SEMINAR: Asian Studies Seminar

In contrast to the study of other issues surrounding women in Islam – such as women’s creation, inheritance, marriage and divorce – women’s sexuality has been given little attention. Existing studies on this issue are limited as they have only been focused on and conducted in Middle Eastern countries. In Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, Islam plays a significant role in shaping sexuality. In Indonesia, Islamic texts have been used to justify male control over female sexuality in issue such as wearing the jilbab, polygamy and marital rape. This paper will describe my proposed doctoral research on how religion influences discourses of sexuality in Indonesia, and in particular on how Islamic teachings influence Muslim married women’s perception of and behavior in their marital sexual relationships. Certain Islamic teachings on sexuality that are circulated in Indonesia seem to be more influential than others in shaping discourses of sexuality and sexual behavior among Muslim women. Therefore, this research will also seek to uncover why some texts are favored over others, and what the political interests of the Muslim authorities are in the dissemination of Islamic teachings on sexuality in Indonesia. This research will employ a Muslim feminist hermeneutical approach to the analysis of Islamic texts on sexuality. In-depth interviews will also be used to gather data through fieldwork in Bandung, Indonesia.