Feminist...Islam! How?

Out of all the unexpected concepts I've come across, the one that tops the list is feminist Islam.

" Feminists are just angry women. If they have an issue with someone, it needs to be dealt with personally. Why are they making it a bigger deal than it is? "

This isn't just my crowd. This kind of noise dominates the issue from what I've experienced.

My journey so far in LUMS has challenged these set of opinions. I've met feminists who aren't radical and represent the ideals of their struggle in an accommodating manner. And for a kid who comes from a household that promoted avoiding any debates on religion and politics, my new environment led me to SS101: Islamic Studies.

The course offered by Professor Baqar Zaidi exposed me to the scholarly side of religion. The way the traditional narratives have been shaped by some of the most popular interpretations of Quran, why some interpretations are more popular than others etc. were part of the curriculum.

It established Islam as we see it today as a direct product of the representation in its interpretations. What intrigues me are the possibilities of how different would the muslim world be today if feminist interpretations were taught alongside some of the popular interpretations, that are catered towards men, that form the basis of some of the sects?

The wife beating verses?

The men are guardians of women?

The weight of a woman's testimony?

Observing the veil?

What happens to all of these hallmarks discussions that are dominated by the mainstream interpretations which are arguably designed to control women?