Egyptian women may have made inroads into several fields long thought to be male provinces.
Religious posts are among the last bastions of male dominance in Egypt, where women are struggling for a foothold. No victory is on the horizon, however.
"I think there is no need for women to hold official religious posts, as long as there are qualified men for the job," said Abdul Sabur Chahin, a prominent scholar. "Islamic societies are not accustomed to the idea of women occupying religious positions," he told Gulf News.
"It seems that women's success in walking into other domains of activity motivates them to shift their sights to religious posts."
Chahin, however, admitted there is nothing in Sharia law to prevent women from acting as mufti (the top Islamic authority). Egypt's mufti is appointed by the President of the Republic, to pass fatwas or religious opinions on various issues.
"The allegation that women are not qualified to pass fatwas is inaccurate," said Amnah Nasir, a professor of Islamic philosophy.
"Women's faculties of Sharia have groomed hundreds of qualified specialists over the years."
She cited examples from Islamic history illustrating her point that women did a good job in issuing fatwas. She blames modern Egyptian women's failure to hold official religious posts partly on male supremacy. "Clergymen who do not appreciate the notion of having a female mufti are the ones opposed to seeing women doing other jobs."
Egypt's Mufti Ali Joma recently issued a fatwa denying there are restrictions on women becoming muftis. He attributed the difficulty modern women face in this regard to what he called the "cultural legacy".
"Occupying the post of mufti must be limited to men because men are the front of the Islamic nation," said Mohammad Al Musssayar, a professor of Islamic theology.
He added that the prophets and preachers delivering sermons during the Friday prayers were always men. "Besides, women do not trust female clerics," he told the weekly magazine Akher Saa. "The fuss about allowing women to hold official religious posts shows Western influence. We have already got women scholars at universities. So why insist on having them on fatwa committees too?"
Abdul Azzim Al Matani, a scholar, suggests a post be created for a female mufti who would counsel women only.
"Women may feel uneasy about posing questions to clergymen about certain topics," explained Al Matani, a professor at Al Azhar University, the Muslim world's oldest seat of learning. "This will not be the case when a women-only mufti is on hand. Women will feel comfortable about asking her and she will be in a position to pass frank and unequivocal fatwas."
The writer is an Arab journalist based in Cairo
Gulf News
