[wvns] Women in Islam: Damsels in Distress?

Women in Islam: Damsels in Distress?
By Soumaya Ghannoushi
December 18, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/70970/

It seems that Muslim women - particularly those living in western
capitals- are destined to remain besieged by two debilitating
discourses, which though different in appearance, are one in essence.

The first of these is conservative and exclusionist, sentencing Muslim
women to a life of childbearing and rearing, lived out in the narrow
confines of their homes at the mercy of fathers, brothers, and
husbands. Revolving around notions of sexual purity and family honour,
it appeals to religion for justification and legitimization.

The other is a "liberation" discourse that vows to break Muslim
woman's bondage and free her of the oppressive yoke of an aggressive,
patriarchal, and backward society. She is a mass of powerlessness and
enslavement; the embodiment of seclusion, silence, and invisibility.
Her only hope of deliverance from the cave of veiling and isolation
lies in the benevolent intervention of this force of emancipation. It
will save her from her hellishly miserable and bleak existence, to the
promised heaven of enlightenment and progress.

It is a game of binaries that pits one stereotype against another: the
wretched caged female Muslim victim and her ruthless jailer society
against an idealized "west" that is the epitome of enlightenment,
rationalism, and freedom. Those escapees who leave the herd are held
up as living testimonies to the arduousness of transition from the
twilights of tribe, religion and tradition, to the dawn of reason,
individualism, and liberation.

There is no denying the manifold injustices that cripple the lives of
many Muslim women and stunt their potential. But these appear in this
condescending liberation narrative as representative of the condition
of the millions of Muslim women around the world and exclusive to
them. There are no colors, tones, or shades here. There are no living
real women, urban or rural, educated or illiterate, affluent or poor,
Turkish, Malaysian, or Egyptian - differences so crucial in defining
women's life chances and shaping their situations.

All we know about this ghostly creature is her Muslim identity, as
though she was entirely shaped and affected by religion and theology
irrespective of social background, economic circumstances, political
reality, or regional and local cultural traditions. Important as it
is, legal and theological reform will on its own do little to improve
the lot of impoverished, uneducated, or insecure women in Somalia,
Iraq, or rural Bangladesh.

The narrative revolves around a dehistoricised, universal "Muslim
woman"; a crushing model that oppresses flesh and blood Muslim women,
denies them subjectivity and singularity, and claims to sum up their
lives with all their vicissitudes and details from cradle to coffin.
It reserves for itself the right to speak for them exclusively,
whether they like it or not.

Representations of the Muslim woman serve a dual legitimizing
function, at once confirming and justifying the west's narrative of
itself, and of the Muslim other. The victimized Muslim woman is the
lens through which Islam and Muslim society are seen. In medieval
times she was cast as an intimidating powerful queen or termagant
(like Bramimonde in the Chanson de Roland, or Belacane in Parzival)
reflecting an intimidating powerful Muslim civilization. And when the
power balance began to shift in Europe's favor in the 17th and 18th
centuries, she was made to mirror her society's fallen fortunes. She
turned into a harem slave, leading little more than a dumb animal
existence, subjugated, inert, abject, powerless, and invisible. She is
the quintessential embodiment of a despotic, deformed, and backward Islam.

It is Europe, later the west, that must penetrate her iron cage and
break her shackles. It must save the victim and civilize her
oppressors. The more victimized "the Muslim woman", the greater the
need for the liberated west to liberate her. The noble intervention is
for her and in her interest, not for the west, or its interests.

It was indeed no coincidence that a great many colonial officers and
archivists devotedly recorded instances of barbarity among the
colonized, practices like sati, the ban on widow marriage, or the
practice of child marriage in India, or slavery and genital mutilation
in Africa. Although these atrocities were not inventions, their
chronicling had and still has a purpose: It provides the moral
framework for intervention.

As a couplet by Torquato Tasso puts it,

And when her city and her state was lost,
Then her person lov'd and honor'd most.

But "love" and "honor" haven't exactly been the experience of Iraqi
women when their cities fell under American occupation. Rights which
took decades to secure have crumbled away in the space of months. From
doctors, scientists, engineers or businesswomen, today they find
themselves incarcerated in their homes unable to move around for fear
of being kidnapped, raped, or assassinated. Those who escape the bombs
and bullets of the occupying army, die at the hands of the Iraqi
security forces and out of control extremist and sectarian militias
which flourished since 2003, as Maggie O'Kane demonstrated in her
moving piece on Cif yesterday. In the past three months 45 innocent
women were murdered in cold blood in Basra.

