What Islam really says about women | Alaa Murabit

Translator: Abe Felisa Reviewer: Laksmi Wijayanti

So on my way here,

Dalam perjalanan kemari,

the passenger next to me and I had a very interesting conversation

saya terlibat dalam percakapan menarik dengan penumpang di sebelah saya

during my flight.

selama penerbangan.

He told me, "It seems like the United States has run out of jobs,

Dia bilang, "Sepertinya Amerika kehabisan pekerjaan,

because they're just making some up:

karena beberapa di antaranya hanya dibuat-buat:

cat psychologist, dog whisperer, tornado chaser."

psikolog kucing, pembisik anjing, pengejar tornado."

A couple of seconds later, he asked me,

Beberapa saat kemudian, ia bertanya pada saya,

"So what do you do?"

"Jadi apa pekerjaan Anda?"

And I was like, "Peacebuilder?"

Dan saya bilang, "Pembangun Perdamaian?"

(Laughter)

(Tertawa)

Every day, I work to amplify the voices of women

Setiap hari, saya bekerja untuk memperkuat suara wanita

and to highlight their experiences

dan menonjolkan pengalaman mereka

and their participation in peace processes and conflict resolution,

dan partisipasi mereka dalam proses perdamaian dan resolusi konflik,

and because of my work,

dan karena pekerjaan saya,

I recognize that the only way to ensure the full participation of women globally

saya menyadari satu-satunya cara memasti- kan partisipasi penuh wanita secara global

is by reclaiming religion.

adalah dengan merebut kembali agama.

Now, this matter is vitally important to me.

Nah, masalah ini amat penting bagi saya.

As a young Muslim woman, I am very proud of my faith.

Sebagai perempuan muda Muslimah, saya sangat bangga akan agama saya.

It gives me the strength and conviction to do my work every day.

Ia memberi kekuatan dan keyakinan dalam pekerjaan saya setiap hari.

It's the reason I can be here in front of you.

Itulah alasan saya bisa berada di sini di depan Anda semua.

But I can't overlook the damage that has been done in the name of religion,

Tapi saya tak bisa mengabaikan kerusakan yang mengatas-namakan agama,

not just my own, but all of the world's major faiths.

bukan hanya agama saya, tapi semua agama besar di dunia.

The misrepresentation and misuse and manipulation of religious scripture

Penyalah-tafsiran, penyalah-gunaan, dan manipulasi ajaran agama

has influenced our social and cultural norms,

telah mempengaruhi norma sosial dan budaya kita,

our laws, our daily lives,

hukum dan keseharian kita,

to a point where we sometimes don't recognize it.

sampai pada titik di mana kita kadang tak menyadarinya.

My parents moved from Libya, North Africa, to Canada

Orang tua saya pindah dari Libya, Afrika Utara ke Kanada

in the early 1980s,

pada awal tahun 1980-an,

and I am the middle child of 11 children.

dan saya adalah anak tengah dari 11 bersaudara.

Yes, 11.

Ya, 11.

But growing up, I saw my parents,

Tapi saya tumbuh besar melihat orangtua saya,

both religiously devout and spiritual people,

keduanya sangat saleh dan religius,

pray and praise God for their blessings,

berdoa dan memuji Tuhan atas berkat-Nya,

namely me of course, but among others. (Laughter)

yaitu saya, tentu saja, di antara hal-hal lain. (Tawa)

They were kind and funny and patient,

Mereka baik hati, lucu, dan sabar,

limitlessly patient, the kind of patience that having 11 kids forces you to have.

amat sangat sabar, jenis kesabaran yang akan Anda miliki saat Anda punya 11 anak.

And they were fair.

Dan mereka adil.

I was never subjected to religion through a cultural lens.

Saya tak pernah diekspos ke agama melalui sudut pandang budaya.

I was treated the same,

Saya diperlakukan sama,

the same was expected of me.

harapan terhadap saya pun sama.

