In this video, we discuss about the double discrimination that Muslim women face in Malaysia. There is a vibrant and at times virulent discussion within the Muslim world about power relationships between gender groups. For example, the Malaysian group Sisters in Islam has been fighting since 1984 to advance the rights of Muslim women, and to end misogyny and prejudice. They promote a worldview of compassion and love, based on religious scriptures. According to Sister in Islam, Muslim women in Malaysia face a double discrimination. Why and what does “double discrimination” mean? How is prejudice against women in Malaysia manifested in women’s daily lives?
We discuss this issue with Shareena Sheriff, Programme Manager of Sisters in Islam. In 2014, the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) issued a fatwa declaring that Sisters In Islam, as well as any other organisation promoting religious liberalism and pluralism, deviate from the teachings of Islam. The fatwa says that they would have the power to instruct federal authorities to shut down their social media and seize their publications, and bring their members to “the right path”. Sisters in Islam has been also the target of significant online violence and hate speech triggered by the fatwa.