The truth is that just as there is a military machine of hegemony,
there is a discursive machine of hegemony. When armies move on the
ground to conquer and subjugate, they need moral and ideological
cover. It is this that gives the dominant narrative of the "Muslim
woman" its raison d'etre.

No wonder then that the "Muslim woman" liberation warriors, the likes
of Nick Cohen, Christopher Hitchens, and Pascal Bruckner, were the
same people who cheered American/ British troops as they blasted their
way through Kabul and Baghdad, and who will no doubt cheer and dance
once more should Iran or Syria be bombed next. Soldiers shoot with
their guns; they with their pens. They are hegemony's apologists.
Without them the emperor stands naked.

Soumaya Ghannoushi is an academic and freelance writer. She is a
researcher at the University of London.

===

Islamofascism speaker misses the point
Jebediah Koogler
http://whtt.org/index.php?news=2&id=1869

There was an elephant in the room during Robert Spencer's provocative
speech last Thursday night. Spencer, the director of the website Jihad
Watch, spoke as part of "Islamofascism Awareness Week" and presented a
simple but highly controversial argument: that Islam is a religion of
violence and oppression. Citing passages in the Quran, Spencer
suggested that the Islamic faith inherently condones misogyny, abuse
of homosexuals, authoritarianism and the killing of non-believers. "I
do not believe that Islam at its core is a peaceful religion," he said.

But while there is little debate that segments of the Quran could be
read as a justification for bigotry or abuse, what Spencer left unsaid
- a glaring omission that many in the audience later commented on - is
that the overwhelming majority of Muslims don't actually follow the
passages that he cited. Throughout the Islamic world, there is little
support for the notion that apostates should be killed, that
non-Muslims should be taxed separately or that women should be
mistreated. As with all religions, most adherents of Islam view the
Quran as flexible and open to interpretation. While certain passages
are embraced and followed carefully, others are tacitly rejected and
ignored.

In fact, there are numerous ways of reading and interpreting the Quran
in its historical context. As'ad AbuKhalil, a professor of political
science at California State University, Stanislaus, suggested in a
recent phone conversation that there is a "very broad interpretation
of Islam across many different countries and cultures."

In 2003, AbuKhalil debated Spencer for FrontPage Magazine, an online
conservative publication. Responding to Spencer's assertion that Islam
inherently condones violence and misogyny, he pointed out that it is
absurd to cite random passages of the Quran and assume that "every
Muslim is now looking for a pagan to kill, or that every Muslim
engages in the beating of his wife." The reality, he said, is that
"people of every religion react to their holy text, whether it is the
word of God or prophet, with much more flexibility." Only fanatics
follow the more "disturbing, intolerant, and exclusivist elements of
the three holy religions."

Indeed, as AbuKhalil indicates, the nature of a religion's holy book
is rarely a good indicator of whether or not its followers will adopt
violence or radicalism. Instead, it is the interpretation - dependent
on numerous social, political and material factors - that is
transmitted by local religious authorities and community leaders that
matters most.

Few would disagree, for instance, that the Bible contains many of the
same intolerant elements that the Quran does. The Old and New
Testaments include passages that could be read as condoning the
objectification of women, violence towards non-believers, and the
abuse of slaves. Take Samuel I 15:2-3: "Now go, attack the Amalekites
and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare
them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and
sheep, camels and donkeys." Or Ephesians 5:22-23: "Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband
is the head of the wife..." Or read Titus 2:9-10, in which it is
stated that "slaves (are) to be subject to their masters in
everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not
to steal from them..."

Despite these passages, most observers would not argue that Christians
and Jews believe in the subjugation of women, the continuation of
slavery or harsh punishment for non-believers. As with Islam, most of
those who follow the Judeo-Christian faiths disregard certain passages
in favor of more tolerant ones.

Although Spencer was quick to paint Islam as flawed and incompatible
with international human rights norms, the reality is much more
nuanced, as events in the Muslim world over the past few years
illustrate. Consider the following examples: a prominent Saudi cleric,
and a former mentor to Osama bin Laden, recently argued that Islam
rejects all forms of violence "regardless of what justification is
given"; the ruling Islamist party in Turkey has passed the greatest
expansion of women's rights in almost a century; Iranian citizens came
out in huge numbers after 9/11 to protest against terrorism; the
Muslim king of Morocco has allowed women to become imams; and Egypt's
largest opposition political party, the Muslim Brotherhood, openly
affirms pluralism, democracy and welfare for women.

