May 6, 2011

Qasim Amin

Qasim Amin was the first prominent Muslim feminist who was born in Terah, Alexandria (Egypt), December 1865. Qasim to complete higher education in a relatively short time. Among the admired teacher at Al-Azhar is Muhammad Abduh. The pattern of critical thinking much it earned from his favorite teacher. Because of his intelligence, Qasim Amin then have the opportunity to continue study to the Faculty of Law University of Montpellier in Paris France. Returning to the Egypt, Qasim Amin's work in House of Representatives and in an institution law. He settled in Cairo until his death 22 April 1908. Among his works many women who inspire the spirit to rise up is Tahrir al-mar'ah (1900) and al-mar'ah al-Jadidah (1911). Two of the works is then much gives inspiration to the Muslim feminists to fight for freedom for women after up to now (Qutub, 1993; Harahap in Sukri, 2002: 194 -195).  
Qasim Amin was one of the first Muslim feminists raises the idea of ​​emancipation of Muslim women through their works. Qasim Amin led to the idea based on the backwardness of Muslims according to one of them caused by a wrong perception and treatment of women (Nasution, 1991: 79).

Qasim Amin's idea of ​​emancipation discourse sparked controversy in among the scholars of Egypt at that time. Although the idea is a lot of Qasim Amin scrutiny of the scholars of Al-Azhar, he never subsided for menyuarakannya. Idea emancipation aimed to liberate women so that they have flexibility in thinking, willing, and activities to the extent justified by Islamic teachings and be able to maintain moral standards of society. Freedom can leads people to go forward and move on happiness. None to submit his will to others, except in cases of mental illness and still the children (Amin, 2003: 49). That's why he suggested that there changes, because he thinks the change is impossible without progress can be achieved. According to Qasim Amin, Shari'ah place women equal with men in terms of their responsibilities in the face of the earth and in the next life. If women committing a crime, however, the law does not just recommended a reduction of sentence or release him. Qasim believes, does not make sense to have women assume rationality perfect, free, and entitled to punishment if he committed the murder, while at the same time there was no response to any of the women when deprived of their liberty (Amin, 2003: 65).General freedom that would endanger the freedom of women their purity, according to Qasim Amin, not based on the fact that strong. Experience indicates that women can add to the sense of freedomtheir responsibility and honor her, and encourage people to honor. To strengthen the analysis, Qasim Amin presents statistical data that women in the West (Germany, Belgium, France, and Netherlands) moredeceive their husbands (Amin, 2003: 66).In addition to advocate freedom for women, Qasim Amin also denounced against women alienate at that time. In order for the women do not experience pemingitan, then, according to Qasim Amin, they must get an adequate education as men. He is less agree if women are given a different special education with the education given to men (Amin, 2003: 147-148).Qasim Amin asserted that half of the world's population is the women. Therefore, let them in ignorance means letting potential of half the nation without the benefit (Amin, 1984: 22). Qasim Amin was fascinated with Western society (Europe), which at that time was already very advanced and not discriminating between women with men in acquiring the opportunity achieve good education (Amin, 2003: 184).That's thinking about women's freedom Qasim Amin enough controversial at the time, especially for the clerics of Al-Azhar (Egypt). He get a barrage of attacks from the clergy of his ideas were. But he still strong and continues to voice his ideas which he said does not contradict sharia. Memingit precisely women at home and restrict its movement contrary to the sharia that align the two sexes in the act and responsible.


Related Post  : 
Asghar Ali Engineer

No comments: