“The believing men and believing women are allies (auliya’) of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong…” (Qur’an 9:71). Building upon this Qur’anic foundation, both men and women are equally entrusted with moral responsibility, intellectual discernment (ghadldlul bashar), and the safeguarding of human dignity. Their relationships must be grounded in respect, compassion, and justice—not domination, coercion, or violence. Both are commanded to guard their sexuality (hifdzul furuj) and to recognize one another not merely as physical beings, but as moral and spiritual agents endowed with intellect and conscience (Qur’an 24:30–31).
This theological position was articulated by Dr. Nur Rofiah, representing the Congress of Indonesian Women Ulama (KUPI), at the People’s Tribunal on the Women of Afghanistan held in Madrid, 8–10 October 2025. KUPI’s presence was significant: it was the only Islamic expert invited to provide a religious perspective on the mass violations of women’s human rights under Taliban rule—violations the Tribunal identified as gender apartheid. Gender apartheid refers to a system of institutionalized gender-based segregation and discrimination, where women are systematically excluded from public life, education, employment, mobility, and political participation through state-enforced policies.
During the Tribunal, twenty-two Afghan women testified about their lived experiences under this regime—restrictions on mobility through the mahram requirement, bans on education, prohibitions on employment, denial of access to healthcare, and more than seventy decrees that have confined women to domestic spaces and stripped them of autonomy. Each testimony revealed a deeply entrenched misogynistic worldview that reduces women to moral threats or sexual objects rather than recognizing them as equal bearers of human dignity. Yet Islamic theology affirms that both women and men are created as khalifah fil ard—moral stewards of the earth—equally entrusted with responsibility and agency.
KUPI’s participation in the Tribunal reflects its longstanding commitment to confronting structural gender injustice and violence. Prior to the Tribunal, KUPI had already issued political statements condemning Taliban policies following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Two elements made KUPI’s presence particularly vital. First, it brought a credible Islamic scholarly voice from Indonesia to counter the misuse of religion in legitimizing gender apartheid. Second, it embodied a living example of women’s religious authority in Islam—demonstrating that women are not only permitted but obligated to pursue knowledge at the highest level and to exercise interpretive authority. Indonesia’s experience offers an alternative model of Islam that is more inclusive and compatible with women’s rights.
KUPI’s advocacy extended beyond the Tribunal into the United Nations arena through collaboration with the JISRA network and engagement in side events at the UN, including an event co-hosted with the Permanent Mission of Indonesia in New York in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection. These engagements underscored a crucial message: while religion is often framed as an obstacle to women’s rights, it can also be a transformative force when approached through gender-just interpretation. Yet UN policy frameworks frequently overlook the constructive role of faith actors. KUPI’s methodology—placing women’s lived experiences at the center of religious interpretation—offers a breakthrough approach to dismantling misogynistic readings of scripture.
Rooted in Indonesia’s rich Islamic scholarly tradition, KUPI has conducted extensive historical, cultural, and textual research demonstrating the compatibility between Islam and women’s human rights. The historical legitimacy of women scholars in Islamic civilization further strengthens this claim. Unlike isolated initiatives, KUPI represents a broad-based movement that consolidates knowledge into methodological publications and continuously invests in capacity building. This structured approach enables replication, learning, and institutionalization.
At the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 60), KUPI demonstrated how faith-based, women-led scholarship can influence national policy. Through sustained advocacy, KUPI contributed to the amendment of Indonesia’s marriage law, raising the minimum age of marriage for both women and men to 19, and supported the passage of the Law on the Crime of Sexual Violence (TPKS). These achievements illustrate that when religious authority is reclaimed through gender-just interpretation, it can reshape legal frameworks and advance substantive equality.
From the People’s Tribunal to the United Nations, KUPI’s advocacy embodies a powerful message: Islam, when interpreted through ethical rigor and lived experience, stands firmly against gender apartheid and all forms of structural injustice. Religious knowledge, far from being a barrier, can become a transformative instrument for advancing women’s rights and human dignity globally.