Extra Credit?

Gender and Islam: A Muslim Hermeneutic of Liberation
Dr. Shabana Mir

I agree.
I enjoyed Dr. Mir's talk today about the importance of how people translate the Koran, and what they take from it. She described herself as both progressive and traditional in the sense that she beleives that some old lessons should be kept from the Koran, but that people should change with society. She also believes that sometimes people interpret what they want to interpret out of the Koran, and that this tilt is normally because of the patriarchal society.

For example in Pakistan it is illegal for a woman to marry without her father's consent. This is part of their religion. Dr. Mir believes that the Koran does not say to do this, but that people have chosen to interpret it this way. They ignore all of the evidence pointing that this is not the correct interpretation.

Dr. Mir explained that tradition has changed. What we think is tradition, habits from the past 100 or 200 centuries was once all modern. That true tradition began in the 7th century. In history women were a larger part of society. They had more (I don't know a good word for this) privileges. There were a few women whom people sought to receive their education from. In this sense, these women had the same prestige as an IV league degree does today. Another woman, men layed their lives down to support her word.

Overall her message was that the Koran seeks for equality in everything except (I don't remember the arabic word) the piety...pretty much the fait that they have in their heart. This is the only thing that separates person from person. She explained that from this some people have chosen to interpret the Koran with the message they wish to receive from it, but the true message and beliefs of the Koran are hidden.

- I believe this is the case for most religions now and days. Even Christianity, which i am most familiar with, has been interpreted unjustly by some people and has strayed from the true message of forgiveness. (this is perhaps why I am so bitter towards it.) I really appreciated what Dr. Mir had to say. I'm glad that I went to her lecture.