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Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence
Bibliography: pages 204-228.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Religious Studies
2016
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| _version_ | 1867614380394283008 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Shaikh, Sa'diyya |
| author2 | Moosa, Ebrahim |
| author_browse | Moosa, Ebrahim Shaikh, Sa'diyya |
| author_facet | Moosa, Ebrahim Shaikh, Sa'diyya |
| author_sort | Shaikh, Sa'diyya |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography: pages 204-228. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17491 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:51:07.533Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Religious Studies |
| publisherStr | Department of Religious Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17491 Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence Shaikh, Sa'diyya Moosa, Ebrahim Family violence - South Africa - Western Cape Wife abuse - South Africa - Western Cape Abused women - South Africa - Western Cape Muslim women - Crimes against - South Africa Islam - South Africa Bibliography: pages 204-228. Historically Muslim women have been marginalised in the examination of Islamic texts and Muslim society. This has resulted in the non-recognition and silencing of women's perspectives as well as the concealment of some of the traumatic realities experienced by groups of Muslim women. Exacerbated by pervading social and religious notions of "private" families, the incidence of wife battery within Muslim societies have been largely hidden violence against wives is seen as the manifestation of a sexist and patriarchal ideology. This study examines the manner in which Islamic gender discourses inform and impact upon the phenomenon of violence against women. The related tensions between patriarchal and egalitarian Islamic perspectives are explored. This study involves a two-fold feminist analysis of gender ideology in religious texts and contemporary Muslim society. At the level of textual studies, I applied a feminist hermeneutic to medieval and contemporary Qur'anic exegetical literature. The examination of medieval period focused on the exegesis of Abu Jafar Muhumammad b. Jarir al-Tabari (839-922), Abu al-Qasim Mahmud b. Umar Zamakshari (1075-1144), Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149- 1210). The study of contemporary exegetical literature concentrated on the approaches and exegeses of Fazlur Rahman and Amina Wadud-Muhsin. Hermeneutical debates on violence against wives were focused on the interpretations of the Qur'anic notion of female nushuz (Q.4:34). In examining contemporary Muslim society, I employed feminist qualitative research methodology. I interviewed a number of women from a South African Muslim community in the Western Cape. Here, the sample consisted of eight women with whom open-ended in-depth interviews were conducted. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. I found that interweaving levels of religious symbols and discourses shaped normative understandings of gender relations. This in turn had implications for both structural and practical discourses of violence against women in Muslim societies. Islamic gender ideology spanned the continuum from patriarchal to feminist approaches. Misogynist religious understandings reinforced the husband's right to control and coerce his wife, even if this implied the use of force. On the other hand, egalitarian Islamic perspectives prioritised the Qur'anic ethics of equality and social justice and rejected the violation of women. I argue that Islam provides numerous resources for the pro-active empowerment of women and the promotion of the full humanity of women. 2016-03-04T16:48:33Z 2016-03-04T16:48:33Z 1996 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17491 eng application/pdf Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Family violence - South Africa - Western Cape Wife abuse - South Africa - Western Cape Abused women - South Africa - Western Cape Muslim women - Crimes against - South Africa Islam - South Africa Shaikh, Sa'diyya Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence |
| title_full | Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence |
| title_fullStr | Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence |
| title_short | Battered women in Muslim communities in the Western Cape : religious constructions of gender, marriage, sexuality and violence |
| title_sort | battered women in muslim communities in the western cape religious constructions of gender marriage sexuality and violence |
| topic | Family violence - South Africa - Western Cape Wife abuse - South Africa - Western Cape Abused women - South Africa - Western Cape Muslim women - Crimes against - South Africa Islam - South Africa |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17491 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shaikhsadiyya batteredwomeninmuslimcommunitiesinthewesterncapereligiousconstructionsofgendermarriagesexualityandviolence |