Bridging the gap; Feminism in Islam
“We have certainly created man in the best of stature.” (Qur’an 95:4 ) God acknowledges that the human being is the best of His creation. Thus, to desire the best is intrinsic to human nature. It is this very urge to achieve excellence that drives all men and women and enables them to traverse the vicissitudes of life. In the past few centuries, this very instinct has led the female half of humanity to strive and distinguish its role from that of the male. The new feminism, a form of difference feminism, asserts that men and women have different strengths, perspectives and roles, while advocating for the equal worth and dignity of both sexes. It emphasizes belief in an integral complementarity of men and women. In 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, Hilary Clinton emphasized the responsibility of women in developing the family and, ultimately, the nation. In an article in the July 2012 issue of The Atlantic, Anne-Marie Slaughter confessed how hard it can b