I was never taught that God judged differently based on gender.

Saya tak pernah diajarkan bahwa Tuhan membeda-bedakan gender.

And my parents' understanding of God as a merciful and beneficial friend

Dan pemahaman orang tua saya bahwa Tuhan itu teman yang pengampun, penolong,

and provider shaped the way I looked at the world.

dan pemberi berkat, membentuk cara pandang saya terhadap dunia.

Now, of course, my upbringing had additional benefits.

Nah, tentunya, ada keuntungan lain dibesarkan di keluarga saya.

Being one of 11 children is Diplomacy 101. (Laughter)

Menjadi bagian dari 11 bersaudara adalah pembelajaran Dasar Dasar Diplomasi. (Tawa)

Sampai hari ini, orang selalu bertanya di mana saya bersekolah, misal,

To this day, I am asked where I went to school,

like, "Did you go to Kennedy School of Government?"

"Apa kamu sekolah di Kennedy School of Government?"

and I look at them and I'm like, "No,

saya menatap mereka dan berkata, "Tidak,

I went to the Murabit School of International Affairs."

saya belajar di Sekolah Hubungan Internasional Murabit."

It's extremely exclusive. You would have to talk to my mom to get in.

Sekolah yang sangat eksklusif. Anda harus bicara dengan ibu saya agar bisa masuk.

Lucky for you, she's here.

Untungnya, beliau ada di sini.

But being one of 11 children and having 10 siblings

Tapi menjadi bagian dari 11 bersaudara dan punya 10 saudara kandung

teaches you a lot about power structures and alliances.

mengajarkan banyak pada saya tentang struktur kekuatan dan persekutuan.

It teaches you focus; you have to talk fast or say less,

Mengajar Anda untuk fokus, bicara cepat atau bicara sedikit,

because you will always get cut off.

karena Anda akan selalu disela.

It teaches you the importance of messaging.

Mengajarkan betapa pentingnya menyampaikan pesan.

You have to ask questions in the right way to get the answers you know you want,

Anda harus bertanya dengan benar untuk mendapatkan jawaban yang Anda mau,

and you have to say no in the right way to keep the peace.

dan Anda harus tahu caranya berkata tidak untuk menjaga perdamaian.

But the most important lesson I learned growing up

Tapi pelajaran terpenting bagi saya ketika tumbuh besar

was the importance of being at the table.

adalah pentingnya berada di meja.

When my mom's favorite lamp broke, I had to be there when she was trying

Ketika lampu kesukaan ibu rusak, saya harus ada disana ketika ia berusaha

to find out how and by who, because I had to defend myself,

mencari tahu kejadiannya dan siapa pelakunya, karena saya harus membela diri,

because if you're not, then the finger is pointed at you,

karena jika tidak, maka tudingan akan mengarah pada Anda,

and before you know it, you will be grounded.

dan tiba-tiba saja, Anda akan dihukum.

I am not speaking from experience, of course.

Ini bukan pengalaman pribadi, tentu saja.

When I was 15 in 2005, I completed high school and I moved

Ketika saya berusia 15 di tahun 2005, saya lulus SMA dan pindah

from Canada -- Saskatoon --

dari Kanada -- Saskatoon --

to Zawiya, my parents' hometown in Libya,

ke Zawiya, kampung halaman orang tua saya di Libya,

a very traditional city.

kota yang masih sangat tradisional.

Mind you, I had only ever been to Libya before on vacation,

Anda perlu tahu bahwa saya hanya pernah mengunjungi Libya untuk liburan,

and as a seven-year-old girl, it was magic.

dan sebagai anak umur tujuh, itu seperti keajaiban.

It was ice cream and trips to the beach and really excited relatives.

Penuh es krim dan jalan-jalan ke pantai dan saudara yang menyenangkan.

Turns out it's not the same as a 15-year-old young lady.

