Ijtihad · Musulmanes en mouvement

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_Ijtihad_ (Arabic, noun): an effort of critical and creative reflection on Islamic texts.

_Ijtihad · Musulmanes en mouvement_ is a documentary film that brings together women committed to equality and gender justice in the name of Islam. By reclaiming the Qur’an, they open up new perspectives for all women.

From France to Morocco, via Egypt and Malaysia, these women discuss their relationship to religion and to feminism, both as minorities and in countries with Muslim majorities. Between intimate journeys and political stakes, they share their questions and expertise, and invite us to move.







                      THE VOICES OF THE FILM: POWERFUL AND INSPIRING WOMEN!



Omaima Abou-Bakr (Egypt) is Professor of Comparative Literature at Cairo University, co-founder and vice-president of http://www.wmf.org.eg/en/. This organization helps counter negative representations of women in the Arab world, notably by highlighting the history of pioneering women and making women experts visible. She is also a member of the international network https://www.musawah.org/ For equality and justice in Muslim families.



Marie-Laure Bousquet (France) is a retired national education teacher. She was active in the MLAC (Movement for the Freedom of Abortion and Contraception) and in the Collectif des féministes pour l’égalité (CFPE), which she co-chaired. She has been studying the Qur’anic text for about forty years.



Fatma Emam (Egypt) is a Nubian feminist and anti-racist activist, co-founder of https://nazra.org/en/about-us. This organization aims to produce and disseminate knowledge on gender issues throughout Egyptian society. Fatma Emam currently works for http://www.cewla.org/en/index.htm (CEWLA) and is also a member of the international network http://www.wluml.org/fr (WLUML).



Mouna Hachim (Morocco) is https://mounahachim.wordpress.com/. She revisits the history of Morocco and is particularly interested in women in Muslim civilization. She is the author of Histoire inattendue du Maroc (2018) and the historical novel Les manuscrits perdus (2019).



Hanane Karimi (France) is a sociologist and lecturer-researcher at the University of Strasbourg. She was, notably, co-founder and spokesperson of the collective Les femmes dans la mosquée which, in 2013, spoke out against the decision of the Grand Mosque of Paris to relegate women to the basement. She defends a decolonial approach to feminism.



Fatima Khemilat (France) is a PhD candidate in political science and an activist for an inclusive society. Her research focuses on French public policies aimed at regulating the Muslim religious fact. From an intersectional perspective, she analyzes these phenomena through the prisms of gender, race and territorial issues. She is also the author of videos on Islamophobia, gender-based violence and sexuality education.



Asma Lamrabet (Morocco) is http://asma-lamrabet.com/ and former director of https://www.arrabita.ma/annisae/ (CERFI). She is the author of several essays, including Femmes et islam. Les questions qui fâchent (2016). She is also a member of the international network https://www.musawah.org/ For equality and justice in Muslim families.



Ndella Paye (France) is an Afrofeminist and anti-racist activist. She testifies to her commitments within the Collectif des féministes pour l’égalité (CFPE), her experience as a student in an institute of Islamic studies and her engagement for an intersectional feminist approach.



Founded in 1988, https://sistersinislam.org/ (SIS, Malaysia) is a pioneering organization of the Islamic feminist movement. By proposing a rereading of the Qur’anic text based on equality and justice, SIS not only campaigns for women’s rights but also for fundamental freedoms more broadly. It is today an organization recognized nationally, regionally and internationally, and is a founding member of the international network https://www.musawah.org/ For equality and justice in Muslim families. We had the opportunity to meet four of their members.



…And many others!



                       WHO IS THE DIRECTOR, NADIA IBRAHIM ZINAÏ?

I am a nurse by profession. Trained in Islamic sciences in various traditional French institutes, I have taken part in several international conferences of Muslim feminists and have also trained in audiovisual directing and editing.

Islam was first passed on to me by my parents who emigrated from Morocco; then the discovery of the Sufi path allowed me to make Islam a true choice, at a time when I did not recognize myself in the dominant patriarchal interpretations of my religion.

The making of Ijtihad · Musulmanes en mouvement represents for me the culmination of many years of questioning, research and encounters with Muslim women whose paths and perspectives are rich in their diversity. With this film, I want to transmit what they taught me and share it with all those who, like me, are eager to hear voices that carry an engaged spiritual message.

The director benefited from mentoring by director https://www.alexandradols.com/ within the Hybrid Pulse association.







                             WHAT WILL THE FUND BE USED FOR?

The film has been directed and produced with our own funds for several years, which guarantees our independence and thus the freedom of our message. Since 2012, we have filmed in France, Morocco, Egypt and Malaysia, with a small team and often on a voluntary basis.

However, today we need you to ensure the release of the film: we need €8,000 before February 28 to start editing.

Your contributions will help finance the film’s post-production: editing, color grading and mixing, translation and subtitling, purchase of rights for archival images and music. These technical tasks require acquiring specific equipment on the one hand and calling on experienced professionals on the other. These professionals must be paid as fairly as possible.

To support the film, we invite you to:

- Contribute to the financing, whether it’s a few euros or several hundred!

- Share this appeal as widely as possible in your personal, professional and activist networks.





                             CHOOSE YOUR REWARD:

For €5: A huge thank you!

For €10: Your name in the film credits and a huge thank you.

For €20: An unpublished digital photo taken from the film + your name in the credits, a huge thank you.

For €30: The film poster + your name in the credits and a huge thank you.

For €50: The DVD of the film + your name in the credits and a huge thank you.

For €100: The poster + the DVD of the film + your name in the credits and a huge thank you.

For €300: A lithograph of Arabic calligraphy (quotation from Fatima Mernissi) + the poster + the DVD of the film + your name in the credits and a huge thank you.

For €500: For associations, collectives and others: in return for a donation, a license to screen the film in the presence of the director + your name in the credits and a big thank you.

For €1,000: You will attend one day of work during post-production + a license to screen the film + the poster + the DVD of the film + your name in the credits and a big thank you.

If you wish to become partners of the film—artists, associations, collectives—don’t hesitate! Contact us by email at [email protected], or our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Ijtihad-Musulmanes-en-mouvement-le-film-101576401810794 to stay informed of all the film’s progress!

Supporting the making of the film Ijtihad · Musulmanes en mouvement means contributing to making heard the voices of women who challenge all systems of oppression, forge radical paths of emancipation, and embody a true political and spiritual sisterhood.

Whatever the amount, everyone can participate in this fundraising. No need to create an account or register, it’s quick and credit card payments are 100% secure.

If you can’t contribute financially, please share this campaign as widely as possible.



                                            THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!