WUNRN
EQUALITY, EQUITY, EMPOWERMENT
The Executive
Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women on the path toward gender
equality for Muslim Women.
Alia
IMOW: I am particularly struck by your organization’s central emphasis on
inclusiveness both among Muslim women themselves—certainly a diverse group—and
between Muslim women and the broader society. Would you say that this is a
distinguishing characteristic of CCMW and one which has allowed the organization
to thrive and become an effective voice on the national stage?
God in the Quran constantly commands us to use our reason
and not to blindly follow. This is what is needed now for us Muslims.
Alia Hogben: The
organization has clearly articulated principles and objectives, which emphasize
the fact that we are Canadian and Muslim and these are not in conflict. We hold
the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as essential for us, and see no
contradiction between human rights and Islam.
The
principles are the equality, equity and empowerment of Muslim women. We are
unequivocal about these and hold these dear. Surprisingly these have not been
accepted by other Muslims—men and women. The gender equality is often hedged
with provisos, but not for CCMW. We think there is misunderstanding about the
meaning of equality as too many men and women assume this is “sameness” or that
it eradicates differences between the genders. What equality truly means is
that all are equal before God, and equal here on earth—equal under the law.
Equality is having the options and opportunities which should be open to all.
Within
CCMW, there is a deliberate effort to be inclusive and non-judgmental of
others, even though we are strongly committed to our values.
Muslim women have to often navigate their way through a double
discrimination, that of main-stream Euro-American perceptions of Muslim women
and Islam, and that of rigid Muslim interpretations of Islam regarding gender.
How does this affect your work at CCMW?
It is
true that there are two difficult realities for us—one is from within the
Muslim communities and the other is how non-Muslims perceive and treat us. In
many instances, the issues within the Muslim communities are far more difficult
to deal with.
There
is a strong drive for conservatism; for a monolithic understanding of the
religion; for rigidity and traditionalism. Sadly, this is fairly powerful,
because the message comes with a lot of financial resources. The countries
which lead are usually
The
discrimination and prejudices of non-Muslim Canadians is a source of problems
for us too. However, in
As an
example, the CCMW opposed the Quebec bill calling for banning the niqab
- for women receiving government services- based on the fact that Muslim women
will be discriminated against simply by the way they dress. As we are opposed
to states, such as
This
is not that we agree or disagree with the niqab, but rather that it is
about a woman’s freedom and choice as to how she shows her religiosity. We
acknowledge that for some women this may not be their choice, but it is better
to err on the side of women and choice.
The CCMW is active on many fronts expressing its views and taking a stance
on controversial issues like polygamy, femicide, FGM, or on Canadian laws it
deems discriminatory towards Muslim women. What would you consider to be the greatest
overarching challenges currently facing Muslim women in Western contexts? And
would they differ from those facing women living in Muslim-majority contexts?
The
issues facing Muslim women globally are the same, but the degree of intensity
varies. For example CCMW belongs to an international network, Musawah, which is
comprised of members from about 40 Muslim majority and minority countries.
Currently, Musawah is addressing the concepts of wilayah and qiwamah
[male guardianship] and how these are present in family laws and affect the
lives of Muslim women.
The
other international network, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, has done a lot of
research, and their work demonstrates the struggle against the unequal and
unfair treatment of Muslim women the world over. Certainly some states have
better family laws than others, but the overall issue remains.In terms of our
national work, we have developed a number of pedagogical tools and resources
that we have used across the country. They are available on our website and
through our sister agencies. Currently we have a project –Common Ground- which
is geared to Muslim youth. The objective is to have our youth work within their
local communities on specific projectswith people of other faiths. It has been
very successful.
The objective of Muslima is similar to that of the CCMW. It seeks to foster understanding between
Muslims and non-Muslims, a binary maintained by the media, popular discourse,
and also political events. You have worked to dismantle this binarism for many
years. Have misunderstandings regarding Islam and Muslim women, in your
opinion, increased or decreased over time?
I
don’t think events happen in a progression of improvements. With the fact of
immigration and the movement of peoples from countries to countries, the issues
become complex and complicated. How does accommodation work? Should new
immigrants and the older population both make adaptations? How much religious
accommodation is essential and when does it slip into demands on both sides?
CCMW
constantly tries to address issues openly and without being defensive, and we
hope this is helpful to all parties. CCMW believes that Muslims need to be open
to self -criticism, an essential characteristic for our own development. God in
the Quran constantly commands us to use our reason and not to blindly follow.
This is what is needed now for us Muslims.
You have tirelessly fought for a more just society for several decades.
What message or advice could you offer our readers composed mostly of Muslim
and non-Muslim women who have the same dream?
The
message to Muslims and non-Muslims is that all of us must take responsibility
for the welfare of all, regardless of belief, race, or color.
Without
that dream we would not be passionate or committed to creating change. One of
my great prayers is that Muslim men will not allow their mothers, wives,
daughters, or sisters to be treated as less human than any man. Instead of the
constant, intense focus on our sexuality, there would be more attention paid to
our shared humanity.
There
is so much to be done, especially within Muslim communities. A seemingly simple
but ill-conceived insistence to make all Muslims more homogenous, more
monolithic in our understanding of Islam, the negation of our diverse cultures
and the conversion to become more Arabic are fundamentally damaging. They
demand the eradication of diversity amongst us which is so contradictory to the
teachings of the Quran.
About
the Author
Alia
Hogben is the Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, which
works to improve the lives of Muslim women and their families. As a social
worker Alia Hogben worked directly for and supervised services for children,
adults with developmental disabilities, and women who have been abused. Alia
writes a regular newspaper column on Islam and issues affecting Canadian
Muslims. She is often invited to speak at conferences and meetings on the same
issues.She has been recognized for her efforts and awarded various honours such
as a doctorate from Queen’s University and the Order of Canada.