Ternyata situasinya tak sama sebagai gadis umur 15 tahun.

I very quickly became introduced to the cultural aspect of religion.

Dengan cepat saya diperkenalkan dengan aspek budaya dalam agama.

The words "haram" -- meaning religiously prohibited --

Kata "haram" -- yang artinya dilarang secara agama --

and "aib" -- meaning culturally inappropriate --

dan "aib" -- yang artinya tak pantas secara budaya --

were exchanged carelessly,

dipertukarkan begitu saja,

as if they meant the same thing and had the same consequences.

seolah keduanya mempunyai arti dan konsekuensi yang sama.

And I found myself in conversation after conversation with classmates

Setelah banyak percakapan dengan teman sekelas,

and colleagues, professors, friends, even relatives,

kolega, profesor, sahabat, bahkan saudara,

beginning to question my own role and my own aspirations.

saya mulai mempertanyakan aturan dan aspirasi saya pribadi.

And even with the foundation my parents had provided for me,

Dan bahkan dengan fondasi yang dibekalkan orang tua saya,

I found myself questioning the role of women in my faith.

saya jadi mempertanyakan peran wanita dalam agama saya.

So at the Murabit School of International Affairs,

Jadi di Sekolah Hubungan Internasional Murabit,

we go very heavy on the debate,

kami gencar memperdebatkannya,

and rule number one is do your research, so that's what I did,

dan peraturan nomor satu adalah: gali informasi. Jadi saya melakukannya,

and it surprised me how easy it was

dan saya terkejut betapa mudahnya

to find women in my faith who were leaders,

menemukan wanita dalam agama saya yang menjadi pemimpin,

who were innovative, who were strong --

yang inovatif, kuat --

politically, economically, even militarily.

secara politik, ekonomi, bahkan militer.

Khadija financed the Islamic movement

Khadija mendanai pergerakan Muslim

in its infancy.

sejak awal berdirinya.

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.

Kami takkan berada di sini jika bukan karenanya.

So why weren't we learning about her?

Jadi mengapa kita tidak mempelajari beliau?

Why weren't we learning about these women?

Mengapa kita tidak mempelajari para wanita ini?

Why were women being relegated to positions which predated

Mengapa wanita disingkirkan ke posisi yang mendahului

the teachings of our faith?

dimulainya ajaran kepercayaan kami?

And why, if we are equal in the eyes of God,

Dan jika kita sama di mata Tuhan,

are we not equal in the eyes of men?

mengapa kita tidak setara di mata pria?

To me, it all came back to the lessons I had learned as a child.

Saya kembali merunut pelajaran yang saya pelajari semasa kecil.

The decision maker, the person who gets to control the message,

Si pembuat keputusan, orang yang mengendalikan pesan,

is sitting at the table,

harus duduk di meja,

and unfortunately, in every single world faith,

dan celakanya, dalam tiap ajaran agama di dunia,

they are not women.

mereka bukan wanita.

Religious institutions are dominated by men

Institusi agama didominasi oleh para pria

and driven by male leadership,

dan digerakkan oleh kepemimpinan pria,

and they create policies in their likeness,

dan mereka membuat kebijakan dalam rupa mereka,

and until we can change the system entirely,

dan sebelum kita dapat mengubah keseluruhan sistemnya,

then we can't realistically expect to have full economic

kita tidak dapat mengharapkan secara realitis

and political participation of women.

partisipasi penuh wanita di bidang ekonomi dan politik.

Our foundation is broken.

Fondasi kita sudah tidak benar.

My mom actually says, you can't build a straight house on a crooked foundation.

Ibu saya berkata, kau tak dapat membangun rumah kokoh di atas fondasi yang bobrok.

In 2011, the Libyan revolution broke out, and my family was on the front lines.

Tahun 2011, revolusi Libya pecah, dan keluarga saya ada di barisan depan.

