Contemporary Feminist Poetry and Art by Muslim Women

Entry 4

Reflections

Khalida

This course has changed how I see faith, identity, and justice. Our discussion on Amina Wadud’s Qur'an and Woman helped me realize that Islam’s sacred texts can support equality, even if patriarchal interpretations have hidden that. Reading Leila Ahmed’s work made me emotional, seeing how colonial powers used Muslim women’s lives for their agendas. Fahmida Raiz’s poetic voice contributes to these "divergent voices" we encountered in our readings. For example, her poems echo some of the struggles and aspirations highlighted in the biographical account of Shirin Ebadi. While her medium is different, the underlying themes of questioning norms and seeking justice resonate with many of the issues raised in our course materials. This journey wasn’t just academic; it changed how I listen, think, and care.

Laila

Throughout this class, I expanded my knowledge on many topics related to Muslim women's struggles. The major theme that I noticed among many of these injustices is a wrongful interpretation of the Qur’an regarding the roles of men and women. We saw in many of the course readings that the Qur’an referenced men and women equally, and we even read about Khadijah, who was a powerful businesswoman during the time of Prophet Mohammad, and also Rufaida Al-Aslamia, who was the first woman Muslim nurse. Influential articles include Adam and Eve in the Qur’an and the bible, as well as Women before and after the coming of Islam, which challenged my thinking and allowed me to understand many topics from a different perspective. This course has been very inspirational and taught me a lot of valuable information that I was unaware of before or had little knowledge about.

Nimrah

This course granted me a deeper understanding of the struggles of Muslim women and how these adversities stem from socio-political and economic instability and imperialism rather than the religion itself. The works of scholar Celine Ibrahim stood out to me by emphasizing how these external forces have distorted the Qur’an and instilled patriarchal values leading to the systemic oppression of women in Islamic societies. They have also opened my eyes to the Qur’an itself and its messages of gender equality. Ibrahim’s discussion revealed how women contributed significantly to the development of others around them, existing beyond their maternal duties.

Maryam

Through the process of research about various Muslim women within the scope of Islam, I learned about the multifaceted roles that Muslim women have taken throughout their lives. In researching for the E-Portfolio, I came across numerous female figures such as May Ziyadah and Fahmida Riaz who recognize the lack of space for women within various fields and advocate for women, depicting that they too have a place in society. Learning about Fatima de Cordoba, I learned of women who contributed greatly to society yet were forgotten due to the passage of time and a lack of credit and attribution to their work, informing the idea that women are capable but not seen as relevant. Through this process, I not only learned the process of researching and engaging with a variety of primary and secondary sources, but also the process of identifying the various voices amongst women I hope to carry the knowledge I learned within the course in identifying places where women may have contributed to work and making sure to be attentive in credtiing where it is due.

Ushna

Working on this E-Portfolio for our Women in Islam course became a very transformative experience for me because it truly deepened my understanding of the complex realities Muslim women have faced historically and continue to face today. When we first chose the topic of Contemporary Feminist Poetry and Art, I was excited to explore these artistic expressions, but I did not expect how deeply these works would resonate with the broader conversations on gender, faith, identity, and power. We explored figures like Fahmida Riaz, Shirin Neshat, and Farwa Moledina, and I realized that Muslim women have used creativity not just as self-expression, but even as resistance to patriarchal structures that are embedded within our communities.

Concluding Thoughts

Studying Fahmida Riaz’s poetry and how it sparked Muslim feminist movements across Pakistan, we realize that women are mobilizing and are actively overshadowed by patriarchal norms that are still in place. For those coming from a background of religious insecurity, this course revealed that women are united in their struggle for rights, and that we are not alone in our struggle to reconnect with Islam outside of misogyny.

Moving forward, we strive to think more critically about the media we consume and its depictions of Muslim women. We have also developed the skills to read Qur'anic translation, taking into account the translator, the historical context, and the scholarship surrounding it. Moreover, taking this course has inspired us to make change by participating in movements and scholarly discourse regarding the colliding views of gender equality in culture and Qur'anic interpretation.

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