II Congrés de Feminisme Islàmic

The Second International Congress of Islamic Feminism (Barcelona, 3rd, 4th and 5th of November 2006) will focus on major issues with relation to the implementation of sharia and family laws in countries with a Muslim population.

The conference aims to continue the task which was started in the First Congress on Islamic Feminism, through which the growing Muslim women’s movement in pursuit of gender equality became known, on a theoretical as well as a practical level. It also seeks to contribute to the consolidation of Islamic feminism as a international movement.

Nowadays, there are some groups that claim for the implementation of a codification of the Sharia that goes back to the 10th century, and which in practice means corporal punishments, justification of domestic violence against women, dress codes that restrict freedom, highly chauvinistic and discriminatory family laws restricting women’s right to divorce or inheritance or to exercise certain professions.

In front of this situation, Islamic feminism declares that this alleged “Islamic Law” is not “God’s law”, as is claimed by those who promote it, but a human creation codified centuries ago in the context of societies in which women were considered to be the property of men and religious discourse lay in the hands of men. This movement considers that a degradation of Islamic tradition and distortion of the Sacred Text has taken place. Moreover, Islamic feminism affirms that true Islam contains important elements of liberation and calls for the recovery of those elements as a framework for social emancipation.

The Congress has the participation of some of the most outstanding Muslim intellectuals working for gender justice and against sexist interpretations of the Sacred Text. These scholars will analyze the state of women’s human rights in countries like Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Nigeria and Indonesia.

Some of the fundamental topics that affect the situation of women in the Islamic world will be approached, such as polygamy, abortion, divorce, domestic violence, family planning, sexual rights and the intellectual and spiritual leadership of women. The conference seeks to analyze these topics from the perspective of Islamic Feminism. Various strategies for the improvement of women’s rights will be discussed. Sessions will be devoted to Quranic hermeneutics, inter-religious feminist dialogue, masculinity and the role of men in Islamic Feminism.

The event is organized by the Catalan Islamic Board (Junta Islàmica Catalana), and has the patronage of the Barcelona City Council and the Catalonian Autonomous Government, as well as the support of the Foundation “Pluralismo y Convivencia” (Ministry of Justice).


	Convocation

	The Second International Congress of Islamic Feminism (Barcelona, 3rd, 4th and 5th of November 2006) will focus on major issues with relation to the implementation of sharia and family laws in countries with a Muslim population. The conference aims to continue the task which was started in the First Congress on Islamic Feminism, through which the growing Muslim women’s movement in pursuit of gender equality became known, on a theoretical as well as a practical level. It also seeks to contribute to the consolidation of Islamic feminism as a international movement. Nowadays, there are some groups that claim for the implementation of a codification of the Sharia that goes back to the 10th century, and which in practice means corporal punishments, justification of domestic violence against women, dress codes that restrict freedom, highly chauvinistic and discriminatory family laws restricting women’s right to divorce or inheritance or to exercise certain professions. In front of this situation, Islamic feminism declares that this alleged “Islamic Law” is not “God’s law”, as is claimed by those who promote it, but a human creation codified centuries ago in the context of societies in which women were considered to be the property of men and religious discourse lay in the hands of men. This movement considers that a degradation of Islamic tradition and distortion of the Sacred Text has taken place. Moreover, Islamic feminism affirms that true Islam contains important elements of liberation and calls for the recovery of those elements as a framework for social emancipation. The Congress has the participation of some of the most outstanding Muslim intellectuals working for gender justice and against sexist interpretations of the Sacred Text. These scholars will analyze the state of women’s human rights in countries like Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Nigeria and Indonesia. Some of the fundamental topics that affect the situation of women in the Islamic world will be approached, such as polygamy, abortion, divorce, domestic violence, family planning, sexual rights and the intellectual and spiritual leadership of women. The conference seeks to analyze these topics from the perspective of Islamic Feminism. Various strategies for the improvement of women’s rights will be discussed. Sessions will be devoted to Quranic hermeneutics, inter-religious feminist dialogue, masculinity and the role of men in Islamic Feminism. The event is organized by the Catalan Islamic Board (Junta Islàmica Catalana), and has the patronage of the Barcelona City Council and the Catalonian Autonomous Government, as well as the support of the Foundation “Pluralismo y Convivencia” (Ministry of Justice).