The ways in which Islam, with roughly 1.6 billion adherents, is
understood and practiced vary dramatically across different cultures
and regions. Citing harshly-worded parts of the Quran to suggest that
Islam is inherently a religion of violence and oppression, as Spencer
did in his speech, dehumanizes its followers and irresponsibly ignores
the vast majority of Muslims who do not subscribe to such an
interpretation. Regrettably, rather than building ties and
commonalities between people of different faiths and backgrounds,
Spencer used his appearance here at Brown to sharpen divisions and to
perpetuate false and destructive stereotypes.

Jebediah Koogler '10 studies international relations. He also blogs
for Foreign Policy Watch.

===

Hijab - Unveiling the Mystery
877-WHY-ISLAM Brochure.
http://whyislam.org/877/Services/Literature/8.asp

American Muslim women today are rediscovering the pristine Islam as
revealed by Allah, (God), to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh1), more than
1,400 years ago, but without any of the contradictions of ancestral
culture. Consequently they are essentially engaging in a life-long
exercise of rediscovering their own selves – what it means to be a
human, a Muslim, and more so, a Muslim woman. Wearing a head-covering
(hijab) is an important part of their spiritual journey.

One of the most common questions today, asked by Muslims and
non-Muslims alike, is: "Why do Muslim women cover their heads?" The
answer is very simple - Muslim women observe hijab because Allah has
told them to do so:

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to
draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among
men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims)
and not annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59).

Muslims believe that their sole purpose in life is the worship of God
alone, according to His instructions, as revealed in the Holy Qur'an,
and through the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). As such,
wearing the hijab is an act of obedience to God and, hence, forms the
primary basis for wearing it.

Generalizations about Islam and Muslims are replete in today's media.
Muslim women in headscarves are frequently unfairly stigmatized. They
are regarded on the one hand as oppressed, and on the other, as
fanatics and fundamentalists. Both depictions are grossly wrong and
imprecise. Such portrayals not only misrepresent these women's strong
feelings towards hijab, but also fail to acknowledge their courage and
the resulting identity hijab gives them. There are even bans on
wearing the hijab in some countries. When asked about this, Aminah
Assilmi, a Christian convert to Islam, said: "To ask me to go out
without my hijab would be like asking a nun to go topless. It amazes
me, and I cannot help but wonder, if they would have ordered Mary, the
mother of Jesus (pbuh) to uncover her hair."

Another misconception is the belief that Muslim women are forced to
wear hijab. For the vast majority of Muslim women, nothing could be
farther from the truth. Indeed, deciding finally to wear hijab is
often difficult. Days of meditation, fear of negative consequences and
reactions from family and/or the wider American society, and
ultimately, the need for plenty of courage weigh heavily in reaching
the decision. Wearing hijab is a very personal and independent
decision, coming from appreciating the wisdom underlying Allah's
command and a sincere wish to please Him.

"For me, the lead up to the decision to wear hijab was more difficult
than actually wearing it. I found that, al hamdulillah (praise be to
God), although I did receive negative comments from people, I
appreciated the feeling of modesty wearing the hijab gave me, and
ironically, the negative attention made me feel more proud to be
identified as a Muslim," remarked Katherine Bullock, a Canadian
convert to Islam.

"To me hijab is a gift from Allah. It gives me the opportunity to
become closer to Allah. Also quite importantly, (it provides me) the
chance to stand and be recognized as a Muslim," Fariha Khan of
Rockville, Maryland, said.

While the hijab identifies women as followers of Islam, with it comes
tremendous responsibility. Hijab is not merely a covering dress, but
more importantly, it is behavior, manners, speech and appearance in
public. The headscarf is an outer manifestation of an inner commitment
to worshipping Allah – it symbolizes a commitment to piety. Self or
inner morality is what gives meaning to the external scarf. This can
be perceived from the overall demeanor of any Muslim woman – how she
acts, dresses, speaks, and so on. In a land where misinformation about
Islam and Muslims abounds, Muslim sisters have the opportunity to
portray Islam in its true light

Saba M. Baig, a graduate of Rutgers University, NJ, was 17 when she
seriously started wearing hijab. She feels that she is still in the
process of learning internal hijab. "My biggest realization was that
hijab was not just about wearing a scarf on my head, but more of a
(veil) on my heart," said Baig. "Hijab is more than an external
covering. That's the easy part of it all. It has a lot (more) to do
with modesty and just the way you present yourself."

Imaan, a convert to Islam, adds, "Unfortunately, it also has its down
side: you get discriminated against, treated as though you are
oppressed… I wear it for (Allah), and because I want to. Period."

Katherine Bullock observed that "after I started wearing hijab, I
noticed that people would often behave more circumspectly with me,
like apologizing if they swore. I appreciated that. I feel that
wearing hijab has given me an insight into a decent and upright
lifestyle."

