Tag Archives: purdah

Research Journal on Ch. 1: Nature of the Problem

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Maududi, Abul A’la. Purdah and the Status of Women in Islam. Trans. Al-Ash’ari. Kazi Publications, 1939. Print.

In the next set of research journal entries, I will be outlining some of the main arguments of this book (one chapter at a time), and analyzing key themes. This book was originally written in Urdu and although I am reading its English translation, I am disappointed at Maududi’s language. The reason is that he emphasizes everything in terms of sexual dimorphism: man is this…woman is that… His chauvinistic viewpoint is inevitably expressed throughout the book.

Chapter 1: Nature of the Problem

The first chapter sets the tone for later arguments in favor of upholding a strict segregation of the sexes. I have briefly sketched out Maududi’s main argument.

  1. Despite making considerable advancements, humans don’t have definite answers in any field, including the sciences.
  2. Complex phenomenon is not understood accurately because of human’s inability to see all facets of a problem in one picture/analysis.
  3. In order for humans to make sense of the world, first, they have to understand themselves, which is not possible if they revert to extremes. What does he mean by extremes?
  4. To illustrate the concept of extremes, Maududi delves into describing the status of women. He states that women are either reduced to the position of maids or elevated to the levels of immoral prominence to become “Devil’s agent.” These are the two extremes, which the chapter title indicates as “nature of the problem.”
  5. He concludes the chapter by arriving at, “…the free intermingling of the sexes brings in its wake a flood of obscenity, licentiousness and sexual perversion, which ruin the morals of the community.” His proposed solution to avoid the two extremes is purdah/veil, segregation of the sexes or seclusion of women from men.

I will now raise objections to points 4 and 5 as they are directly concerned with the status of women and have underlying assumptions that can be challenged.

  1. Since Maududi’s conclusion is something based upon his experiences, one would expect a rather elaborate view on the status of women; after all, life is complex. However, his observation to categorize women’s role in two neat labels of “maids” or “Devil’s agent” shows us an oversimplified and an incomplete picture. Ignoring a whole range of the spectrum – in terms of division of labor – is silly. It is not as if Maududi collected empirical evidence on the status of women in Pakistan and has therefore arrived at such a conclusion.
  2. Sure humans are highly social animals, but we are also what Aristotle correctly described: rational! Maududi’s prediction of chaotic sexual anarchy is unfounded. It presumes that we do not control over ourselves and that we will destroy order by a “flood of obscenity.”
  3. Maududi’s solution, in itself, is an extreme view. Seclusion of women from public domain undermines the whole notion of being a productive and a dignified citizen of society. It denies women the opportunity to develop their intellectual and professional aspirations.
  4. He is placing the burden of maintaining a strict social structure, i.e. segregation, on women. What exactly justifies that is not mentioned.

 

Here is the Plan

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1. I will begin writing my interview questions, which will be sent out to various NGOs such as War Against Rape (WAR), women rights organizations such as Women’s Forum Action (WFA), political parties such as Jama’at-i-Islami, ulemas, and authors whose work I have read. My interviews will include questions about the justification used for restrictive rape laws, why such laws are targeting towards women etc. Although one can argue that I can get that sort of information by research alone, I think interviewing will narrow down my sources. Since most of my questions will be open-ended, I will be organizing this information in the form of separate journal entries. Later, I will put them in a visual for easier comparison.

2. I will also be reading the following books:

  • Women of Pakistan: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back? by Khawar Mumtaz and Farida Shaheeda.
  • Purdah and the Status of Women in Islam by Maududi. His philosophy was influential in the incorporation of Hudood Laws in the penal code of Pakistan. That is why I think it is important to understand his views of women.

3. My research goals:

  • Find specific instances where misinterpretation of Islamic ideas has led to restrictive laws. This will be expanding on how Zia justified his martial law, how political parties continue to promote Maududi’s ideologies, how local jirgas exploit power to carry out discriminatory verdicts.
  • Explore the clash of different legal systems (Sharia vs. secular law) and its implication for victims of rape.
  • Research the theme of how Islamic virtues are intertwined with traditional values like purdah. This will shed light on how Hinduism and Mughal’s rule has shaped accepted cultural values.

I have not set exact deadlines yet because I will be doing most of the tasks simultaneously. I will also be reading journal articles and watching documentaries to gather further information.

Reseach Journal: Socio-cultural, Religious, and Political Aspects of the Status of Women in Pakistan

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Hakim, A., Aziz, A. (1999). Socio-cultural, Religious, and Political Aspects of the Status of Women in Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review. 37(4). 727-746.

Most women in Pakistan do not identify their ethnic race (Balochi, Pathan, Sindhi, and Punjabi) or language as a unifying factor. Instead, Islam is the single most important aspect common to an overwhelming majority. In this article, the term “status” of women, specifically in Pakistan, is defined either in terms of access to resources such as education, employment, and health services, or position, which includes power, prestige, and authority. Note that here women’s status is defined as a conglomeration of indicators that can be measured and easily reported in numbers. This way of analysis overshadows cultural factors such as family caste/class etc.

Hakim and Aziz categorize limitations on women into two broad groups: (1) Legal restrictions interpreted from Quran, Hadith, Sunnah, and Sharia; (2) Enforcement of Purdah. The second category refers to the tradition of seclusion of women from men. This practice was also prevalent in the Hindu community in the Indian subcontinent and was perceived as a symbol of high class. It is important to understand the similarities between Hindu and Muslim communities because Pakistani culture has definitely borrowed some ideas/customs/values from outside. I want to research how these foreign influences and blend of ideas have impacted the perception of women in society.

Another important thing that I learnt from this article was the division of religious authority in Pakistan (See the following diagram). It was interesting to find that ulema (Islamic scholars) are the only one who can directly drive a political change since they are involved in political organizations. Maulvis (local preachers) and pirs (spiritual leaders or sufi shaikhs) are active in the local community, but they do not have any political contributions. Here we are not counting indirect influences that maulvis and pirs can potentially have on citizens who would later have an active role in politics/ government.

Religious Authority