If I had to describe FER School in a single word, it would be “empathy.” It embodies awareness and understanding for others, free from condemnation, hatred, and rejection. We learn to view both the Qur’an and the Bible through the eyes of others—the rejected, the silenced, and the unaccepted.
The principle of “an eye for an eye” was likely conceived by someone blind, yearning for others to be like him/her, devoid of empathy. In such a world, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the inclusion of the marginalized have no place. It’s a world where women from warring Balkan nations cannot come together to discuss their faith, bear witness to goodness, and support one another daily. I refuse to live in that world.
However, the world of FER does exist. It emerged online during the pandemic, created by professors Zlika Spahić Šiljak and Jadranka Sr. Rebeka Anić. Since 2021, their online school, Feminism and Religion (FER), has offered free education to all interested. Beyond imparting knowledge, the school provides a space for students to be heard, to speak, and to question their beliefs together—free from vanity and rejection, through the deconstruction of stereotypes, entrenched dogmas, and gender categorizations.
Observing their work, it’s evident that they were pioneers of FER(Feminism and Religion) even before the school itself. Their academic and activist efforts have impacted the lives of many women across Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Macedonia long before the pandemic. These brave women united different religious and worldview perspectives at the workshop “And Believers and Citizens 2008-2020.”
Imaginary in Reality
FER School is a place for exploring one’s identity, femininity, masculinity, and religiosity. Women here find their voice and fight for acceptance and understanding every day, while also giving voice to others. It is a gathering space for those who refuse to oppress others in their life’s journey but instead offer support, understanding, or at least encouragement for others to remain true to themselves.
If I had to describe FER School in one word, it would again be “empathy.” We learn to understand both the Qur’an and the Bible through the eyes of others—the rejected, silenced, and unaccepted. We discover those in the scriptures who have been silenced by dominant narratives, women deprived of their voices, names, gender, and even their very existence. Do names like Aisha, Esther, Ruth, Hulda, Deborah, or Junia mean anything to you? Are we also saved, and who brings the good news?
FER School is more than just an educational institution or an online platform; it is a space where the experienced and the novice meet, where knowledge is broken into digestible pieces for easier understanding and empowerment. It offers humanistic, theological, and cultural insights from the perspectives of those who are often rejected and forgotten—oppressed, brave, and daring women. If your upbringing and education clipped your wings and silenced you, here you will be heard. Though it may seem incredible that we needed an imaginary space to find our voices, that’s exactly what happened. While the world fell silent due to the pandemic, women spoke out publicly, loudly, and bravely. They continue to do so to this day.
Does Change Exist in Us?
Attendees of academic lectures, guided by multidisciplinary lecturers and an intersectional approach, have been inspired to find their voices and positions in society. FER graduates have also had the opportunity to write academic texts under the mentorship of selected female professors, contribute to lectures, and present their views, having researched and analyzed various topics. They receive certificates of course completion and academic credits according to the Bologna system. Academically, it’s significant; philosophically and existentially, it’s immeasurable.
We compared our experiences and societal attitudes—from mere neglect to deliberate silencing in meetings, labeled as “feminists.” While it’s disheartening that this issue is widespread across former Yugoslav republics, it’s encouraging that we recognize it as a problem and offer mutual support in addressing it. They don’t give up, so neither will I. I believe that the patriarchal supermarket(according to JR Anić), borrowing ideas from religions and societies for millennia, will be deconstructed, rendered obsolete, and eventually closed.
“What More Do These Women Want?”
Every day, traditional and patriarchal societies ask, “What more do these women want?” This question is often accompanied by the bitter insinuation that everything has been provided for them and that no one is hindering their progress. However, the news often reveals a darker reality, showing us as possessions considered acceptable to be taken from this world.
We seek a space for dialogue in the public sphere and a presence in society that is not merely symbolic. We want to be heard and listened to, not only when it comes to limiting, molding, or confining women in the Bible and the Qur’an. We demand respect as both believers and citizens.
Thanks to the TPO Foundation and the Women’s Ecumenical Initiative, we gathered physically at the “And You Sister Speak: Feminist-Theological Critique of Gender-Based Violence” conference within the limits of the material world, but metaphysically, we were at least 400 strong, carrying the stories of our sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. We embraced these creators of life from the past, allowing them to express their suppressed ambitions, their silenced voices, and their struggles. We spoke for them, for ourselves, and for future generations of women—equally valuable and respected, listened to, and educated.
Gathered from November 16-19, 2023, in Sarajevo, we discussed various current social topics. Women from five different countries and seven different religious denominations shared their insights. Under the motto “And Your Sister Speak,” we fought for our right to speak in public spaces.
We discussed the possibility of a life without violence, the space women must continually fight for in art, the portrayal of martyrs in religious texts, and how our faith can be a source of strength as we seek peace in our hearts and in the world. We spoke with empathy and reverence towards those who have endured mental and spiritual violence, and about the victims of patriarchy and media that perpetuate abuse.
In the end, what are the key takeaways from this conference? These are insights about women who change the world. Persisting despite all obstacles, they break through the strongest fortresses of patriarchy. Sacrificing themselves for a higher purpose and the future of their sisters, they step forward with bravery.
Incessantly Blowing Snow
The seeds sown within us and nurtured daily survive despite society’s attempts to uproot them. The students of the FER school water these seeds every day, cultivating them within themselves and transplanting them into their environments.
Although it may seem weak, non-existent, and imaginary, this online space is akin to the snow that incessantly blows against the doorstep. This image might seem implausible—after all, snow does not spread through mere blowing. In a patriarchal society, true resilience cannot be achieved without aggression. However, the FER school demonstrates that persistence and daily presence without aggression are possible, achieved through empathy and inclusiveness.
Though the sphere of action was initially confined to the imaginary, it inexorably penetrated reality and established itself within it. Every day, some participants transferred ideas and understandings into their environments, planting seeds within their communities. Much like the front door, society remained closed, deaf, and indifferent to the accumulating ideas. However, thoughts and ideas are not ephemeral; they stand firm, exist, and seek a place in society—one free from patriarchy. Ultimately, some of these ideas transcended the imaginary realm and materialized into real projects, thriving in the wake of the FER school’s influence.
In this context, the door does more than just keep the space closed; it also occasionally opens to the world. One day, hopefully soon, that door will swing wide open, allowing the thoughts and ideas waiting for acceptance to enter the public sphere and find their place. The voices of women will be heard, and I am confident that my sisters will be there to speak. As loudly as ever, but unlike today, society will listen. That’s FER.
