Women and Fundamentalism in Iran and Pakistan مقاله

خلاصه ماشینی:

My second goal is to examine aspects of the daily lives of some Iranian and Pakistani women, which can be illuminating regarding the current tension in Islamic societies: the tension between women's efforts to achieve independence and participation in social life on one hand, and the efforts of the state (or fundamentalists) to exert control over women's behavior and actions, to limit their social and political activities, or to silence their voices on the other hand: The central axis of these two investigations is the hypothesis that women in Islamic societies should not be viewed as more or less helpless and voluntad-less pawns in the hands of powerful fundamentalists, but rather they should be considered dynamic and active elements of society who, in their daily lives, strive as much as possible to attain benefits and rights, however small, that ultimately make them more empowered than in the past. With the fading political profile of the fundamentalist movement, the people of Pakistan no longer mind the challenge of fundamentalist slogans and demands as much; for this reason, the interpretation and explanation of Islamic fundamentalists regarding the role, status, and appearance of women in society is subject to much more criticism and condemnation than what is seen in Iran. In examining the reciprocal connection between women (both individually and collectively) on one hand, and the government and fundamentalists on the other, this writing presents women not as will-less and passive dolls, but as actors on the stage of life, to clarify how Muslim women in these two societies face the structural limitations and cultural constraints that stand in their way in social, religious, and political spheres, and with what strategies and innovations they confront them.