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Essay / Modernizing the Role of Women in Islamic Society
A common concern among Islamic modernists and those living in Muslim societies in the late 19th century was how far the cultural renaissance could progress and how much of their traditions will be swept away. with that? Charles Kurzman notes that a modernist Islamic scholar said in his work Modernist Islam: "The truth is that among the Muslim nations of today, only Turkey has shaken off its dogmatic slumber and attained the consciousness of herself. She alone claimed her right to intellectual freedom. »Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Similar to Amin, this author is of the opinion that this awakening of intellectual thought, the questioning of tradition, is what allows progress towards the new century and the possibility of being considered a true equal to Europe in terms of development and progress. Amin assures his readers that there are differences in the cultures and mannerisms of French, American, German, and Russian women, but that their similarity lies in their independence. This idea of being comparable to the West, while remaining fundamentally different, was central to modernist thought of the time. Amin promotes a cultural revival, which stimulates debate on the liberation of Islamic women, while remaining faithful to the principles of Islam. Modernity offered new ways of interpreting Islam and perhaps influencing underlying traditions that it viewed as uncivilized and barbaric. He used this distinction to note the differences between the barbarian tribes of the Americas and Africa, compared to the more enlightened societies of Europe; his aim was to influence the Muslims of Egypt to follow the European example in their treatment of women. This was highlighted by the modernists according to Kurzman and Makdisi, in which racial distinction and separation were compared to the "stages of their social evolution". However, thanks to quotes from Amin's contemporaries, who considered his ideas "a crime against the country and against religion", we can assume that this particular blend of modernist Islam was not universally accepted at that time. It is clear that the difference in thinking between the modernists of this era was crucial to understanding the movement as a whole. While many conservatives agreed that modernists were going too far and encroaching on the traditional view of Islam, many modernists themselves could not agree on the extent of reform or revision of traditions and long-standing customs. Many, like Amin, argued for using the Quran as the basis for their reforms and instead found problems with the traditions underpinning the religion. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get Amin's calls for education and emancipation of women, as seen in Western countries, show an admiration for this culture, but there is a desire to remain Islamic. Because of his long Western education, his time spent in Europe, and the people he interacted with, he developed a Western-centric view that idolized Europe rather than Egyptian and Ottoman society. The independence of the Western woman is not due to Christianity, since nothing in the Christian religion explicitly claims her rights, but rather to the proliferation of Western thought and ideas. Amin's essay highlights the degree of difference between modernist Islamic scholars..