Le Monde des religions, January-February 2009 —
There are fewer commonalities than one might imagine between the various religions of the world. Above all, there is the famous Golden Rule, expressed in countless ways: do not do to others what you would not want done to you. There is another, in blatant contradiction to this principle, which is surprising in its antiquity, its permanence, and its near-universality: contempt for women. As if woman were a potential or failed human being, certainly inferior to the male sex. The historical and textual elements we present in this issue's dossier to support this sad observation are all too eloquent. Why such contempt? Psychological motives are undoubtedly decisive. As Michel Cazenave reminds us, following the pioneers of psychoanalysis, man is simultaneously jealous of female pleasure and terrified by his own desire for women. Sexuality is undoubtedly at the heart of the problem, and Islamic men who only tolerate veiled women are no different from the Church Fathers, who saw women only as potential temptresses. There are also socio-historical reasons for this subjugation of women in almost every culture, a subjugation to which religions have made a decisive contribution. The very ancient cult of the "Great Goddess" testifies to a valorization of the feminine principle. The shamans of humanity's earliest religions are male or female, like the spirits they venerate, as evidenced by the oral traditions that have survived to this day. But a few millennia ago, when cities developed and the first kingdoms were established, the need for social organization became apparent, and a political and religious administration emerged. And it was men who assumed the roles of government. The priests tasked with administering religious worship quickly masculinized the pantheon, and male gods, mirroring what was happening on Earth, seized power in heaven. Monotheistic religions, in turn, merely reproduced and sometimes even amplified this polytheistic model by giving the single god an exclusively male face. A great paradox of religions for millennia: though often despised, women are frequently their true heart; they pray, transmit knowledge, and empathize with the suffering of others. Today, attitudes are evolving thanks to the secularization of modern societies and the emancipation of women that it has fostered. Unfortunately, some terrifying practices – such as the recent acid attacks on fifteen Afghan teenage girls on their way to school in Kandahar – and outdated remarks – like those made by the Archbishop of Paris: "It is not enough to wear skirts, you also have to have things in your head" – show that there is still a long way to go before religious traditions finally recognize women as equal to men, and erase these age-old traces of misogyny from their doctrines and practices.