by Taj Hargey
Throughout the country, the country, during this past National Women’s day long weekend, South Africans came together to celebrate the place, prospects as well as problems facing females in society.
Up and down the land, diverse groups and innumerable civic organisations marked the critical contributions of women, be it in politics, law, commerce, education, the professions as well as other priorities like gender-based violence, sexist chauvinism and social discrimination.
While these celebratory gatherings rightly focus on these salient facets affecting women and girls, this is, however, not the complete picture.
Far too often, the crucial subject of religion, belief and faith is relegated and rarely talked about or properly addressed on National Women’s Day.
For the vast majority of people, there is little doubt that spirituality and religiosity is an intrinsic component in the lives of most citizens.
For this principal reason, the pioneering Open Mosque in Wynberg hosted, despite the inclement weather, a well-attended trailblazing women’s forum two days ago, where religion and not politics took centre-stage in recognising female accomplishments and difficulties.
Ever since its inception, the trendsetting Open Mosque has established itself as the pre-eminent progressive Islamic house of worship in South Africa, providing a viable alternative to repressive fundamentalism for independent and thinking Muslims.
Aside from its unprecedented founding principles advancing Qur’an-centric Islam, gender equity and non-sectarianism, the Open Mosque has also been in the forefront of effective interfaith dialogue and productive multi-ethnic collaboration, convening regular meetings over the years bringing people of all faiths and none together.
In line with its overriding objective of championing genuine social cohesion and fruitful cross-community relationships in the Western Cape, the Open Mosque marked Women’s Day with an exceptional interfaith forum to discuss the future of females in faith.
Each presenter first defined and dissected the umbrella structures of their own particular creed in terms of traditional patriarchy and the associated factors that women face in religion.
Second, every panellist suggested practical solutions and feasible strategies to tackle existing socio-legal restraints, cultural barriers and theological doctrines within their faiths that inhibit women from freely expressing their spirituality.
Third, each speaker was tasked with what magic wand they would wave to make their religion more inclusive, more pertinent and more egalitarian so that contemporary South African women in this highly materialistic age have a substantive, not subsidiary status within their respective creeds.
Four devout and dynamic women representing Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam each dissected and debated the role and responsibility of women within their faiths.
To acknowledge the historical evolution of religions, the first speaker was Smruti Pandya, a Hindu devotee and practising yoga teacher from the Radha Krishna Temple in Gatesville.
She eloquently explained that Hinduism in its true ethos is non-sexist although culture and customs sometimes mitigated against total gender parity.
A real highlight of her thoughtful presentation was the chanting of a transfixing melodic Sanskrit prayer.
Next up was Balu Nivison, a dance instructor, artistic director and congregant of Temple Israel Synagogue in Wynberg. She recounted her illuminating personal trajectory from an orthodox Jewish background to a liberal and Reformed Judaism.
She movingly described her efforts in combating patriarchy and male domination with the publication of a novel gender-equal, non-sexist Jewish prayer book.
Such an imaginative initiative was designed, she says, to encourage other Jewish women to resist masculine hegemony in Judaism.
The third speaker was Patricia Grace, of the Desmond Tutu Foundation, who is also a member of a forward-looking Full Gospel church.
Patricia robustly and persuasively confronted the key patriarchal pillars of modern-day Christianity with her expert demolition of masculine bigotry in customary Christian liturgy and dogma.
Her insightful talk was enthusiastically received by Christians in the audience. The final presenter was Miriam Mohamed, the secretary of the Open Mosque who is an experienced podiatrist and entrepreneur.
She candidly examined the religious roots of female subordination in Islam, pointing out that women’s second-class position stems from the later manufactured hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad and are not derived from the original transcendent Qur’an.
* Dr Taj Hargey is the president of the Open Mosque.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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