Women’s faith and activism in Iran offer a lesson in using religious tradition to promote gender justice, VCU author says

A familiar place and a familiar face inspired the latest book from Virginia Commonwealth University's Samaneh Oladi.

In "Women, Faith, and Family: Reclaiming Gender Justice through Religious Activism,"Oladi, Ph.D., an associate professor of religious studies in the School of World Studies in the College of Humanities and Sciences, takes an in-depth look at the ways Iranian women engage in faith-based activism to advance gender justice within the framework of Islam and the contextual realities of their country.

While visiting Iran, Oladi reconnected with a childhood friend, Leila, whose life experiences "profoundly influenced my perspective on women's rights and religious activism," she said. "Initially, Leila was skeptical of my research - cautioning me against what she perceived as the Western-imposed narrative of 'liberating' Muslim women."

But after Leila's marriage broke down and she lost everything following the annulment, her whole world and faith had crumbled. It was during this time that she joined the Women's Islamic Coalition, which advocates for gender justice in Iran through a faith-based approach, and she saw it as a way to reconcile her faith with her sense of justice.

Witnessing Leila's journey from skepticism to activism inspired Oladi to document and analyze how the women are using their faith as a platform for advocating gender justice. She spoke to VCU News about "Women, Faith, and Family," which was published this month, and how faith can be a source of empowerment as well as a catalyst for social change.

Let's go big-picture for a moment: In America, we may hear the words "Iran, Islam and women" and draw quick conclusions - but are we missing something?

There is usually a widespread misconception, particularly in secular-liberal feminist circles, that religion - and Islam in particular - is inherently oppressive to women and incompatible with the pursuit of gender justice. This view often fails to recognize the agency of Muslim women who actively engage with their religious traditions to advocate for their rights.

In my research, I have found that women active in the Women's Islamic Coalition are not passive objects of a patriarchal system but are instead actively reinterpreting their faith to empower themselves and others. They do not see their religion as a barrier to their agency but as a source of strength and a foundation for social justice. These women are challenging both Western assumptions that liberation must be secular and the traditionalist interpretations that seek to limit their roles.

By engaging deeply with Islamic jurisprudence, they are carving out a space for themselves within the religious and legal frameworks of their society, demonstrating that faith can be a powerful ally in the fight for gender justice.

And your book explores that - and you use an interesting term for their activism.

Yes, I use the term 'women's jurisprudence' to describe a distinct method these activists employ when interpreting Islamic law. Women's jurisprudence is an evolving discourse on the interpretation of gender in Islam, grounded in independent intellectual investigation (ijtihad) of the Islamic sacred scriptures, which allows for women's experiences to be considered and incorporated into law.

The book reveals how women activists in Iran navigate the complex intersection of religion, law and social justice. Through interviews, case studies and textual analysis, I look at how the women present in the book are not only challenging hierarchical interpretations of Islamic law but are also redefining the role of women within their religious and cultural contexts.

Tell us a bit more about the Women's Islamic Coalition and how they reframe religious tradition.

The Women's Islamic Coalition, known in Farsi as Itilaf-i Islami-yi Zanan (IIZ), works within and around the Shi'i Islamic tradition to advocate for the rights of women, reinterpreting Islamic jurisprudence - specifically family law - in ways that are more inclusive and equitable for Muslim women.

IIZ members believe that meaningful gender justice can be achieved by engaging with sacred texts and legal traditions of Islam from a woman's perspective. They use "women's jurisprudence" to challenge discriminatory interpretations of Islamic law, aiming to create a legal and social environment where women's voices and experiences are central to the formation of law and policy. This approach not only seeks to reform specific legal rulings but also to shift the broader discourse on gender within Islamic societies, offering an alternative to both secular feminism and religious orthodoxy.

How else should we be cautious about filtering these issues through a Western lens?

It's important to recognize and support the diverse strategies that women around the world are using to achieve gender justice. The efforts of faith-based activists like those in the Women's Islamic Coalition represent a vital - yet often overlooked - dimension of the global struggle for women's rights. Their work challenges the binary thinking that often dominates discussions surrounding gender and religion.

These activists are showing us that it is possible to be deeply rooted in one's religious tradition while also advocating for change that profoundly impacts women's lives. Their activism not only redefines the possibilities for women's agency within religious contexts but also pushes us to reconsider our assumptions about the intersections of faith, gender and justice.

I hope that this book will contribute to a more inclusive understanding of women's rights activism - one that honors the many different paths that women are taking to advance their rights and reshape their societies.

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