The Oberlin Muslim Students Association hosted its first speaker in seven years last Saturday night. Louisville University professor Riffat Hassan challenged the patriarchal interpretation of the Qu’ran in a talk that gave examples from many of the holy book’s controversial and less-known passages.

Hassan tried to dispel popular perceptions about the place of women in the Qu’ran and in Islamic tradition.

“She was an excellent speaker to kick off the series,” Politics professor Eve Sandburg said. “Not only is she an activist and scholar, but she has had much field experience and expertise.”

Junior Lina Elbadawi, Co-chair of the MSA, proclaimed it a historic event for the organization.

“We’re a small community trying to provide for ourselves and share perspectives on the Muslim world with the Oberlin community,” she said. “This is the month of Ramadan, the holiest time in the Muslim religion, and so it’s important to be visible on campus.”

“I was not familiar with her theories, but I was surprised by her sense of humor, boldness and spunk,” first-year Julia Doctoroff said.

“Contesting the patriarchal interpretation of the Qu’ran is pretty revolutionary,” Elbadawi said, “It challenges 14 centuries of belief. She took the text of the Qu’ran and interpreted it from a female perspective.”

Hassan talked about the role women played in Islam’s story of creation.

“Nowhere in the Qu’ran does it say anything about women coming from men,” Elbadawi said. “It says they came from the earth, which, even in Arabic, is not a gendered word. This notion of women being instrumental and not fundamental is a misconception, but the problem is that women lack opportunities to realize this.”

Hassan claimed that Muslim women are ignorant of their own religion because access to religious texts in Islamic cultures is closely guarded by men.

“Women need access to empower themselves,” Elbadawi said. “They don’t know their rights, such as divorce, because they don’t have access. They are not victims. Give them tools to empower themselves and they will be liberated.”

“I understand where she was coming from,” Doctoroff said. “I understand her opinions about power. She doesn’t criticize Islam as a religion but rather she criticizes the patriarchal interpretation and the way that people use the Qu’ran to associate Islam with inequality.”

Elbadawi was especially pleased with the turnout, estimating 40 people in attendance, most of whom were women.

“The event was the beginning of an enriching, intellectually and politically stimulating discussion on the Muslim world and Western reaction to it on campus,” said Sandburg.

MSA members are positive that it won’t be another seven years before the organization hosts another speaker. Oberlin alumnus Ihsan Bagbie will be coming next semester to talk about the history of Islam in the African-American community.

“I encourage all students to look out for the series,” Sandberg said.