The possibility of Islamic feminism in the example of Jam Blog

Recel Blog was founded in 2014 by a group of Muslim women with religious sensitivities in reference to the expression "Muslim women who cannot make jam" used by Dücane Cündioglu in a column he wrote in 2004. Through this blog, the founders aimed to create a platform where particularly Muslim women could make their voices heard on daily and social issues. Although the founders of Recel Blog state that they do not aim to be a feminist blog, the articles and discourses on the portal bring it together with the concept of Islamic feminism. The study seeks an answer to the question "Is it possible for Islam, which evokes traditionalism, and feminism, which has a modern identity, to be together?" The aim of the study is to question the possibility of this unity with a rational, objective, consistent and comprehensive approach in the example of Recel Blog. The qualitative research method was used in the study based on the data obtained from the literature review. The blog posts, which are the main subject of the study, were subjected to content and critical discourse analysis and the possibility of Islamic feminism was evaluated with philosophical perspective criteria. In the discourse of Recel Blog writers, traces of a new Turkish female identity that can be characterised as "conservative-feminist" can be seen. With their discourses, the authors bring a feminist criticism to religion and tradition while remaining within the boundaries of Islam and emphasise women's unity and struggle with the desire for an egalitarian society. The bloggers, who offer a women-centred alternative reading against traditional interpretations by treating the basic sources of Islam with a questioning and critical approach, rebel against the mentality that bases patriarchal hegemony on religion with their discourse. According to the authors of Recel Blog, the true equality that is the basis of Islam has been corrupted and destroyed by the masculine interpretation and understanding of jurisprudence that has developed throughout history. In this sense, the discourses of the bloggers can be evaluated as either a true reading of Islam free from patriarchal interpretations or the Islamisation of feminism. However, in both cases, it is noteworthy that the authors display a feminist attitude. Keywords: Philosophy of Religion, Discourse Analysis, Islamic Feminism, Muslim Women, Recel Blog