Alliant international university

Women and the Arab Spring

Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

Promise Monroe

12/23/2011

Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

Introduction

December 2010 marked the beginning of what quickly became known as “the Arab

Spring”. This was a monumental time in history, not only for those states involved, but the

entire world, as everyone watched and waited to see how these courageous people would unite to

win their freedom. Women were at the forefront of this revolution, fighting for not only their

rights as citizens but also their right to equality as human beings. One by one totalitarian

regimes began to fall, first in Tunisia and then Egypt, Libya and soon perhaps Bahrain and Syria.

With the dictator out of the way it became time for the citizens to rebuild their governments, but

in some cases many are wondering if the women who made such an impact during the revolution

will continue to have an impact in building the new government? According to some scholars

the 21rst century has quickly become known as the “era of the gender wars”1. In the Middle East

and many parts of North Africa, Arab-Muslim countries are fighting more than one revolution.

Not only are all citizens fighting for freedom from oppressive regimes, but the women of these

countries are fighting their own revolutions against the oppressive cultures men have created

over the years in the name of Islam. In her article, “The Human Rights of Middle Eastern and

Muslim Women: A Project for the 21rst Century” author Janet Afary describes this gender war

as “a reference to the bloody carnage that persists over who gets to control the women’s minds

and bodies in the new millennium” (Afary, 107). While this is not a new fight for these women,

many hope that they will be successful.

This paper will focus specifically on Tunisia and Egypt, both countries have begun the

rebuilding process, and examples set here have the power to shape the future for other “Arab

Spring” countries still struggling with revolution. Tunisia and Egypt have had similar paths

1 Afary, pg 107

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

during the last year. Both countries have overthrown oppressive totalitarian regimes; both seek

freedom and justice, a more stable economy and better lives. Another important similarity

between these countries lies in the religious faith of most of the citizens; both countries have a

strong Muslim population and this is an important factor in rebuilding. During the last year there

has been much discussion as to what role Islam should play in the new governments. This

question is important on many levels, but for the purposes of this paper, the focus will remain on

how the outcome will affect the progress of women’s rights in this region. Can democracy and

Islamic law coexist? If Islamic law, or Shari’a, were to become the basis of the new government

will women be denied the rights they fought so desperately for during the revolution? This paper

seeks to show it is not Shari’a that is oppressing women in these cultures, but instead the

interpretation of Shari’a by the male dominated culture. Looking at this issue from a

constructivist stance will show the power of the Islamic male dominated belief system that has

been embedded deep into Muslim life for generations. Through democracy it is possible to break

the cycle; it is possible to be strong in your faith while also being free in your life.

Tunisia

On December 17, 2010 a young Tunisian man set himself on fire to protest the oppressive

regime of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. The young man, like so many others were fed up with the

stagnant economy, abusive police and lack of freedom that the government supported. This

tragedy gave rise to a revolution that spread throughout the region. Tunisia’s people took to the

streets to protest and overthrow Ben Ali, within the month he had fled from the throne held for

over two decades.2 Under Ben Ali’s reign the government was secular and allowed many rights

2 http://sarahalaoui.blogspot.com/2011/01/simplified-timeline-of-jasmine-tunisian.html this link offers a brief timeline of the Tunisian revolution.

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

for women that are not seen elsewhere in the Arab world. Women had access to education,

contraception, abortion rights, and equality in marriage; they also had an impressive number of

representatives in Parliament. While this all sounds very fair on paper the reality of life in

Tunisia is not the fairy tale it was made out to be, as many already know an education is no good

to anyone if there are no jobs, the case for most citizens, women especially. So it was no

surprise to many that women would lead the way in the revolution, “women played an active and

visible role as bloggers, journalists, Tweeters and demonstrators”.3 After the revolution had

ousted Ben Ali, women expected their role as leaders to continue into the creation of the new

government. For many there was a sense of panic in the beginning as the majority of parties

seeking control were based on the principals of Islam, seeking to institute Shari’a as the basis for

all governing. It was a valid concern for the women of Tunisia, would the revolution they had

led end up denying them the rights they already had?

