Status of Women in Islam

"Why is it that so many women who have been born and brought in Europe
and America are willing to reject their 'liberty' and 'independence'
to embrace a religion that supposedly oppresses them and is widely
assumed to be prejudicial to them?" This is a question that I found on
one of the siteswhile surfing around, and I found it an interesting
question andwhich I'd like to draw this article around.
Can Islam be prejudiced to women, and yet appeal to women? Can Islam
lower the status of a woman and still have more women embracingit as
their way of life than men? According to an article written by Lucy
Berrington in the Times Magazine (London) dated 9th Nov. 1993: "It is
even more ironic that most British converts should be women, given the
widespread view in the west that Islam treats women poorly. In the
United States, women converts outnumber men by four to one, and in
Britain make up the bulk of the estimated 10,000 to 20, 000 converts,
forming part of a Muslimcommunity of 1 to 1.5 million "
How can the case of those women be explained?! Well, I could say that
there are only one of two choices that one can decide upon. Either all
those women who choose Islam don't know what they are doing or that
they discovered Islam is not prejudice to them as others have yet to
discover. New convert toIslam since September 11, US Navy petty
officer,Heather Ramaha. "Islam gives us Elevation; not Degradation"
In the Noble Quran Allah (Arabic word for God) says:
"Mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you
into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the
most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the believer who has
Taqwa (i.e. piety and righteousness)and loves Allah most. Verily,
Allah isAll-Knowing, All-Aware." The Holy Qur'an(49:13)
"I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in My
way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other. The Holy
Qur'an(3:195)"
On the light of those verses, Islam declares that it has not come to
disadvantage women, but in fact has been revealed to elevate women
ever since 1400 years ago, when womenin many parts of the world and
especially in the western societies were considered objects that are
owned and withlittle to no rights in the society they live in.
Before any other religion or system in the world Islam gave a woman
the right to inherit, the right to vote and voice her opinion, the
right to trade invest and improve herself financially, the right to
own - buy and sell, the right to seek knowledge and have a good
education, the right to work and has even gonefurther to oblige the
males in every stage of her life, whether it was afather, brother or
husband ... It's their dutybefore God to take care of her, to spend on
her, to provide her with the food , clothing and shelter that she
needs, toprovide her with a good education, to protect herfrom
anything that can harm her and to never hesitate to put their livesin
stake for her if the need calls them to do so."As a modern westerner
with a career, of course Ihad to look into Islam's attitude to women -
I couldn't be oppressed allof a sudden. But I discovered that it is
pro-women and pro-men; in Islam, women had the right to vote in the
year 600. Men dress modestly, women dress modestly; neither should
flirt with the eyes, but rather they should lower their gaze. I think
it's unhealthy to flaunt your sexuality - it attracts the wrong energy
back." (MTV Presenter Kristiane Backer after being a Muslim) "Since I
called myself a feminist, my early reading centered around women in
Islam. I thought Islam oppressed women. In myWomen's Studies coursesI
had read about Muslim women who were not allowed to leave their homes
and were forced to cover their heads. Of course I saw hijab as an
oppressive tool imposed by men rather than as anexpression of
self-respect and dignity. What I discovered in my readings surprised
me. Islam not only does not oppress women, but actually liberates
them, having given them rights in the 6th century that we have only
gained in this century in this country: the right to own property and
wealth and to maintain that in her name after marriage; the right to
vote; and the right to divorce." (Karima Slack, an American feminist
from secular humanism to Islam)
Some Muslim societies today lack those values. Some people may
rightlyask then, why do we see some Muslim societies lacking those
values? There is a beautiful and very true example I heard from a
lecture by an American Muslim called Khaled Yaseen, who said that
every person can be a father; but if a father does not turn out to be
a good father then it's not fatherhood that we would blame. Similarly,
Islam is a rule and order.A Muslim who does not act according to that
rule and order then by all means its not Islam that should carry the
blame.
Karla, a young Blonde haired Blue eyed young American from Washington
DC who is a recent convert to Islam said in an interview made with
her: The mainquestion people seem toask, is "How could you, an
educated American woman convert to Islam--a religion that oppresses
women?" They are quick to try andequate the rights of women in
Afghanistan with the rights of Muslimwomen everywhere. Basically, what
I tell them, is that the Qur'an gives women more rights than the Bible
does--in print. That was one of the things that first drew me to
Islam. Unfortunately today, Islam is no longer the leader in women's
rights. I had a choice--deny what I believe (i.e. that There is only
one God, and that Muhammed is a Prophet of God)...or accept what I
believe, but work to change the problems that exist within the Muslim
community. I chose the latter.
In the world today, one could say that the Taliban government in
Afghanistan have been considered as the top example of Women
Oppression in Islam. But what's ironic is that evenwhen a woman falls
captive in the hands of those supposedly most hateful men in the
world, Islam does not fail to win her heart.
Yvonne Ridley is an award-winning journalist of more than 25 years
standing and author of two books, In The Hands of the Talibanand
Ticket to Paradise. She has spent the last 10 years working for
several prestigious Fleet Street newspapers including The Sunday
Times, The Observer, The Independent on Sunday and The Sunday Express.
She has also expanded into television and radioproducing several
documentaries from Iraqand Afghanistan. Yvonnehit the headlines in
September 2001 when while working for the Daily Express she
crossedillegally into Afghanistanand was subsequently held captive by
the Taliban for 11 days. Following her release, she read the Qur'an as
she had agreed to during her captivity, andconverted to Islam in
thesummer of 2003.
Last but not least I wouldlike to conclude by the blessed sayings of
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him:
"It is the generous (in character) who is good to women, and it is the
wicked who insults them."
"The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you
are those who are best to their wives."
"Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners
and committed helpers."

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