Feminist of Faith – Riffat Hassan
“My whole life has been full of struggle and if I didn’t have faith I don’t know what I would have done.”
Hailing from the kind of traditional patriarchal background that is common in South Asian communities, Riffat Hassan is an esteemed theologian who followed the uncommon path of becoming a scholar of feminist Islamic studies and research. However, her path to becoming a respected instructor at prestigious universities such as Oklahoma State University and Harvard University was not a smooth or an easy one.
From a young age, Riffat prescribed to a faith that reconciled her feminist views with her religious learnings. She sought to pave her own path, which conflicted with the views of her more traditional father. But Riffat had nerves of steel, which is why she was not afraid to deviate from the norm in her family and pursue her PhD in England instead of getting married at an early age. Riffat received encouragement and support from her mother, who assisted her in accomplishing her dreams.
Even during the difficult times when Riffat got married and faced issues in her marriage, her faith in her religion did not falter, but actually helped her through the ordeal.
“I knew so little of myself and my culture, there was no chance it [her marriage] would work. There is no point in staying in a bad marriage. Your family doesn’t necessarily have to have a man.”
Riffat Hassan’s contributions to feminist theology in Islam stem from her unique personal experiences of belonging to a traditional South Asian community and living in a country where Muslims suffer from systematic biases on a daily basis. Riffat’s research centers around the issues faced by women, with a focus on her theological interpretations of Women in the Quran. Her contributions in theology are compounded by her works as an activist who played an active role in the development of two peace-building programs, “Islamic Life in the U.S.” (2002-2006) and “Religion and Society: A Dialogue” (2006-2009). These programs played a pivotal role in encouraging interfaith harmony after the disastrous effects of 9/11.
Riffat is an unconventional Islamic scholar and diffrentiates herself from the traditional male interpreatations of religious teachings by expounding upon controversial topics such as abortion rights and access for contraceptives to females, for which she is an advocate. Her work and support for honor-killing victims has led her to develop an organization called The International Network for the Rights of Female Victims of Violence which works to abolish misconceptions in Islam about the topic and put an ethical lens on it.
Her work and beliefs strongly contradict and condemn the practice of using one’s faith to oppress, intimidate, and distort a woman’s position in a Muslim community. Riffat is a rare voice in the arena of traditional, male-dominated Islamic scholars. She serves as a voice for generations of women who have been denied their rights in the name of religion. She fights ignorance with knowledge and disbelief with faith, which cements her place as an iconic leader in the feminist landscape.
Feminist of Faith – Riffat Hassan
“My whole life has been full of struggle and if I didn’t have faith I don’t know what I would have done.”
Hailing from the kind of traditional patriarchal background that is common in South Asian communities, Riffat Hassan is an esteemed theologian who followed the uncommon path of becoming a scholar of feminist Islamic studies and research. However, her path to becoming a respected instructor at prestigious universities such as Oklahoma State University and Harvard University was not a smooth or an easy one.
From a young age, Riffat prescribed to a faith that reconciled her feminist views with her religious learnings. She sought to pave her own path, which conflicted with the views of her more traditional father. But Riffat had nerves of steel, which is why she was not afraid to deviate from the norm in her family and pursue her PhD in England instead of getting married at an early age. Riffat received encouragement and support from her mother, who assisted her in accomplishing her dreams.
Even during the difficult times when Riffat got married and faced issues in her marriage, her faith in her religion did not falter, but actually helped her through the ordeal.
“I knew so little of myself and my culture, there was no chance it [her marriage] would work. There is no point in staying in a bad marriage. Your family doesn’t necessarily have to have a man.”
Riffat Hassan’s contributions to feminist theology in Islam stem from her unique personal experiences of belonging to a traditional South Asian community and living in a country where Muslims suffer from systematic biases on a daily basis. Riffat’s research centers around the issues faced by women, with a focus on her theological interpretations of Women in the Quran. Her contributions in theology are compounded by her works as an activist who played an active role in the development of two peace-building programs, “Islamic Life in the U.S.” (2002-2006) and “Religion and Society: A Dialogue” (2006-2009). These programs played a pivotal role in encouraging interfaith harmony after the disastrous effects of 9/11.
Riffat is an unconventional Islamic scholar and diffrentiates herself from the traditional male interpreatations of religious teachings by expounding upon controversial topics such as abortion rights and access for contraceptives to females, for which she is an advocate. Her work and support for honor-killing victims has led her to develop an organization called The International Network for the Rights of Female Victims of Violence which works to abolish misconceptions in Islam about the topic and put an ethical lens on it.
Her work and beliefs strongly contradict and condemn the practice of using one’s faith to oppress, intimidate, and distort a woman’s position in a Muslim community. Riffat is a rare voice in the arena of traditional, male-dominated Islamic scholars. She serves as a voice for generations of women who have been denied their rights in the name of religion. She fights ignorance with knowledge and disbelief with faith, which cements her place as an iconic leader in the feminist landscape.
