Woman, man and nationality in the writings of the Algerian reformist `ulama

Abstract

This study examines a selection of writings from al-Shihab, the Arabic-language mouthpiece of the prominent Algerian Islamic reformist Abd al-Hamid Ben Badis, on the topic of gender roles. From a close reading of various articles on the topic, this study reaches two general conclusions. First, it demonstrates that, in the process of describing the ideal Algerian man and woman, the men of al-Shihab found themselves articulating their vision of an Algerian nation which had, at its core, an Islamic essence. Second, and more importantly, the study reveals that, in expressing this religious conception of nation, the writers nevertheless freely shifted into secular, rationalist and empirical scientific modes of argumentation. As religious reformers and scholars, they naturally implemented religious modes of argumentation, citing the Qur'an in order to claim authority for their vision of ideal gender types. However, they did not rely purely on religious arguments. In order to illustrate these points, the writings in al-Shihab are compared and contrasted with those of the famed Egyptian attorney Qasim Amin. At first consideration, such a comparison may seem fruitless. The anti-traditionalist programme that Qasim Amin advocated for Egyptian women does indeed contrast sharply with the platform of the Algerian reformists. However, an analysis that focuses on method of argumentation rather than content reveals similarities between the two sides. Scholars of Qasim Amin have argued that his proposal for women's education and unveiling was designed as a developmental project on behalf of ‘the Egyptian nation’ more so than it connoted any emancipatory project for women. Similarly, this study demonstrates that the Algerian Islamic reformists subordinated their concern for ideal gender types to an overarching concern for nationhood, expressed in religious terms. A close reading of these sources, however, reveals the secular logic that their writers weaved into their religious programme.