Lyssna på männen: att leva i en patriarkalisk muslimsk kontext

Abstract

The aim of this artide is to scrutinize developments in how prominent male Islamisists have visualized women's role in Islam. Mawdudi and Qutb, to begin with, represent a traditional position which has seen women primarily as wives and mothers. Then, in the 1970s, Turabi introduced interpretations which in many ways were revolutionary. Twenty years låter, Badawi argued for Turabi's views as the only correct ones. Snch a development is possible because of the richness and comprehensiveness of Islamic sources, which continuously invite scholars to new interpretations of sacred texts. There is nothing controversial abont such a view, since Moslems perceive interpretative choice — within certain limits — as one aspect of God's infinite mercy. While the idea that woman's place is in the home has been a dominating one, today women in the Arab world are gaining access to the public sphere in unforeseen ways. Accordingly, as the debate abont the roles of women is changing character, new ways of reading the sources come into view. However, for a deeper understanding of ongoing developments, it is also necessary to include a study of social contexts, since local contexts vary considerably.