Women’s Narrative and Local Practices of Muslim Family Law: Exploring Moderateness of Indonesian Islam

Abstract

This article seeks for two essential resources of promoting the moderateness of Indonesian Islam, which are still underdeveloped in the existing literatures. Namely, mainstreaming women's narrative as a basis of analysis of research about Indonesian Islam and examining the practices of Islam in everyday life of Muslims across the archipelago. Based on writer's experiences in conducting ethnographic research regarding Islamic family law, this article aims at discussing further how women's inclusion generates particular model of understanding and application of Islamic family law. As a matter of fact, family law is the most intimate legal practices in everyday relations for Muslim and thus, involve both men and women. Moreover, Islamic law is not merely about doctrines and universal resources, but also about interpretation and local practices. This article argues that the presence of women's voices and experiences in the epistemology of Islamic law, which is often excluded, is one of primary factors of ensuring how Islamic family law can provide more justice and equality to women's interests. The practices of Muslim family law in eastern Indonesian where women's authority and power are continuously negotiated can be considered as among initial characteristic of the moderateness of Indonesian Islam.