Controlling the Body: Muslim Feminists Debating Women's Rights in Indonesia

Abstract

This essay discusses several scholarly and activist projects undertaken by Muslim feminists in Indonesia who aim at strengthening the basic human rights of women based on Islamic teachings. Highlighted in this article are the activities that focus on a woman's agency of choice; especially in matters pertaining to her body. According to these feminists, male interpretations of the Qur’an and its related texts of Hadith and Jurisprudence (Fiqh) combined with local and cultural influences led to misogynist teachings. By re-interpreting these religious sources according to contemporary needs and contexts, they strive to retrieve the underlying Qur’anic message of justice with the goal of influencing patterns of expectations concerning a woman's role and position as constructed by her religious, social, and economic environment.