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| Lecturer of Islamic Family Law at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) in the Fourth International Conference on Islamophobia in Muslim Majority Countries: Examining its Cultural and Geopolitical Dimensions. (Photo: Special) |
There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding the concept of gender equality in Muslim society. This was conveyed by Luciana Anggraeni, M.H. Lecturer in Hukum Keluarga Islam (HKI) (Trans: Islamic Family Law) at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) in the Fourth International Conference on Islamophobia in Muslim Majority Countries: Examining its Cultural and Geopolitical Dimensions.
The conference organized by the Center of Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU), Istanbul, Turkey, was held on March 11-13, 2023. She and other speakers studied the culture and geopolitics of Islamophobia in Muslim-majority countries. Moreover, Islamophobia does not only occur in minority Muslim countries.
She wrote an article entitled Gendered Islamophobia in Indonesia: Forms and Solution. She explained that Islam itself has no concept of gender equality. But it emphasized gender justice. "Men and women have separate positions and roles, that is the discussion that needs to be emphasized more in studies on gender. The focus is on justice, not gender equality," she explained.
Furthermore, she said there are many misunderstandings among the people who think Islam is a patriarchal religion. The truth is patriarchy was born from society's culture, not religion.
According to her, it is necessary to upgrade the knowledge of a Muslim regarding the sciences and values of Islamic teachings, especially in discussions around gender. "Muslims should not only think that worship is a symbolic ritual. But there needs to be an understanding of the values of worship itself," she explained.
Not to forget, she tells the things that need to be considered by men and women in dealing with the opposite sex, including in a serious relationship. Starting from understanding nature to the role that must be played in life. Men and women have complementary functions. For example, men will become fathers, while women will become mothers. Those are all concepts that are complementary, not equivalent.
Finally, Luci advised the younger generation to be more active in developing themselves. Youth is a golden opportunity that must be used to explore existing talents. "Kartini used to fight tooth and nail to elevate the dignity of women. Now there are also many opportunities for women to be able to develop themselves. It should be put to better use," he concluded. (put/faq/wil)
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