And there's this amazing thing that happens in war,

Dan ada hal luar biasa yang terjadi dalam perang,

a cultural shift almost, very temporary.

yang hampir seperti pergeseran budaya, walau sementara.

And it was the first time that I felt it was not only acceptable

Dan itu pertama kali saya tak hanya merasa diterima untuk terlibat,

for me to be involved, but it was encouraged.

tapi juga dimotivasi,

It was demanded.

diharapkan.

Saya dan wanita lainnnya mendapat tempat di meja itu.

Myself and other women had a seat at the table.

We weren't holding hands or a medium.

Kami bukan sekadar perantara, atau menemani di sana.

We were part of decision making.

Kami bagian dari pembuat keputusan.

We were information sharing. We were crucial.

Kami pembagi informasi. Kami penting.

And I wanted and needed for that change to be permanent.

Dan saya ingin dan butuh perubahan itu menjadi permanen.

Turns out, that's not that easy.

Ternyata, tak semudah itu.

It only took a few weeks before the women that I had previously worked with

Hanya beberapa minggu kemudian, para wanita yang sebelumnya

were returning back to their previous roles,

bekerja bersama saya kembali menekuni peran mereka sebelumnya,

and most of them were driven by words of encouragement

dan kebanyakan tergerak karena kata-kata motivasi

from religious and political leaders,

para pemimpin agama dan politik,

most of whom cited religious scripture as their defense.

yang kebanyakan mengutip ajaran agama sebagai pembelaan mereka.

It's how they gained popular support for their opinions.

Itulah cara mereka mendapat dukungan masyarakat atas opini mereka.

So initially, I focused on the economic and political empowerment of women.

Awalnya, saya berfokus pada pemberdayaan wanita di bidang ekonomi dan politik.

I thought that would lead to cultural and social change.

Saya kira itu akan membawa perubahan sosial dan budaya.

It turns out, it does a little, but not a lot.

Dan memang terjadi sedikit perubahan, tapi tak banyak.

I decided to use their defense as my offense,

Saya putuskan untuk menggunakan pembelaan mereka sebagai serangan,

and I began to cite and highlight Islamic scripture as well.

dan saya mulai mengutip dan menekankan ajaran Muslim juga.

In 2012 and 2013, my organization led the single largest

Tahun 2012 dan 2013, organisasi saya memimpin kampanye

and most widespread campaign in Libya.

terbesar dan terluas di Libya.

We entered homes and schools and universities, even mosques.

Kami memasuki rumah dan sekolah dan universitas, bahkan Masjid.

We spoke to 50,000 people directly,

Kami berbicara pada 50,000 orang secara langsung,

and hundreds of thousands more through billboards and television commercials,

dan ratusan ribu lainnya melalui papan iklan

dan iklan televisi, radio, dan poster.

radio commercials and posters.

And you're probably wondering how a women's rights organization

Dan Anda mungkin heran bagaimana organisasi hak asasi wanita

was able to do this in communities which had previously opposed

mampu melakukannya, dalam komunitas yang sebelumnya menentang

our sheer existence.

keberadaan kami yang nyaris tak terlihat.

I used scripture.

Saya menggunakan ajaran.

I used verses from the Quran and sayings of the Prophet,

Saya menggunakan ayat Qur'an dan sabda Nabi,

Hadiths, his sayings which are, for example,

sabda Hadiths, contohnya:

"The best of you is the best to their family."

"Yang terbaik darimu adalah yang terbaik bagi keluarga mereka."

"Do not let your brother oppress another."

"Jangan biarkan saudaramu menindas sesamanya."

For the first time, Friday sermons led by local community imams

Untuk pertama kalinya, khotbah Jumatan yang dipimpin oleh imam komunitas setempat

promoted the rights of women.

mendukung hak-hak wanita.

They discussed taboo issues, like domestic violence.

Mereka mendiskusikan topik tabu, seperti kekerasan dalam rumah tangga.

