Eva Midden

Feminism and cultural and religious diversity in Opzij: An analysis of the discourse of a Dutch feminist magazine

Mainstream western feminism is generally known as secular. Women in this movement have fought religious dogmas and paternalistic gender patterns in religious texts and traditions. However, for many women all over the world religion is also an important part of their lives. Some of them try to combine their religious beliefs and feminist ideals. For a long time, their discussions remained at the margins, but in the last few years, ‘mainstream’ feminists are forced to rethink their standpoint about religion. Many have chosen a critical approach towards the relationship between religion and emancipation, but others express the need to take into account differences between women in the definition of feminism and emancipation. This article analyses a popular Dutch feminist magazine and how it defines feminism in relation to religion and culture. The article undertakes an in-depth analysis of how the notions of religion, culture and feminism are interpreted and discussed in the Dutch feminist magazine Opzij. The concepts of experience, solidarity, emancipation and difference are central in the investigation.

Towards a More Inclusive Feminism: Defining Feminism through Faith

In 1991, the conservative liberal politician Frits Bolkestein published the article ‘ Integratie van minderheden moet met lef worden aangepakt ’ (‘Integretation of minorities should be handled with guts’), which is generally considered to be the start of a long range of debates about minorities in the Netherlands. Even though many already believed that more attention should be given to the integration of migrants, the words of Bolkestein shocked the country (Prins, 2002). His main thesis is that multiculturalism should be limited; Western principles like freedom and equality are to be protected by all means (Bolkestein, 1991). Furthermore, he argues that more attention should be paid to the integration of minorities: because it is such a difficult problem, we have to deal with it with courage and creativity. There is no room for taboos or taking the easy way out (Bolkestein, 1991: 188).

Rethinking ‘Dutchness’: Learning from the intersections between religion, gender and national identity after conversion to Islam

This article aims to investigate the relationship between religion and national identity through the experiences of female converts to Islam. Gender is essential in this conjuncture, as many national, religious and secular markers are gendered and, most of the time, specifically focused on women and their bodily practices. Through a literature review and discussion of preliminary interview results, we will investigate how female converts negotiate their multiple belongings, especially regarding the relationship between religion and national identity. The focus is not on self-understanding of converts, but on in/exclusion of Muslims in European nations. The final aim is to explore options for more inclusive interpretations of ‘Dutchness’, in order to counter the idea that Islam and ‘Dutchness’ are not compatible.