作者 ｜
蔡芬芳(中央大學客家社會文化研究所助理教授)
摘要 ｜
本文以西方學者的實證研究資料為分析基礎，探討西方國家改信伊斯蘭教的女性，其性別平等觀點之形成背景與社會文化脈絡，並從西方與伊斯蘭在性別平等方面所顯現的差異，來找尋西方女性改宗的動機與軌跡。在西方論述與媒體再現中，伊斯蘭教常被建構為壓制女性且性別不平等的宗教。然而，身處西方的女性卻受到伊斯蘭教中有關性別議題的觀點吸引，例如穩定的性規範與兩性秩序，認可兩性具有平等價值但有天生的本質差異，同時明確肯認女性做為母親與照顧者的能力。本文首先從改宗者普遍不為所處社會接受的改信伊斯蘭教行為，討論一般非穆斯林與西方論述中的伊斯蘭意象，並從性別與宗教交織的觀點探討女性受到壓迫的情形，這些雖反映出女性目前在伊斯蘭世俗政權中遭遇的問題，卻無助於我們真正且完整地瞭解伊斯蘭如何看待女性，因此實有探尋古蘭經婦女觀之必要，以釐清伊斯蘭對女性的看法。然而，相當值得注意的是，雖然她們身處的社會充滿對伊斯蘭的負面觀感，這些西方女性卻選擇走向伊斯蘭，因她們認為重新選擇的宗教所闡明的性別概念、性別平等、女性特質與母職身分，能夠符合她們的認知與需求，其主要意義在於公平與合理之平等對待。此外，身為行動主體的改宗女性所處的社會文化脈絡，會影響她們對伊斯蘭教之性別相關觀點，且有內部差異，因而彰顯出伊斯蘭教並非同質單一的宗教，因為信仰者在不同社會文化背景下所產生的實踐與所詮釋的意義，會建構出多樣的面貌與動態圖像。
關鍵字 ｜
性別平等、伊斯蘭、改宗
Title ｜
Gender equality in Islam: Perspectives from female Muslim converts in the West
Author ｜
Fen-Fang Tsai(Graduate Institute of Hakka social and cultural studies)
Abstract ｜
Based on empirical data from scholars in Western countries, this study explores how female converts to Islam in the West view gender equality in Islam by investigatingthe backgrounds, social and cultural contexts, and motives of conversion, particularlyregarding differences in gender equality between the West and Islam. Generally speaking, in Western discourse and media representation, Islam is considered a religion with gender inequality that oppresses women. However, Western women who convert to Islam are captivated by the gender issues of Islam, such as stable gender norms and order, and the recognition of “equal but different” between genders. Moreover, in most Western society, people devalue housewives, but Islam recognizes women as mothers who take care of family and children. That women’sconversion to Islam is usually unacceptable entails discussing the image of Islam in the eyes of non-Muslims and in Western discourse. The argument in which oppressed women are the symbols of maintaining religious and ethnic boundaries is also worthy of investigation. Subjugation and oppression imposed on Muslim women reflectthe problems of secular regimes; however, this does not fully clarify how women are regarded in Islam. Therefore, examining women in the Quran is necessary to delineate the Islamic perspectives regarding women. Despite the negative attitude toward Islam in the West, mainly concerning oppression of female Muslims, the female converts examined in this study nevertheless embrace Islam,thus being grounded in the concepts of gender, gender equity, womanhood, and motherhood in Islam to meet their particular needs. The central meaning of gender equity focuses onbeing fair and reasonable in a manner that treats everyone equally. Furthermore, the social and cultural contexts in which female converts are involved influences their perspectives regarding gender in Islam, in which internal differences exist. In conclusion, the perceptions and understandings of female converts to Islam in the West on gender equality in Islam render Islam not homogeneous and unitary, but rather dynamic and full of diversity in that Muslims from various social and cultural backgrounds redefine and refresh the meaning of Islam through their practices and interpretations.
Keywords ｜
gender equality, Islam, conversion