HIJAB IS AN ACT OF MODESTY

Modest clothing and hijab are precautions to avoid social violations.
The following verses of the Qur'an highlight that this is not limited
to women only.

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah
is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing
women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and
that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what
must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over
their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands..."
(Qur'an 24:30-31)

According to Jabir ibn Abdullah, when he asked the Prophet (pbuh),
about a man's gaze falling inadvertently on a strange woman, the
Prophet replied, "Turn your eyes away" (Muslim). In another tradition,
the Prophet (pbuh) chided for looking again at a woman – he said, the
second glance is from Satan.

So, contrary to popular belief, Muslim and non-Muslim, hijab is not
worn for men; to keep their illicit desires in check – that is their
own responsibility, as the above verse and Prophetic sayings show.
Rather, Muslim women wear it for God and their own selves. Islam is a
religion of moderation and of balance between extremes. Therefore, it
does not expect women alone to uphold society's morality and
uprightness. Rather, Islam asks men and women mutually to strive to
create a healthy social environment where children may grow with
positive, beautiful, constructive and practical values and concepts.

In fact, for many women hijab is a constant reminder that they should
not have to design their lives and bodies for men. "Before I started
covering, I thought of myself based on what others thought of me. I
see that too often in girls, their happiness depends on how others
view them, especially men. Ever since, my opinion of myself has
changed so much; I have gained (a lot of) self-respect. I have
realized whether others may think of me as beautiful is not what
matters. How beautiful I think of myself and knowing that Allah finds
me beautiful makes me feel beautiful," Baig recounts.

The concept of modesty and hijab in Islam is holistic, and encompasses
both men and women. The ultimate goal is to maintain societal
stability and to please God.

Since Muslim women are more conspicuous because of their appearance,
it is easier for people to associate them with the warped images they
see in the print and broadcast media. Hence, stereotypes are
perpetuated and Muslim women often seem "mysterious" to those not
acquainted with the religious meanings of hijab. This aura of
"mystery" cannot be removed until their lifestyles, beliefs and
thought-systems are genuinely explored. And, this cannot be achieved
until one is not afraid respectfully to approach Muslim women – or men
for that matter. So, the next time you see a Muslim, stop and talk to
them – you'll feel, God-Willing, as if you're entering a different
world, the world of Islam: full of humility, piety, and of course,
modesty!

1. (pbuh) here stands for peace be upon him

===

Within The Sheltering Peace - Islam and Woman
By Tasleem K. Griffin
http://whyislam.org/877/Gender_Issues/Within_Peace.asp

Sexual Politics
Imagine this scenario, for it is real: two antagonists locked in a
grim power struggle. And another: two or more other competitors,
rivals in a race for high stakes, a race to determine the course of
their entire life. At race's end, the prizes for winning include
compliments, telling glances, and First Prize, a wedding ring.
Unwanted "prizes" along the way may include physical assault,
countless violations of body and soul. The protagonists of these
scenarios are all around us; they are modern man and modern woman, and
woman vs. woman.

From time immemorial, against this harsh horizon of human relations,
the "battle of the sexes" has raged. But never has "Sexual Politics"
been so virulent as today. Feminism becomes polarization along gender
barriers. To offset increased competition for a mate, extreme nudity
splashes itself unchecked. Fear and suspicion on both sides lurk;
commitments are tepid, or all too fragile.

Sexual Balance

Now conjure this, from the Qur'an, the Book of the Revelation sent to
guide the affairs of mankind; It comes from Allah (the Deity; One,
Only) to us, His creatures: "Your wives are a garment to you, and you
to them." [Al-Qur'an 2:187]. As close as the skin to a garment, as
essential as the covering layer which envelops and protects us from
heat and cold, man and wife are the two halves of humanity coming
together in balanced, mutual protection and care. This is the other
veil, the deeper veil, the real covering and garment of ISLAM.

In days remarkably similar to ours, a new path was taught: the path of
enduring partnership and cooperation in human affairs, to level the
exhausting shifting sands of competition and suspicion. This path was
AL-ISLAM. Islam means the deep submission to God alone, Allah (The
One, The Deity, "Eloh" of the Hebrews). Fittingly, the name of this
grace-filled, all-encompassing path of balance and harmony for mankind
was derived from "Salaam", the Arabic word for peace.

Peace

"For Islam is the religion before Allah" [Al-Qur'an 3:19]

ISLAM was not a new religion, "another" religion; it is the same
universal truth that God has enjoined upon humanity throughout the
ages, in its final, most comprehensive exposition. 1400 years after
its Revelation, it stands as pristine, and as beneficial, as it was on
the day Allah first granted it: in a time of upheaval, in a world of
unraveling values, in a society confused and chaotic much like ours.