Policies were changed.

Kebijakan diubah.

In certain communities, we actually had to go as far

Dalam komunitas tertentu, kami benar-benar harus sampai

as saying the International Human Rights Declaration,

berkoar mengenai Deklarasi Hak-Hak Asasi Internasional,

which you opposed because it wasn't written by religious scholars,

yang ditentang karena tidak ditulis oleh ahli agama,

well, those same principles are in our book.

yah, kami juga punya prinsip yang sama pada Kitab kami.

So really, the United Nations just copied us.

Jadi sesungguhnya, PBB hanya menyalinnya.

By changing the message, we were able to provide

Dengan mengubah pesannya, kami dapat memberikan

an alternative narrative which promoted the rights of women in Libya.

narasi alternatif yang mempromosikan hak-hak wanita di Libya.

It's something that has now been replicated internationally,

Itulah sesuatu yang saat ini telah ditiru di seluruh dunia,

and while I am not saying it's easy -- believe me, it's not.

dan meski saya tidak bilang ini mudah -- percayalah, ini tak mudah.

Liberals will say you're using religion and call you a bad conservative.

Kaum Liberal menuduh Anda memanfaatkan agama, menyebut Anda konservatif jahat.

Conservatives will call you a lot of colorful things.

Kaum konservatif akan menghina Anda dengan berbagai hinaan.

I've heard everything from, "Your parents must be extremely ashamed of you" --

Saya telah dihina berbagai macam, dari, "Orang tuamu pasti sangat malu"

false; they're my biggest fans --

salah; mereka adalah penggemar terberat saya --

to "You will not make it to your next birthday" --

sampai, "Kau takkan hidup sampai ulang tahunmu berikutnya" --

again wrong, because I did.

salah lagi, karena saya masih hidup.

And I remain

Dan saya masih sangat percaya bahwa hak-hak wanita & agama tidaklah ekslusif.

a very strong believer that women's rights and religion are not mutually exclusive.

But we have to be at the table.

Tapi kita harus berada di meja itu.

We have to stop giving up our position, because by remaining silent,

Kita harus berhenti pasrah dengan posisi kami, karena dengan terus diam,

we allow for the continued persecution and abuse of women worldwide.

kita mengizinkan berlangsungnya penyiksaan dan penganiayaan wanita di dunia.

By saying that we're going to fight for women's rights

Dengan menyatakan kita akan memperjuangkan hak-hak wanita

and fight extremism with bombs and warfare,

dan memerangi ekstrimis dengan bom dan perang,

we completely cripple local societies which need to address these issues

kita sungguh melumpuhkan masyarakat lokal yang seharusnya mengatasi masalah ini

so that they're sustainable.

sehingga mereka berkesinambungan.

It is not easy, challenging distorted religious messaging.

Tak mudah untuk menentang pesan agama yang menyimpang.

You will have your fair share of insults and ridicule and threats.

Anda akan mendapatkan banyak celaan, olok-olok, dan ancaman.

But we have to do it.

Tapi kita harus melakukannya.

We have no other option than to reclaim the message of human rights,

Kita tak punya pilihan selain menyuarakan pesan hak-hak asasi manusia,

the principles of our faith,

prinsip kepercayaan kami,

not for us, not for the women in your families,

bukan untuk kami, bukan untuk wanita di keluarga Anda,

not for the women in this room,

bukan untuk wanita di ruangan ini,

not even for the women out there,

bukan juga untuk wanita di luar sana,

but for societies that would be transformed

melainkan untuk masyarakat yang akan diubah

with the participation of women.

karena partisipasi wanita.

And the only way we can do that,

Dan satu-satunya cara untuk dapat melakukannya,

our only option,

pilihan kita satu-satunya,

is to be, and remain, at the table.

adalah untuk berada, dan tetap berada di meja itu.

Thank you.

Terima kasih.

(Applause)

(Tepuk tangan)