Participant’s Background Fourth Participant Garnis
“...some parts of the movie reflect the life in Moslem Java society, like women should obey the husband or men. Until today we can see this kind of thing.”
Moreover, when asked which part she disagrees wi th, she added that there‟s a part in
the movie that doesn‟t match with the real life of Javanese Moslem family, “All of the women‟s activities that are forbidden by the father, like horse-riding. I
think it‟s okay if women do horse-riding. There‟s no rule, there‟s no government regulation.”
Overall, though she likes the movie since it‟s Islamic one, she admitted that there are some issues in the movie that are controversial which she disagrees with, like gender unfairness.
4.3.Physical and Sexual Violence
When asked about her response to physical violence shown in the movie, Garnis gave her negative attitude towards it. She dislikes the way Samsudin treated Anisa which is so
harsh and rude. She also commented on the way decision making was authorized by the husband.
“The husband was so harsh. And I totally disagree with it because maybe he thought that he is the leader of his family so all of the decision sh
ould be taken by him.” She also expressed her dislike to the physical violence that was done many times by the
husband since she believes that women are supposed to be treated well. “It‟s cruel... Because
he‟s not supposed to do that to women. Women should be treated well.”
What is interesting from her response is that when she related it with her own life experience, she explained further that even by only being shouted at someone, she felt so
much hurt. Personally, she cannot accept any form of violence, whether it‟s physically or
verbally. Based on her own perspective and experience, even shouting is considered as violence in her family.
“Personally, as a woman, I think, me myself, when someone shout at me or act harshly, for me it‟s an abuse, because in my family, my father and mother never shout
at me...”
When discussing about physical violence that happen in real life, especially in Javanese Moslem context, she
firmly said that there isn‟t any physical abuse that happens in her society.
Although she claimed that in the society where she lives there‟s no physical violence that happen, she admitted
that there‟s still mental abuse that happened in an Islam family in her society.
“There‟s a man, a father. If he wants his children to do something, but the children didn‟t want to, the father would say rude words harshly. For me who hear such
things, I think it‟s bad, I disagree. In Javanese, we call it as „nyepatani‟ or cussing.
People in my neighborhood who heard the father cussed his son and daughter like that, also feel uncomfortable because the words are too harsh.”
Based on her personal view, if men love women, men are not supposed to do violence. She suggested that men can find another way to express what they want without doing any
violence against women. Overall, she totally disagrees with any physical violence especially against Islam women. Shouting which for her is mental abuse against women is intolerable
for her, moreover any kind of physical abuse which is totally hurtful. Proceeding to the discussion about sexual abuse, Garnis did
n‟t give much comment because this topic is quite controversial and sensitive to talk about. She generally felt
uncomfortable to see the scene where Samsudin, the husband forced Anisa to have sex. She expressed her dis
agreement toward sexual abuse that‟s shown in the movie. Based on her personal view, it‟s actually illogical, how can a husband rape his own wife in the marriage
relationship. She even called it as a rape. She personally believes that making love should be based on love because how can a woman make love with a man she does not love at all.
Garnis considers Anisa‟s refusal to have sexual relationship neither as a form of rebellion of a wife nor as disobedience toward her Imam.
“Yes, it is a rape because the woman didn‟t want to do that. The husband should respect what the woman want. Maybe the woman has a reason. Ya, like how can we
make love with someone we don‟t love.” Furthermore, she claimed that she cannot accept any sexual abuse against women at
all. Whatever the reason is, everything t hat‟s done with forcing is considered as violence.
Like the other participants, she totally disagrees with sexual abuse against Moslem women since it doesn‟t only hurt, but also breaks women‟s self-respect.
4.4.Women Oppression and Gender Inequality in Islam
After discussing about physical and sexual abuse shown in the movie, she admitted that women oppression in Islam really happens especially in Moslem Javanese context. She
claimed that she often heard that about domestic violence in the news media. It made her think that women are oppressed in the society. Even though
she witnessed that there‟s no physical violence happen in her society, she confirmed that there exists what is called as
women oppression. Moslem women can be oppressed, not always physically abused, but it also can be mentally. It leads her to think about
men and women‟s position in the society. “... Because I often hear that domestic violence is still becoming the trending topic in
news media. It shows that women‟s position is still considered lower than men, and weak.”
The word weak represents women‟s inability and poor position in the family, especially in wife-husband relationship. Yet, she still believes that men and women are still equal in Islam.
The difference is just about the position in the society. Though men are considered have more power and responsibility, it still can be equal if women can take part and show their power in
their relationship with men.
“...But, we cannot say men and women are not equal because they both have same power. It just depends on the women‟s way to express or show off the powerness.”
What makes her argument interesting is that she claimed that she expects gender equality in Islam though her family has already had treated male and female family members
equally . Here it means that she still sees that there‟s gender inequality in Islam. She
emphasized the equality must be something to do with decision making which should be shared together, not only decided by men. She also added that men should respect what
women want too. Discussing about gender inequality in Islam, she gave a quite extreme comment about
interpretation of men as Imam in Islam family: “In Islam, Imam itself actually is the man who leads Sholat. So in Sholat, the man is
sitting in the front, and women are sitting at the back. It‟s just the way it is from the
Arab culture, I don‟t know why. But it doesn‟t mean that in the real life women should be at the back of men. So for me personally, I think they have wrong perception or
interpretation about Imam or leader. Because Imam is just for Sholat, i t doesn‟t mean
that men are leader of your life. ”
Believing that there must be misinterpretation about Imam in Islam, she argues that men should be leader in Sholat only, not the ones who can lead the entire life of their wives. She
also added that this misinterpretation which leads Moslem men to do violence against women. Men‟s mindset about themselves as powerful ones makes them to think to misuse
their authority to oppress women violently. “Because they have mindset that because they are Imam, they can do everything. They
have more power than others... No matter that whether it‟s good or even bad as violence.”
Moreover, she gave an interesting point of view about misinterpretation of Al-Quran in Islam:
“The society who still live traditionally, they tend to be fanatic. They think that this
is the way we live based on Al- Qur‟an, without applying it in their real life. They just try to
read and understand, without thinking further whether living here is different to Arab‟s
living. It‟s different.” Similar with Novia‟s argument, she believes that what happened in Moslem Javanese
society, including violence against women, is the implication of misinterpretation toward Al- Quran itself. Moslem Javanese people just took it for granted without thinking to adjust and
adapt with the culture here which must be different to Arab‟s – basic culture of Al-Quran.