In societies that long for equality between all people, feminism has become something that is almost a required belief. If you are “modern,” you must believe that women should be equal to men in all matters. Not only is this true in America and Europe, it has become something important to other countries and peoples. It has also had a profound effect on the people of Muslim and Christian traditions. These two traditions have been around much longer than feminism, and both faiths seem to completely contradict the conventional beliefs of feminism. For example: feminism asks for equality when both Islam and Christianity support a hierarchy – the man is the head while the woman is under him. Is there a middle ground? Not really. While both faiths might, in some way, benefit from feminism, this modern cause has ultimately damaged the lives of Christian and Muslim women. There are three different levels which have been weakened by the Feminist Movement: First, it has undermined the relationship between husband and wife, because the wife cannot be completely respected by her husband; second, it has destabilized the family as a whole, because a woman cannot properly raise her family if she is worried about education and high social standing; lastly, neither religion traditionally accepts feminism – which would mean that the women are condemned to whichever hell their faith teaches.
It is first important to note that feminism has damaged the relationship between the husband and wife of both Christian and Muslim tradition. In both Christianity and Islam, the woman is taught that she is to be submissive to the husband.
Christian women are traditionally under their husbands. They read about this submissiveness in both the Old and New Testaments. “…Your (Eve’s) desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gen. 3. 16). In Ephesians, it is clear that this is still true: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (5. 22). The argument of feminism is that if women are submissive, they must not have equal rights with men; the Bible teaches that man is above the woman just as God is above man: “Therefore submit to God” (James. 4. 7). What feminists seem to not realize is that Christian women believe it is a privilege and blessing – freeing, even – to be in submission to their husbands. It was a woman, after all, who was given the privilege of carrying God’s Son. Christian women in the Bible are also seen as important and influential people. They are staples of society and highly respected, but they are still of a lesser standing than men. Some argue that equality is really what Christian women should seek. Mollenkott argues that a man being paralleled with Christ while women are paralleled with the church is a prime example of equality: “The whole metaphor is presented to us in the context of mutual submission” (104). She further argues that Jesus’ submission to God is an example to a couple, because He and God were one (105). What Mollenkott seems to skim over is the fact that the relationship between Christ and the church is not the same as the relationship between the Father and the Son (which, as it happens, is never compared to a spousal relationship). Also, mutual submission does not lend itself to equal submission. Christ is not equal to the church. In fact, the same chapter which she uses to defend this idea also rebuts it: “For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church” (Eph. 5. 23). Another problem is that the passage she uses to support her claim is quoted out of context. She uses the verse from Ephesians: “…submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord” (5. 21). She quotes it as though it is actually part of the passage about husbands and wives, but the passage she quotes from is talking about all brothers and sisters in Christ; not husbands and wives. The wife is never looked down upon because her role is different than that of the man; rather, she gains even greater respect for her stance: “…wives submit to husbands, which seems horrible and degrading, until you realize that Jesus submits to His Father. Wives are given an opportunity to be like Christ. Suddenly, it’s not so degrading” (Miller).
The wife’s submission is taken to more of an extreme in Islam: “She (the Muslim wife) should obey the commands of her husband even if it seems to be impossible” (Ibraheem 16). Muslim women should submit to their husbands without question because they are taught that this will bless them in the afterlife: “A woman who… tried to be chaste and obeyed to her husband, she would be given permission to enter Jannah through any of its doors she would like” (Ibraheem 2). Women who are submissive as they are taught are held in high esteem. Muslim men believe that they cannot completely protect their wives if the women are not submissive as they ought to be: “The first and most important quality in a good woman is to be obedient to her husband. She must in no way expose herself to the eyes of unrelated men and ruin her character under their lustful and poisoness gaze” (Mir-Hosseini 64).What if a Muslim woman is in an abusive relationship? Although punishment is common among the Muslim people, a husband being kind to his wife is strongly encouraged: “‘Pamper women with their favourite things’” (Ibraheem 15). It is also known to Muslims that just as men are above women, Allah is above men – the same belief as Christians. Equality is seen as completely insupportable, though the man having respect for the woman and treating her with kindness is important, especially if they are in a difficult marriage (Husni 118).
When looking at both, it is clear that neither Muslim nor Christian women can be feminists in regard to being equal to their husbands. One striking difference between the two religions is that the Christian wife follows God first and then her husband. Muslim women are responsible to their husbands and thus have been following Allah – as though they are one and the same.
Feminism is also undermining and damaging Christian and Muslim families – meaning that the woman specifically cannot perform her duties in a satisfactory way. This is due, undoubtedly, to the fact that the spouses aren’t getting along. If they are not getting along, it is much more difficult to raise a family together. One strong idea of feminism is that the woman should be free to take care of her own career and interests before worrying about taking care of a family – if she should choose to raise a family at all. Education and social standing are the ultimate marks of a “respectable woman.” Islam and Christianity take a similar stance upon this idea but for different reasons. It is also important to note that a woman receiving an education is permissible – even encouraged – for Christian women. Muslim women are traditionally taught to only be educated for the vocation of motherhood.