There Allah chose His last Prophet, the Seal of the Messengers, the
Mercy for all mankind. He was an upright, kind and honorable man
living in seventh-century Arabia, at the very fringes of the civilized
world. And when first Muhammad, in his fortieth year, peace be upon
him, heard the Word of Allah, he was shaken and he was stunned. And he
turned to a woman, his wife Khadija, for counsel: am I mad? he asked.
This true companion knew better. Go, she said, and serve Allah. The
Revelation of Islam was gathered over 23 often perilous years, in the
Book of Recitation, the Qur'an.

Today, 1/5th of humanity is Muslim, (those who surrender to Allah's
Will) and millions more (women in the forefront) are heeding its
voice. For this Voice speaks with irresistible appeal, of the
equitable design for living for all human beings, beyond race, beyond
gender: within the sheltering peace.

Freedom

Islam is freedom; it upholds free will and encourages rational
thought; it recognizes only that virtue or sin which an individual
earns through free action and choice. Within its parameters is a code
of behavior, a complete social pattern for man and for woman, that
looks out to the whole of life through the harmony of a balanced
scale. In this system, based on natural law and innate reason, (the
Knowing System of the Creator Himself), cooperation is the standard
criterion.

Muslims are brothers and sisters in the family of mankind, brethren
all under Islam, in the sweet surrender of obedience and worship to
Allah, Unique and One (Tawhid). Each Muslim, man or woman, chooses to
be a Muslim. Each Muslim is ultimately accountable for his and her
actions to Allah alone. Allah will call us all to account on the Day
of Reckoning. How easy it becomes, then, to be truly free. For the
vain idols of stone, the enslaving tyrants of greed, of lust, of
ambition, of public opinion crumble to naught. Freedom from the
tyranny of man and man-made conceits: Islam liberates.

Parity

Not one verse in the whole of the Qur'an speaks injustice. Not one
word says, men and women are not equal. Everywhere, the Book of Nature
and Creation tells us: equality under God is the only criterion. Under
God in sincere worship, man and woman stand in parity. But this Book
is truth; truth does not shy away from our most basic, indisputable
biological differences. Male and female, quite simply, have distinct
and complementary roles to fill, equally vital for the sustenance of life.

Everywhere, the Qur'an reminds us of the mutual rights humans owe to
one another, in the balance of our relations. "O men! Fear your Lord
Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate;
and out of the two spread many men and women. Fear Allah in Whose name
you demand your rights (of one another) and heed the ties of
relationships." (Surah 4:1).

In a time when most women were common chattel, the teachings of the
Qur'an and the practices (Sunnah) of Muhammad, the Messenger (pbuh),
firmly restored to them status, both legal and social; and dignity as
individuals; cemented their right to wealth and property, to
inheritance, to education. In Muhammad (pbuh), women found the
champion to uphold their rights, merciful, sympathetic, unwavering in
his support: women flocked to his call. Budding Islam grew strong on
the depth of their staunch belief.

In a day of social anarchy, Islam reintroduced structure and the
natural order. For it is the stable bond of the family unit that
elevates man from beast. It is its strong foundation, built on
understanding and collaboration, which ripples outward in concentric
circles to the vast social network. It is here that peace and freedom
begin. Islam elevates.

Natural Humanism

Your body has rights upon you, said the Prophet of Islam. By this was
meant a healthy, clean, intelligent respect for the body and its
needs. Personal hygiene is one of Islam's most basic requirements.
Pleasing and discrete elegance s smiled upon in Islam, the world's
great Civilization of Refinement, in body and soul. And the Prophet
said: "God Himself is graceful and elegance pleases Him."

The Islamic way does not want mankind shut up unnaturally, in towers
of ivory, to ruminate endlessly in ascetic withdrawal from fellow
beings. Islam is inclusive dynamism; Useful and graceful action;
Improvement and betterment. Nor does it deny or demean the natural sex
drive. On the contrary, it elevates and liberates it, channeling it
for a peaceful, healthy society: the hectic waves of seduction,
rivalry, the "theft" of physical or mental integrity are banished.

Within the REAL partnership of matrimony, the joining of husband and
wife is legitimized: here sex is no sin, but a form of natural
worship. The Qur'an itself speaks of sexual relations between man and
wife, simple and direct; it teaches the striving toward harmony, the
need for trust and confidence between husband and wife, between life
partners, as it does between all human beings (Surah 66).

Does the nurturer not need nurturing too? The biological imperatives,
Islam meets squarely, head-on, with no coyness; for indeed Allah
created us so. Islam addresses the differing needs of man and woman
comprehensively.

