Islam and human rights in Pakistan: A critical analysis of the positions of three contemporary women

Abstract

In this analysis, Dr. Hassan emphasizes that being a Muslim means knowing that the Qur'an is the Magna Carta of human freedom and that a large part of its concern is to free human beings from the bondage of everything that prohibits or inhibits human beings from actualizing their Godgiven potential to the fullest. She analyses Farhat Hashmi's interpretation of Islam, in which taking care of the family is the primary purpose of a woman's life and wearing “hijab” is a religious mandate for Muslim women. To ignore the massive injustice and violence to which millions of women in Pakistan are subjected to is to abandon a commandment of Qur'an. She also discusses the view of human rights advocates such as Asma Jehangir, who assert that “Islam” and “human rights” are mutually exclusive. The author concludes by emphasizing the need for a new paradigm in the discourse on Islam and human rights in Pakistan in order to help building a dynamic and democratic society, a new perspective on human rights (including women's rights) grounded in normative Islamic ideas of universalism, rationalism, moderation, social justice, and compassion.