From Religion-Centered Understanding of Woman to Woman-Centered Understanding of Religion

Abstract

This study tries to categorically evaluate the perspectives in the depths of the “woman and religion” literature. After this stage, discusses the change and transformation of the understanding of the relationship between “woman and religion”. In this context, makes the following basic claim: While there used to be “religion” at the center of the “woman and religion” literature in Turkey, “woman” is increasingly at the center of this literature. In other words, our understanding in the context of “woman and religion” is evolving from a “religion-centered understanding of woman” to a “woman-centered understanding of religion”. This study is the third series of our evaluations on “women and religion” themed works and the literature created by these works. In fact, if this study claims that our understanding of religion has begun to evolve from a woman-centered understanding of religion to a woman-centered understanding of religion, it claims that by taking our previous studies on this subject behind it. According to the general result of the study, it is seen that the Muslim woman has a say in the matters within the context of religion that directly concern her. The following is meant by the phrase “religion-centered understanding of woman”: When approaching the relationship between “religion” and “woman”, sometimes at the very beginning and sometimes at the very end, one way or another, taking a side with religion and taking a stand with religion against woman. The following is meant by the combination of “woman-centered understanding of religion”: When approaching the relationship between “religion” and “woman”, sometimes at the very beginning and sometimes at the last point in, one way or another, taking a side with woman against religion. This does not mean that the phenomena of “woman” and “religion” become independent from each other. It means a change of position and understanding in the relationship between two phenomena. To put it more clearly, in the “woman and religion” literature, the woman turns into a “subject” while being an “object”. Muslim women are now reading themselves, discussing their relationship with religion, with themselves and with others, trying to understand the issue and being educated, conscious, skilful and activist in exercising their rights in all areas of social life. At the end of this study, although it is thought that it is gradually melting, it should be underlined that it will be fruitful to get rid of sharp perspectives such as "let the woman be saved, no matter what the religion is" or "let the religion be saved, no matter what the woman is". If "religions do not exist for women as much as they exist for men", there is no realistic solution yet except that the issue is understood historically and given a meaningful transport to the present. Although it is necessary to speak separately for each religion, from an Islamic perspective, it can be easily said that the concepts of "Allah" and "Prophet Muhammad" in Islam exist for every living thing, perhaps not a textual literal reading of Islam, but whether it is textual or cultural. The rest are different forms of understanding that are shaped according to the point of standing.

Bu çalışma “kadın ve din” literatürünün derinliklerinde yer alan bakış açılarını kategorik olarak değerlendirmeye çalışmaktadır. Bu aşamadan sonra “kadın ve din” ilişkisi noktasındaki anlayışın değişim dönüşümünü tartışmaktadır. Bu bağlamda da şöyle bir temel iddiada bulunmaktadır: Türkiye’deki “kadın ve din” literatürünün merkezinde daha önce “din” varken giderek bu literatürün merkezine “kadın” yerleşmektedir. Bir başka ifade ile “kadın ve din” bağlamındaki anlayışımız, “din merkezli kadın anlayışından” “kadın merkezli din anlayışına” doğru evirilmektedir. “Din merkezli kadın anlayışı” terkibi ile “din” ve “kadın” olguları arasındaki ilişkiye yaklaşılırken bazen en baştan bazen de öyle ya da böyle en son noktada kadın karşısında dinden yana taraf olmak ve tavır almak kastedilmektedir. “Kadın merkezli din anlayışı” terkibi ile “din” ve “kadın” olguları arasındaki ilişkiye yaklaşılırken bazen en baştan bazen de öyle ya da böyle son noktada din karşısında kadından yana taraf olmak ve tavır almak kastedilmektedir. Bu, “kadın” ve “din” olgularının birbirinden bağımsızlaşması gibi bir anlama gelmemektedir. İki olgu arasındaki ilişkide bir konum ve anlayış değişikliği anlamına gelmektedir. Daha açık bir ifade ile “kadın ve din” literatüründe kadın genellikle “nesne” konumunda iken giderek “özneye” dönüşmektedir.