The need of woman, in child bearing years, feminism notwithstanding,
is sustenance and security. A pregnant woman requires care; a nursing
mother and infant require protection; a wife, mother, sister require
respect: these are their rights. Equal rights, in proportioned
measure: the way of Islam is honest and clear-sighted. To safeguard
the one from the oversights of the other; to remind the one of the
requirements of the other; the balanced checks of Islam work in
supreme rationality:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has
made one of them stronger than the other, and because they spend out
of their possessions (to support them)." [Al-Qur'an 4:34]. Women have
the same rights as the husbands have on them. But man is the
burden-carrying partner; with the weight of duty and responsibility,
comes a measure of fair recognition: "But men are a degree above them
(women)." [Al-Qur'an 2:228]

These are the basic injunctions of Islam concerning women. They
revolve around the rights of women, not their restrictions.
Injunctions placing restrictions on women in the Qur'an, emerge
chiefly in connection to the greater curbs placed on men. For male
lust, that primary, but blindest of drives, is not allowed to become
the driving force of society. Thus the Qur'anic injunctions recommend
modesty, for both men and women. (24:31; 33:35).

Where the parade of enticement and seduction prevails, Islam upholds
the standard of straight forward human dealings, inner mettle to inner
mettle. Sex and beauty stay at home; neither commodity nor potential
incentive in wider social relations, their power is curtailed to
strangers, enhanced to the bonded partner. Where promiscuity runs
rampant, Islam builds a society where children know their fathers, and
fathers are responsible for their wives and children. By severing the
loose ties of lust, Islam restores the lasting ties of partnership.
Where the sexual society objectifies, Islam humanizes.

Hijab, Veil of Pride

"Let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms" (Surah 24:31;
33:59). It is the minimum standard of decency. No mention of face
covering, in fact; sexual politics of individual men have seen to
that. A Muslim woman is told: cover your nakedness, do not play with
your femininity as a commodity. Be proud and save your intimate best
for the one who stands by you in times good and bad. Speak loud and
clear; the game-and-promise bedroom voice does not belong on the
streets, (Surah 33:32); Walk firm and tall: the swaying, jingling
advertisement of body carries a "for sale" sign on it (Surah 24:31).

The Qur'an seeks clarity of heart and intention; Its injunctions
address the deception inherent in teasing and seduction, their signal
or their unintentional message. Hijab is first a reminder for the
soul, an inner code and standard, and only second a physical statement.

Indeed the head-to-toe cloak (chador) is by no means unique to Islam;
but a universal, spontaneous woman's choice throughout time, the dress
of high-born Roman and Byzantine ladies for centuries to indicate
their elevated social status, set apart, "protected" from the laboring
throng.

In the Qur'an, verses referring to the veil come in the context of the
early struggles of nascent Islam, when false believers were
infiltrating the infant Muslim community: Muslim ladies would be
recognized at once, wearing a pragmatic veil of conduct affirming
their belief in the Creator's laws. Modesty of dress externalizes
moderation of behavior: the inner hijab, the moral affirmation of the
bounds of decency, honesty, self-respect, honor, made visible. The
veil continues to offer recognition and freedom to woman in many ways:
it is a signal sent out which demands respect and receives it in
return. Thus did Allah intend (Surah 33:59).

The Harem

"Swathed in their veil, locked away": yet this popular image of
extremes has no place in Islam. It is born under specific skies, in
cultural imposition, solidified in misconception, perpetuated in the
rigidity of the narrow-minded or the misguided.

The severe segregation of the sexes is not a Qur'anic injunction. A
Muslim woman is given freedom of thought at all times. And that same
intrinsic freedom of action which does not lead to disharmony, in
exactly the same manner as a Muslim man. Islam does favor the
inherent, the natural division of life-spheres. A woman's familial
duty is foremost, her natural environment is the home.

To those who cry, "Sexism," a word of reminder, and some facts. A
woman will know different spans in one single month; medical science
has only now begun to concede the often drastic influence of very real
hormonal fluctuations in a woman's biology.

The interplay of hormones and emotions is no Sexist Myth. It is Fact.

By the same token, throughout Islamic history, women who, through
their talent must rise in the larger society, have risen. In the time
of Ignorance (Jahiliyah), the Message of Islam came to rectify rampant
polygamy. The criterion, as always, balance and fairness. In cases a
man took more than one partner, it should be done legitimately, within
the norms of fair dealing. No "Second class" categories of
relationships. No one-night stand: a real commitment in marriage.
Islam never overlooks the greater social stability and justice. It
will regulate, in its omniscience, all potential forces at work in the
social spectrum. In point of fact, the lifelong and monogamous bond of
marriage is the actual Muslim reality. The partnership endures.

