necessary discussion today, especially considering that the 21st century has brought new agendas to fight oppression, fostering gender equality. However, when this theme involves religious bonds, especially in the context of Islamic culture, it is clear that the discussion loses strength, given that most Islamic women still do not enjoy the freedoms widely guaranteed in the Western scenario. In this sense, Islamic woman is objectified and alienated in several ways, all legitimized by the outdated interpretation of the Islamic sacred books, which treat them as a human beings without rights. In other words, there is an apparent conflict between Islamic faith and female human rights, as both concepts do not coexist harmoniously. On the other hand, to have a peaceful coexistence between the several religious, it is imperative that no system should overlap the other. As for the relevant changes to be instigated within the Islamic religion, the discussion must be worked on at the heart of these communities. Thus, the present work intends to analyze whether there is a possibility that the women’s human rights, internationally recognized, are obeyed by the Islamic communities, without this entailing the renunciation of the dictates of this religion. The research is justified by the fact that, currently, the Islamic reality is not consistent with the female human rights agendas, nor with the call of international entities to fight oppression and alienation of women. As for an initial hypothesis, it is indicated that it is necessary that the reinterpretation of Islamic culture and faith is instigated and carried out by its own members. We understand that the Islamic religion needs to be reread, in light of the new humanitarian premises instituted by the 21st century, and bearing in mind the need for independent coexistence between the various religions. Thus, the aims of the work consist of briefly analyzing the history of religions and their influence on global geopolitics, currently divided into eastern and western; studying this division specifically in the context of the human rights of Islamic women, collating with the dynamics of the Jewish and Christian religions, predominant in the West; and understanding the limitations experienced by the Islamic female community, outlining viable solutions to combat oppression and violation of rights, commanded by the outdated interpretation of Islam. The methodology to be used to pursue the objectives will be the deductive and historical-analytic method. In the end, it is expected to conclude that the observance of women's human rights fundamentally ensured by the 21st century may be possible within traditional Islamic communities, as long as they are internally discussed, so that they are worked in the current reality of those women, without apostasy. Furthermore, this debate will prove to be an effective tool in fighting alienation of the Islamic female sex, enriching this culture as an updated aspect of one of the most expressive religions in the world.