In Muslim culture, strife in the family causes many problems. The woman moves in with her husband – who still lives with his parents – so they are living in the household of her in-laws. While the husband may, perhaps, be more inclined towards modernist ideas, it is less likely that his parents will be. The woman is admonished to be respectful of her in-laws wishes second to her husband’s, so that leaves little room for freedom: “If a woman obeys her father and mother-in-law from the very beginning of her marital life, they will never think about separation with their daughter-in-law” (Ibraheem 45). If she should continue to fight for such freedoms, she would weaken her ties to both her blood family and her family by marriage. If she becomes exiled and/or disowned and is thus unable to care for her family, she has done them no good. It is also believed that the Muslim woman should not be taught any more than she should know in regards to raising a family and teaching her own daughter/s. She is taught extensively, from a very young age, what her duties will be in raising her family, taking care of her husband, and any other duties. She is not expected to know anything that will not help her do such things unless she is from a wealthy family (Walther 76-77). There are those who believe that Islam society cannot be fully functional if women don’t have some sort of role: “For the institution of social justice in the family and at the national level, all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex… should be eliminated” (Roded 231). Others say that social justice can still be held with adequate communication, even if there isn’t social equality: “The advancement of the nation does not depend on man being forced to grant women social freedom” (Husni 30).
Christian women are also unable to be both feminists and mothers. The Bible teaches that the woman’s main job is to raise a family and support her household: “She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness” (Prov. 31. 27). Taking care of the household may include getting a job, but her first priority is her family. It is also important to note that education is not considered forbidden to Christian women, but it is also not deemed a priority to be placed above having a family. What about the passage in 1st Corinthians that says women should be silent unless given permission by their husbands to speak out and ask questions?: “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says” (1 Cor. 14. 34). This is often misread because of the English tendency to only have one word as a translation for several nuances that may be read in Greek. The word that we read as “silent” is the word translated from “hesuchia” which actually means to sit in restful quietness: “as in meditation or study” (Bristow 71). Even more importantly, this word is not only applied to women. It is an encouraged “silence” for all Christians: “…lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim. 2. 2). When a woman does not put her family before everything but her relationship with God, the family suffers and becomes a dishonor to the faith: “…admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Tit. 2. 4-5). The children do not have an example to follow if the mother is not home, and since the father is often gone as well, the children are left to their own devices. In Proverbs (31. 10-31), the duties of a wife are expounded upon, and it is clear that the wife must be able to handle many duties; however, she has much respect and honor simply by being a homemaker. Social standing and a high education are not a necessity, though it is lawful for a woman to seek learning in ways that will make her relationship with God productive: “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission” (1 Tim. 2. 11). A few verses later, we find that it is the raising of her children that is most important: “…she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control” (1 Tim. 2. 15). If so much importance is placed upon raising godly children, it is clear that that should be a priority over her seeking social standing via education.
What about the woman standing alone? Do either of these religions support a single woman being a feminist?
In Muslim culture, the only true job of a woman is that of being a wife and mother. The above points about her getting along with her husband and raising her family well are what place the woman in society. She is not a “good” Muslim if she has not risen up to her duty. There are also heavy punishments for those women who are married and do not act as they should: “The Messenger of Allah is reported to have said that in Hell, he saw more women in comparison of men… they use (sic) to be ungrateful to their husbands” (Ibraheem 17). When it becomes clear that women are to live life by their husbands, it is incomprehensible to imagine a Muslim woman making a difference within herself.
Christians also believe it is the duty of the woman to be a wife and mother: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2. 24). It would seem that even the man should hope to be the head of a godly family. It is not, however, an impossibility that a woman should choose to follow another calling if that would somehow benefit her faith. Having a family is a righteous calling, but if she can follow Christ better without a husband and/or family, she is encouraged to do so: “…It is good for a man to not touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband… it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Cor. 7. 1-2, 9). This brings to mind one argument: If the woman can be single, then feminism isn’t such a bad idea! The problem is that being a feminist means that the woman is more worried about equal rights, and that is still not Biblical. Even the single woman is under the head of God and called to respect men. It is also unbiblical that women should have positions where they are placed above men: “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man…” (1 Tim. 2. 12).
Clearly neither religion would accept feminism even if the woman is single. These positions are taken under slightly different grounds. The Muslim woman is basically taught that she needs a man to survive and live righteously. The Christian woman may live righteously while single, and although importance should be first placed in having a family, she is not required to have one.
After compiling this evidence, do we find that feminism hurts or strengthens Muslim and Christian women? By studying the traditions and religious texts of Islam, it becomes clear that the Muslim woman must be subjective to a man under all circumstances. When she is not, she sacrifices the morality of her husband, the strength of her family bonds, and she endangers her own soul. By studying the Bible, we find that Christian women are also taught to be submissive – though first to God and then her husband (if she has one). When she is not, she weakens her marriage, her family ties, and she is not considered to be living a holy life. Women in both religions have tried to break free of what they consider an oppressive hierarchy. They believe that to live in submission somehow means that they will feel less fulfilled. One Muslim woman claims that she cannot truly live under her religion if she submits: “‘I will no longer submit.’ It is impossible to free oneself—to adapt one’s faith, to examine it critically, and to think about the degree to which that faith is itself at the root of oppression” (Hirsi Ali 350). Fernea, however, talks about her interview with a Muslim woman who found it a blessing and comfort to live under the laws set down by her husband (265-270). You find similar stories by Christian women – both those that fight their traditions and those that find it a blessing. Feminism is not receptive to the ideas that women have different gender roles and responsibilities than men; however, many Christian and Muslim women believe that a woman is liberated by submission to her husband. Where secular women may find that feminism is the thing for them, women of faith are protected and honored by their submission in a way feminists never will be.
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