Divorce

Where it does not, despite the best intentions, here too, naturalness
reigns. Divorce is the most disliked of all lawful things, the Prophet
said. Prevention is the priority. But when the life of the couple has
grown destructive and counter-productive, the Qur'an sets strict
guidelines, to forestall haste and whim; terms of transition (Iddat)
and reasonable waiting periods - usually of four months - have been
enjoined, long enough for tempers to cool, for a pregnancy to reveal
itself, for circumstances to change or solidify.

Divorce can be instigated by husband or wife (Talaq and Khula), and by
mutual consent (Mubara'ah). No Muslim girl can be forced to marry
against her will. When estrangement and alienation set in [referred to
in the Qur'an verse 2:226], the partners are directed to bridge their
gap within a reasonable period of time, before that point of no
return. For Allah understands and eases the frailty of humans.

Within The Sheltering Peace

This, then, is the religion of reason, the religion of balance, the
religion of fairness, the religion of peace. This is Islam.

Look around you, across the street, around the world: you will see
Muslim women choosing the veil of their own free will. For they
recognize it for what it was enjoined, an emancipation and a
liberation. The merchandising of the human being profits only that
ever-voracious corporate bottom line. Hijab is a woman's statement, of
transcending the often-abused power of men over their lives. It is a
statement of understanding the real meaning within the Qur'an. It is
intrinsic dignity, unadorned and straightforward, for all: and that is
the Islamic way.

Today, women have tired of selling themselves short. Selling their
"assets" on a false stage, where plastic bodies and fashion kings may
dictate the shape of a life and appearances have taken on the
functions of one's very soul. Hail the freedom of the "liberated
woman," unhinged from the trusting partnership: free to face
man-the-enemy, rape, spouse abuse, abandonment, free to starve herself
in the mating game - starve in the rat race. Her hard-won rights; her
pyrrhic victory.

Now imagine a world where women are the cover of men and men, their
garment and covering. Imagine a world where merit and strength of
character replace the transient, the doomed race after fading beauty;
where the good become beautiful and the beautiful, good. The Prophet
once said, "God does not judge according to your bodies and
appearances but scans your hearts and looks into your deeds." "And one
of (Allah's) signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves,
that you may find rest in them, and between you He put love and
compassion."
[Al-Qur'an 30:21]

Imagine this world where companionship rules, this sheltering cloak
for man and for woman. Imagine such a world, and you can enter it.
This is the world of Islam.

===

Status of Woman in Islam
http://whyislam.org/877/Services/Literature/2.asp

The status of women in Islam, is an issue that is pertinent in present
times; both due to the divergence of cultural practices in the Muslim
world from the Islamic perspective and the erroneous perception in the
West, that Islam subjugates womenfolk.

A dispassionate study of the primary sources of Islam, along with an
analysis of the position of women in societies where

Islam was implemented, actually proves that for women Islam is a
special blessing.

"Prior to Islam," write the authors of The Cultural Atlas of Islam, "a
woman was regarded by her parents as a threat to family honor and
hence worthy of burial alive at infancy. As an adult, she was a sex
object that could be bought, sold and inherited. From this position of
inferiority and legal incapacity, Islam raised women to a position of
influence and prestige in family and society."

The rights and responsibilities of women are equal to those of men but
they are not necessarily identical. This difference is understandable
because men and women are different, in their physiological and
psychological make-up. With this distinction in mind, there is no room
for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Thus it is
perhaps more apt to refer to the Islamic approach on gender relations,
as one of "equity" rather than the commonly used word "equality",
which could be misunderstood to mean equality in every minute aspect
of life, rather than overall equality.

THE SPIRITUAL ASPECT

The sacred text of the Glorious Qur'an and the history of early
Muslims bear witness to the fact that women are considered as vital to
life as men.

Islam refuted the idea that Eve tempted Adam to disobey God, and thus
caused his downfall. The Qur'an says that they both disobeyed, and
negates the idea that women are a source of evil.

In a world where women were no more than objects of sexual
gratification for men, and at a time when the religious circles argued
over whether women were human or not, possessing souls, Islam proclaimed:

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female."
[Al-Qur'an 49:13]

"O Mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a
single person, created of like nature his mate, from them scattered
countless men and women. Fear Allah, through whom you demand your
mutual rights and reverence the wombs (that bore you), for Allah ever
watches over you."
[Al-Qur'an 4:1]

Men and women are of the same family, and as such have similar rights
and duties, and their Lord promises them in the Glorious Qur'an:

"Never will I waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or
female, the one of you being from the other."
[Al-Qur'an 3:195]

Thus, in the Islamic tradition, a woman has an independent identity.
She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of
her moral and spiritual obligations.