For months the majority party in Tunisia was Al-Nahad, this party had traditionally

supported the implementation of Shari’a as the base for all laws. The party had been outlawed

under Ben Ali, but in the months after the revolution was making a strong comeback. There was

much cause for women to be concerned about the direction of this party, whose leader had once

vowed to hang a popular feminist, Raja bin Salama. Her call for the new constitution to be based

on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights4 did not sit well with the leader. Luckily his

views did not represent all of Al-Nahad, in a report by news outlet Al-Jazeera, Al-Nahad’s new

party leader says, “I think some values which were values since independence are accepted by all

3 http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/kristine-goulding/tunisia-will-democracy-be-good-for-womens-rights4 This information comes from www.msmagazine.com while the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a doctrine created by the United Nations and signed by most countries.

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

parties … (including) Arab-Muslim identity {which} is accepted even by the Communists. And

women’s rights are accepted by all sides, among them Islamists”.5

Tunisia’s other majority party is a secular party known as the Congress for the Republic.

This party also has an Islamic background, but believes that a balance between religion and

government is the best policy. This party is also very vocal in the human rights arena, the party

leader and newly elected Tunisian President, Moncef Marzouki is a well-known doctor and

human rights activist who led the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights for seven

years until Ben Ali forced him out6. This election proves to be the beginning of a bright future

for Tunisian women; the President has vowed to safeguard women’s rights among other

important issues such as education and healthcare. It seems that Tunisia will continue to lead the

way for Arab-Islamic countries in the field of women’s rights. It is a prime example of a

government that supports Islam and also democracy. With only one year having passed since the

overthrow of the Ben Ali regime, Tunisian’s stay focused on accomplishing the goals of the

revolution, recognizing that they cannot continue to grow if they leave half of their citizens

behind. While it still remains to be seen if women will get equal representation in the new

government7, they can hope that the trend set forth by the interim government will continue. As

of now there is a gender parity electoral law, “which requires equal numbers of male and female

candidates”8 and also withdrawal of the key reservations held by Ben Ali’s government on the

“Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women”9, this is a huge

move forward for not only Tunisian women, but for all Arab-Islamic women. The removal of

the Ben Ali era reservations will prohibit discrimination of women in the family, education,

5 www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/08/201181617052432756.html 6 www.onislam.net/english/news/africa/454995-tunisia-secular-president-sworn-in.html 7 This situation is changing on a daily basis, it is impossible to predict the outcome.8 www.hrw.org 9 www.hrw.org

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

healthcare and also outlines procedures for governments to follow to end all forms of

discrimination against women.

Egypt

On January 25, 2011 Egypt’s Tahirir Square quickly became ground zero for the

Egyptian Revolution. In a situation emulating that of Tunisia’s revolution a month earlier, an

Egyptian woman spoke out to the men of Egypt via a video posted to her Facebook page to

follow her lead and gather in protest against the tyrant Hosni Mubarak. Women were heavily

involved in this revolution, equally if not more than in the Tunisian revolution. They were in the

streets protesting, fighting Mubarak’s supporter’s day after day until he was removed from

office. They patrolled the streets when police were no longer there; they nursed the wounded,

protested for the release of their husbands and sons, all of this in name of freedom. But things

have changed quickly for the women of Egypt; there is little talk today about how they will be

free, no one asking what they can contribute to the new government that is being constructed. In

the interim government there is not one government representative pushing for women’s rights in

Egypt. After Mubarak was overthrown many parties began to compete for the popular vote, the

two most influential today are the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Nour; both are Islamic parties

that favor Shari’a as the basis for the new government. The Muslim Brotherhood is somewhat

more lenient, but still favors strict policies towards the role of a Muslim woman in the Egyptian

environment. Both parties also explicitly state that it will not be possible for a woman to ever be

President of Egypt.10 This is troubling news for the women in Egypt, many wondering what

exactly it was they fought so hard for, many fearing they will lose the few rights they had under

Mubarak. There is one party in Egypt that values a best of both worlds approach, the Wasat, or

10 www.Allafrica.com/stories/201112161496.html

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

Centre, party. Their views are “economically centrist and socially progressive” (Schipper,

AllAfrica.com), they are gaining some popularity but it may not be enough. The political

situation will be closely watched by Women’s liberation groups both at home and abroad.

