Reponse to Marina Mahathir (IFLA Issue)
by Farah Pang Abdullah and Siti Jamilah Sheikh Abdullah

Marina Mahathir’s recent outbursts likening Muslim women in Malaysia to black South Africans under apartheid is completely ignorant of the reality on the ground. This renders a great disservice to a country praised by many as a model Muslim nation.

Marina has taken advantage of the Islamic Family Law (FT) (Amendments) Act. 2006 debate to regurgitate her tiresome and predictable attacks on the Shariah (Islamic Law) as it pertains to women and family law, and to vent her anger at the relevant government body that has been instrumental in setting the bill in motion. Her prejudiced views and assumptions smacks of ignorance of the objectives and methodology of the Shariah, and a slavish capitulation to western feminism’s notions of women’s rights, gender equality and sexuality.

An accurate and complete understanding of the IFLA requires much more serious scrutiny than many are seemingly willing to give. Any study of the IFLA must reference the primary sources of Islamic jurisprudence namely the Quran, the Hadiths (the authenticated traditions of His prophet), Ijma (consensus of the Muslim scholars) and Qiyas (analogies). It is completely unacceptable that views on any matter related to Islam be represented by anyone applying only their human opinions and benchmarks.

Mainstream Muslim NGOs upon substantiative research of the IFLA Bill, have concluded that it does not violate the principles of the Shariah Laws. The Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF) led a delegation of Muslim NGOs to meet the Minister for Women, Family and Development on Feb 13, 2006, where we reaffirmed our support of her firmness in dealing with the controversies plaguing the IFLA Bill. We nonetheless pointed out a few “grey areas” in the Bill which ought to be improved to ensure that no provisions could be interpreted or misconstrued as being discriminatory to women.

Truth, justice and equality has nothing to do with gender attributes. We must rise above the narrow sexism/feminism dialectics by embracing a theology in which the divine is truly gender neutral. It gifts humanity with a legal code and family norms which are rooted in the understanding that, the sexes are created differently and will naturally gravitate towards roles which affirm rather than suppress their respective genius.

And that Allah has invested both genders with inherent dignity and has made men and women, collectively, His trustees on earth. And the Quran is very clear about the issue of claimed superiority or inferiority of any human.

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (one who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”
(Quran 49:13)

The verse addresses not only Muslims but the whole of mankind, irrespective of their gender, their national or religious backgrounds. It is a universal declaration to all made by the Creator of all. And being a faithful person, servant and worshipper of the One God is at the heart of one’s real spirituality and humanness. In this, the essence of gender equality finds its most profound basis.

Muslim women in Malaysia are perfectly comfortable reconciling the injunctions of the Shariah with modern life. We continue to play a prominent role in public life as high ranking civil servants, in academia, the corporate world, even in politics, something that our sisters in more “progressive Muslim” Morocco and Tunisia – countries that among others outlaw polygamy, bans the hijab, sanctions social abortions – can only look with envy.

We would like to reiterate our previous position, shared by other NGOs with popular mainstream support , that after a careful study the IFLA is Shariah compliant. The government’s intention of bringing the Islamic Family Law (FT) Act. 1989 in line with that of other states is a positive move towards streamlining of this law in Malaysia, is deserving of support of Muslims and should be commended.

Farah Pang Abdullah and Siti Jamilah Sheikh Abdullah Founding Members Muslim Professionals Forum Suite 1810, 18th Floor, Plaza Permata, Jalan Kampar, Kuala Lumpur 50400 Tel : 03-40427139

Also click here to view a BBC article which quoted MPF regarding this issue