THE SOCIAL ASPECT

Women have as much right to education as men do. Almost fourteen
centuries ago, Prophet Muhammad (p)1 declared that the pursuit of
knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim, male and female. This
declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims
throughout history.

Islam elevated the position of women in society and treated them on an
equal footing with men, and in some cases, as a mother for instance,
clearly gave them precedence over men. Thus when a man asked Prophet
Muhammad (p): "Who is most entitled to be treated with the best
companionship by me?" the Prophet (p) replied, "Your mother." The man
asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) said, "Your mother." Again the
man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) repeated, "Your mother." The
man asked for a fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet (p) then
replied, "Your father."2

On another occasion, when a man came to the Prophet (p), and expressed
the desire to join a military expedition, the Prophet (p) asked him if
he had a mother. When he replied that he had, the Prophet (p) advised
him, "Stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet."3

As daughters, women have a right to just and equitable treatment from
their parents. The Prophet(p) gave glad tidings to those who did not
insult their daughters or favored sons over daughters.4

A woman has the right to accept or reject marriage proposals, and her
consent is a prerequisite to the validity of the marriage contract. A
marriage is based on mutual peace, love and compassion. Dr. Jamal
Badawi, a Canadian Islamic scholar, states in his book Gender Equity
in Islam:

"The husband is responsible for the maintenance, protection and
overall leadership of the family within the framework of consultation
and kindness. The mutuality and complementarity of husband and wife
does not mean 'subservience' by either party to the other. Prophet
Muhammad (p) helped with household chores, although the
responsibilities he bore and the issues he faced in the community were
immense."

The responsibility of maintaining social and moral values lies on both
men and women. Both must refrain from all deeds and gestures that
might stir the passions of people other than their legitimate spouses
or cause evil suspicion of their morality.

Women are entitled to freedom of expression just as men are. Among the
early Muslims, women participated in public life, especially in times
of emergencies. It is reported in the Qur'an and in history that women
not only expressed their opinion freely but also argued and
participated in serious discussions with the Prophet (p) himself as
well as with other Muslim leaders. They were not shut behind iron bars
or considered worthless.

THE ECONOMIC ASPECT

Islam grants women equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn
and possess independently. A woman's life, her property and her honor
are as sacred as those of a man. If she commits any offense, her
penalty is no less or more than of a man's in a similar case. If she
is wronged or harmed, she gets due compensation equal to what a man in
her position would get.5

Islam has given women a share of inheritance. Before Islam, women were
not only deprived of that share, but were themselves considered as
property to be inherited by men. Out of that transferable property
Islam made an heir, acknowledging the inherent individuality of women.
Whether the woman is a wife or mother, a sister or daughter, she
receives a certain share of the deceased kin's property, a share that
depends on her degree of relationship to the deceased and the number
of heirs. This share is hers, and no one can take it away or
disinherit her. Even if the deceased wishes to deprive her by making a
will to other relations or in favor of any other cause, the Law will
not allow him to do so.

Women are exempt from all financial liabilities. As a wife, a woman is
entitled to demand of her prospective husband a suitable dowry that
will be her own. She is entitled to complete provision and total
maintenance by the husband. She does not have to work or share with
her husband the family expenses. She is free to retain, after
marriage, whatever she possessed before it, and the husband has no
right whatsoever to any of her belongings. As a daughter or sister she
is entitled to security and provision by the father and brother
respectively. That is her privilege. If she wishes to work or be
self-supporting and participate in handling the family
responsibilities, she is quite free to do so, provided her integrity
and honor are safeguarded.

CONCLUSION

It is thus clear that the status of women in Islam is very high. Islam
has granted them rights that match beautifully with their duties. What
Islam has established for women is that which suits their nature,
gives them full security and protects them against disgraceful
circumstances and uncertain channels of life.

There does exist a gap between the rights of women outlined in the
Qur'an, and the prevalent reality in the Muslim world. However, images
of Muslim women as ignorant, oppressed and submissive are
stereotypical and do no justice to the large number of Muslim women
whose firm conviction in the Islamic concepts of family cohesiveness
and happiness, and their own individuality, ensures their sense of
self-fulfillment.

1 (p) here stands for "peace be upon him"
2 Reported by Bukhari
3 Reported by Ahmad, Basa'i and Al-Baihaqi
4 Reported by Ahmad
5 Al-Qur'an, 2:178; 4:45, 92-93

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