VIDEO: Feminism: Heroin(e) of the Masses (Malaysia)

Here is the video of my conference presentation, “Feminism: Heroin(e) of the Masses”, which I delivered at the international conference held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) by the Malaysian organisation, Wanita ISMA, on 9th May 2015.

Feminism is often portrayed as the female protagonist, the heroine, in the cast of so-called patriarchs; but is feminism really a saviour of the people, or is it unduly hogging the spotlight when others have better solutions to offer? Feminism is also often portrayed as the panacea for women’s problems; but is feminism really a cure, or is it a harmful intoxicant used as escapism from the real causes of psychological or physical pain?

So what is feminism, is it the saviour, or is it the opium of the people? As we will see, feminism is the opium, not the saviour, of the people, and the abolition of feminism as the illusory liberation of women is the demand for both men and women’s real liberation.*

This lecture focuses particularly on “Islamic Feminism”, and the situation in the Muslim world today.

(*A borrowing of Karl Marx’s formulation on religion being the opium of the people)