Woman and The Right to Speak
It happened when a women wanted to point out their ideas the other peer women were just like ridiculi
ng her and that prevent her to speak out her ideas. This thing was mostly happend within Indonesian-moslem women.
This poor attitude was mostly influenced by Indonesian culture that they think those who are willing to speak are arrogant, dominating and self-conceited. This attitude stupidify all generation especially among women.
It has been a kind of dogmatic* problem forever when the topic about the right of women emerge in my religion and culture; Islam and Indonesia. What are the people actually looking for? The truth, equality or abuse? Taking example of my last night usrah among muslim society in Brisbane. It has been quite exceptional in the history of this usrah to invite women as a speaker in the forum, only a few times during a year - could be once or twice.
The topic last night was about their sharing experience during their stay in Australia with their hijab. We can guess what it is all about - it’s the same old story. Most of the story were about all the question from non-moslem people. I think we should have a trick to create a backlash towards them, to make them understand wisely for example the hijab was actually liberating women in Islam. Some of the westerner’s view that ‘the more uncovered part of the body the more liberating’ is totally abusing women. Women are misled and cheated by the idea of men who want to abuse women by enjoying their uncovered body without hesitation. When women agreed upon the ideas then men was successful internalising his ideas to reach what they want. While in women in Islam is liberated by hijab - not having been enjoyed, taouched or harrased. Hijab is like a kind of protection against all men’s wicked intention towards women. This argument appears between moslem and non-moslem and between women and men.
However, in the internal part among moslem society [especially with Indonesian background], this issue was heartbreaking. This issue is dealing with confrontational ideas between men to women and between women to women. Take for example when women are pushed to be in back row [beyond the praying rules and its kind.] Women seems to be marginalised in terms for the right of speak, the right to have a little more space and there must be some more injustice for them. Another example, in the Eid’l Adha morning praying, the space for women in West End mosque was regrettable. It was very crowded even I myself stood in the edge of the stairwell and couldn’t even do the sujd in the last rakaah. It was disgracing, I couldn’t imagine how could they design this space for women.
Another marginalisation come from the women themselves. Some of them do not even feel that they are being marginalised. Part of the reasons are because they are not well informed and not critical enough. Between women and women are sometimes creating a condition to be marginalised like those who are apathetical (do not care about women’s right) or those who are fully influenced by the culture and accept it as it is, for instance when a woman come to fight for their right individually the peers seem to be ignorance or even do not show any supportive effort.
The next worst thing is not even fight for their right but at least the willingness to speak is very limited. It happened when a women wanted to point out their ideas the other peer women were just like ridiculing her and that prevent her to speak out her ideas. This thing was mostly happend within Indonesian-moslem women. Just my observation - If I take a look at any forum, most of the women are becoming a silent majority or even when one or two of them want to speak, the peers show their discouraging attitude to prevent their voice out loud. This poor attitude was mostly influenced by Indonesian culture that they think those who are willing to speak are arrogant, dominating and self-conceited. This attitude stupidify all generation especially among women. This stupid attitude pretty much come from the attitude of inferiority. Being inferior is a result from the limited knowledge and narrow minded. In the very close case, the non-student women in the group last night were even the worst among the issues.
[dogma; a: something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet b : a code of such tenets <pedagogical dogma> c : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds. 2 : a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church]
