ISLAM AND GENDER JUSTICE (CHALLENGING SOCIOCULTURAL DISCRIMINATION THROUGH FAITH-BASED PRINCIPLES)

DR. NASEEM AKHTER , DR. FARIDA , DR. FARIDA BEGUM

The current article explores the concept of gender justice in Islam and attempts to critically evaluate the imbalance that can be seen between religious Islamic doctrines and the actual sociocultural activities that perpetuate discrimination against women in many Muslim societies. The Islamic doctrine highlights the message of justice, equality and human dignity that can apply to both men and women; however, the significance of culture and traditions that are rooted in the male culture often overshadow these messages, generating the marginalisation of women's rights. Based on basic Islamic authoritative works and the recent academic literature, the article reveals that, in most cases, the justification of gender based inequalities is based on misinterpretations of the religious doctrine instead of basing it on the actual Islamic teachings. The comparison highlights the fact that faith and culture are two separate entities and that sociocultural discrimination is not an inherent characteristic of the Islamic religion, but that it is actually a product of certain historical, social and political conditions. The article also suggests faith-based intervention as an effective tools of contending with gender injustice, which entails religious education, textual reinterpretation, and community-based intervention. This contribution to this work by conceptualising Islam as a means of empowerment instead of being a constraining force adds to the current scholarly debate on gender justice and provides researchers, practitioners and policymakers with a culturally and religiously informed avenue of social change.