Why are Women Subordinated? The Misrepresentation of the Qur'an in Indonesian Discourse and Practice

Discourse and gender practices show that women occupy a weak position in Indonesia. Women are portrayed as their husbands� �companions�, or as �complementary� to a male-centered system. This article aims to explore unilateral interpretations of the Qur'an that ignores verses that venerate women. Misrepresentations of verses that honour women, or erroneous reading of said verses, have caused women to be disadvantaged in public discourse, in social practice, and in policy. By analysing the Qur'an and hadiths, as well as a series of interviews, this article shows that arguments promoting gender inequality are founded on the deliberate selection of specific Qur'anic verses and hadiths in ways that reproduce existing social inequalities. As such, the interpretation process is biased by the patriarchal structures of contemporary Indonesia. A theoretical reading of various texts also shows that the positioning of women as subordinates has historical roots that can be conceptually recognised. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.