In a comparative study of American religious Christian and Muslim women, most of the Christian women in this study rejected the label of feminist, but espoused feminist values. In contrast, most of the Muslim women were willing to endorse the label of feminist, and actually identified Islam as a feminist religion. The common perception in America of Islam as an oppresive religion contrasts sharply with these results. A common argument many feminists in the US have made is that the hijab is a symbol of oppression; however, by Islam, it shouldn't be forced on a woman by a man, or the government. In an interview by The Conversation, a participant said "Islam and its teachings are capable of giving women an equal footing in society to men, and that Islam does not relegate women to the private sphere. I really believe some Muslims have distorted our teachings and forgotten our heritage. I believe that Islam can be used as a source of empowerment for women."
Some feminist Muslim icons are Loujain al-Hathloul and Malala Yousafzai
Loujain fought for the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia to be lifted. In the video shown from 2014, she is driving from the UAE into Saudi Arabia. She was arrested and held in jail for 73 days. In 2015, she stood for elections, the first year women were allowed to do so in Saudi Arabia, but her name was not added to the ballot. In 2018, she was detained on grounds of national security. She was penalized for disturbing public order, religious values, public morals and life. While detained, she was waterboarded, given electric shocks, was sexually harassed and was threatened with rape and murder. After 1001 days, she was released from prison.
Malala is an extremely well known advocate of girls' education. Her town was taken over by the Taliban, and one of the things they banned was girls going to school. She was outspoken about girls' rights to education, making her a target, and she was shot by the Taliban for her outspoken activism. After recovery, she started the Malala Fund dedicated to giving girls the opportunity to go to school. In 2014, she became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Islam and Feminism are not mutually exclusive
Who is Loujain al-Hathloul