ISLAM: SALVATION THROUGH WOMEN?
so on. Yet on the other hand a famous scholar of Islam, Louis Massignon speaks of the sublimation of women as, at times, women have risen above their condition. A few cases are mentioned by Massigon before Islam such as in the role of Srikandi in the Mahabharata and the wife of Eyano in the Panji Cycle. Within Islam the same phenomenon is observed by Massignon with the introduction of a special form of divorce to help women which is called ta’liq of Ibn Surayi60. We can also mention the role played by women in the Minangkabau province of Sumatra. Such province has maintained a matriarchal society. A real improvement of the lot of women has been through education. For too long women have been marginalised because they could not go to school or they had to leave school too early. Nowadays women have realised how important education is as a better education is a key to opportunities. Muslim women have therefore taken advantage of this new opening. Now we should consider what is demanded by Muslim women at present. First they seem to insist of respect they should be entitled to everywhere they go and work. Then they ask for equality with men. They cannot accept the differences and marginalisation they endured for so long. Finally they should also be accepted as equal in religious matters. So interpretation of religious texts should not be done only by male ulamas but by men and women alike. The more so as in Islam there is no clergy – at least in Sunni Islam – so women should have a right to express views even if they are different from previous accepted traditions. Thus female theologians should appear in Islam even if such a new trend will not be easily accepted by traditionalists with the religion. One approach to such theology by Muslim women could be through ijtihad61. This is suggested by Irshad Manji as we have seen her bold ideas which she has put forward in a book, a film and regularly on the Web62. For instance when she comments about the tragic events taking place in Gaza in late December 2008 and early January 2009, she wrote on her blog “it’s time for all of us to embrace ijtihad”. 60 Lettres de Raden Adjeng Kartini, p. 4-5. 61 Posted on her website on janaury 8th, 2009 at 2 44 AM EST. 62 Her official website is: www.irshadmanji.com.
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