BOSNIAK UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM IN 20TH CENTURY

The role of the woman within the frame of the Bosniak understanding of Islam in the 20th Century

Abstract

In the twentieth century, the question on male and female identity observed through a critical re-examination of cultural patterns and the influence of tradition and religion on the position of the woman in society and state was raised on the general and philosophical level. The woman in Islam, as seen through the eyes of a different religious and cultural experience, has been seen as a victim, subjugated and deeply pushed in the shadow of male dominance. The answer to these accusations within the Bosniak corps and its Ulema in the first decades of 20th century was reflected in a debate that was supposed to differentiate the rights granted to women in the Qur’an from the cultural practice and customs that deny women rights by invoking Islam. In 1936, Husejn ef. Đozo wrote an article in the Novi Behar saying that women all around the world, inspired by the ideas and principles that the New Era came to proclaim, appeared  on the stage of life, seeking to achieve equal rights with men in all fields of human affairs. That is how the Muslim woman started her struggle requesting permission to unveil her face. While traditional circles supported the patriarchal approach in this matter, pointing out that the man is the breadwinner and that the woman should be content with her role of a housewife and mother, Husejn ef. Đozo and his close associates, in the course of their public work, constantly drew attention, in their written works and public speeches, to the fact that Muslim women needed education on an equal footing with men. They claimed that the woman needs both knowledge of Islamic science and law, but is at the same time welcome to hold other social, political, industrial and academic titles and positions.