Egypt is a male dominated culture and many feel that the woman should take her place

in the home and leave the important decisions to the men. How quickly forgotten are the

sacrifices made by the women during the revolution. The evidence of this is shown in the way

the interim government has shut women out of the proceedings. There is not even one woman

on the committee tasked to rewrite the constitution, and there is only one woman, an easily

controlled holdover from Mubarak’s regime, serving in the Cabinet.11 Another example of the

patriarchal culture that is shining in Egypt was the violent attack on 200 women who chose to

celebrate International Women’s Day. Instead of being met with praise for all their hard work

they were attacked and “told to go home and do laundry”12. This was only weeks after these

same women fought side by side with men for Egypt’s freedom only to be immediately shunned

by their fellow citizens. Other move away from women’s representation in the new government

was the abolition of the 64 reserved seats that used to belong to the women of Egypt. While

many may say that these seats were only for show under Mubarak, saving those seats in a new

government could have meant elected women, women who actually represented the needs and

wants of Egypt’s people.

As with the situation in Tunisia, this is an ever changing story, every day presents new

details and fresh chances for change. Egypt has long been a leader in the Middle East and for

Africa. The policies put into place here will influence other countries fighting for freedom,

11 www.cnn.com

12 http://hnn.us.node/138753

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

Libya, Syria, Algeria, Bahrain, all countries still fighting off the chains of oppression that have

held them down for so long. The choices Egypt’s people make now will affect them long into

the future. The path they are currently on leaves many wondering if the women of Egypt will

have to pursue their own revolution, they have already proven they are capable of such a thing.

It would be a shame for that to be the only choice, but generations of belief and behavior are

difficult to alter and Egypt’s has a long standing history as a male dominated culture. If they

continue to manipulate Shari’a to oppress their women, to keep them bound to the home, they

will not be achieving freedom for the country. Not only will they be doing the women an

injustice, but also themselves, robbing their country and its future of potentially great minds.

Islam and Women

There has often been great debate about women’s role in society according to Islamic

principles. Women’s rights movements are constantly focusing on the oppressive nature of what

they believe to be practices taught through the Qur’an, their belief that Muslim women are forced

to wear the veil and full body robes, forced to stay in their homes. According to many scholars it

is not the teachings of the Qur’an that are oppressive towards women, but instead the issue is in

the translation, a patriarchal twist that many Arab-Muslim countries have chosen to put on these

teachings. One of the biggest questions of the Arab Spring Revolutions has been what it will

mean for women’s rights in this region; can the women keep their faith and also find freedom?

For many Muslim leaders it is hard to believe that people can have progress and change and still

hold on to their deep spiritual beliefs, especially women. If these cultures take a more western

approach to technology and women’s rights, will they be giving up the strong ties to familial

values?

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

In her article “Muslim Women’s Rights in the Global Village: Challenges and

Opportunities”, author Azizah Yahia al-Hibri responds to these questions from the view of a

North American Muslim woman who has successfully integrated her religious life with her life

as a modern woman. Her article focuses on the “misunderstanding or misapplication of the

Qur’anic text resulting from a cultural distortions or patriarchal bias” (Al-Hibri, 40). Al-Hibri

points out the clear distinction between the words written in the Qur’an, which every Muslim,

man or women, must follow, and the cultural beliefs and traditions of the Arab-Muslim nations─

the cultural aspects should be voluntary, unlike the religious aspect. This is an important

distinction that most people do not make when formulating opinions about Muslims, women and

equal rights. According to Al-Hibri this is where the problem lies, she says “Even today, many

countries that claim to be following Islamic law often use religion to justify repugnant laws that

are really based on custom” (Al-Hibri, 41).

So what does the Qur’an say about women? Like Christianity, Islam also has a creation

story; it is here that the Qur’an first indicates equality between men and women. Unlike in

Christianity where the woman is made of the man, in Islam both genders are made of nafs, which

translates in English as “the same”.13 Both men and women are held to the same standards and

obligations when it comes to their worship and the Qur’an considers a woman to be an equal

spiritual being. It is the topic of marriage where things seem to get blurry; this is the area where

culture and the Qur’an are getting confused with one another.

According to Al-Hibri’s article, a Muslim women has the right to keep her own name

after marriage, retain her financial independence, own property, and any money the woman gives

to her husband should only be considered a loan unless she decides otherwise. There are some

13 The word nafs is written on page 46 of Al-Hibri’s article, the translation comes from Google Translator.

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distinct differences in financial responsibility between the two genders, but these are meant to

protect the woman not oppress her. Muslim men are always required to support their wives,

daughters, sisters, any female relative; it is their duty as a man according to the Qur’an. From a

Constructivist point of view it is easy to see how this rule can be manipulated to the man’s

advantage, using this financial power to oppress a woman instead of supporting her, in

patriarchal society the man would receive much outside support for this type of behavior and

could easily manipulate the words of the Qur’an to gain respect, power and obedience from

Muslim women.

When it comes to matters like a women’s right to work, it is not against the Qur’an words

for a woman to work, she has a right to earn a living and as Al-Hibri points out14 the Prophet’s

own wife was a working woman. Inheritance is another hot topic in Muslim households, the

Qur’an does give men the majority share of any inheritance, but it does so because, as was

previously mentioned, men are expected to take on the majority of the financial burden. The

assumption is that the additional inheritance will be used to provide for the women of his family.

Another false belief about the Qur’an is that it has sentenced women to a life of service for their

husbands, constantly cooking and cleaning, waiting on men like slaves. This is another example

of the ways in which a male dominated society has manipulated women into servitude, declaring

it their religious duty to stay in the home. Azizah Yahia al-Hibri says it best, “it took over a

thousand years in some Muslim societies to prohibit slavery. We should not wait another

thousand years to recognize the rights of women in Islam” (Al-Hibri, 58). The Arab Spring has

given Muslim women a chance to gain these freedoms; they have fought for them and will

14 Page 49

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continue to do so. In Tunisia things are continuing to progress, Egypt will be smart to follow

suit.

Conclusion

In Tunisia and Egypt the majority of the work is just beginning. Creating their new

governments will not be an easy task and they will need support from all their citizens. For the

men in these societies it will be crucial to incorporate women into these proceedings. The

culture in this region is very powerful, and it will not be a simple task to curb beliefs that are

older than most could remember. This will be a challenging time for the women in all the Arab

Spring countries, but it is a war that must be fought. This is an opportune time in history for

these individuals to take a constructivist approach to rebuilding. After all, constructivism

teaches “that learning is an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than

acquiring it.”15 This is the best approach for new beginnings, a time to make the cultural norm

equality and not oppression, a time to separate the true meanings of the Qur’an’s words from the

patriarchal interpretations. There is a whole new generation of men and women rising, the

greater good for all would be to teach them acceptance and support of one another, these are

basic principles of Islam.

Every country must decide the best path for itself, it would be hard to imagine countries

with strong Islamic ties, like Tunisia or Egypt adopting a Western democracy, but it is possible

to have both democracy and Islam in the same country, to have women be both mothers and

leaders. In a study conducted by Professor Vali Nasr on “The Rise of Muslim Democracy”, he

suggests these same ideals as the most successful government for all the people. According to

Nasr, the key will be when “Muslim Democracy combines the religious values of the middle and

15 http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

lower-middle classes with the policies that serve their economic interest” (Nasr, 18). Tunisia is

slowly becoming an example of this, retaining its religious values but emerging as a democratic

state where everyone has a voice. As previously mentioned however, this is an ever-changing

situation and what is true today may not be true next month. The situation in the Arab Spring

countries will continue to unfold over the coming year. This is truly an exciting time in our

global history; every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to change the future. For the

women in Tunisia and Egypt it is their time to shine.

References

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Women and the Arab Spring: Freedom for half does not equal freedom at all

Afary, Janet. The human rights of Middle Eastern & Muslim Women: A project for the 21rst

Century. Human Rights Quarterly. Vol. 26 No. 1 February 2004. Pg 106-123.

Al-Hibri, Azizah Yahia. Muslim women’s rights in the global village: Challenges and

opportunities. Journal of Law and Religion. Vol. 15 No. ½ .2001. Pg. 37-66.

http://hnn.us.node/138753

http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html

http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/kristine-goulding/tunisia-will-democracy-be-good-for-

womens-rights

http://sarahalaoui.blogspot.com/2011/01/simplified-timeline-of-jasmine-tunisian.html

Nasr, Vali. The rise of democracy. Journal of Democracy. Vol. 16, No. 2. April 2005

Pg. 13-27.

www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/08/201181617052432756.html

www.Allafrica.com/stories/201112161496.html

www.cnn.com

www.hrw.org

www.msmagazine.com

www.onislam.net/english/news/africa/454995-tunisia-secular-president-sworn-in.html

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