“When she is a daughter, she opens a door of
Jannah (Heaven) for her father. When she is a wife, she completes half of the deen of
her husband. When she is a mother, Jannah lies under her feet. If everyone knew
the true status of Muslim women, even the men would want to be a woman.”
- Shaykh Altamira Nadawi –
- Shaykh Altamira Nadawi –
Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends, Muslimahs. Like women of all religious and secular backgrounds, Muslim women have experienced the horrors of abuse, domestic violence, and rape. These despicable acts have occurred both behind closed doors and in open alleyways, in developed nation-states and in developing countries, in upper-middle class suburban neighborhoods and in modest, one-room homes... they have happened across all lines of race, ethnicity, culture, and philosophy.
I am Muslim, and I am a woman. I am both flawed and beautiful - and desperately human. Although I tire from the endless campaigns, verbal and otherwise, of non-Muslims to liberate the oppressed Muslimahs of the world, supposedly veiled and silenced by their male counterparts, I am here to admit that some of my sisters in faith are in fact stripped of important rights and protections. I will push aside apologetic explanations ("Muslim women are not oppressed and do not need saving! The media portrays the community in such a negative way. We choose ____ or ____ for the sake of God. Nobody forces us.") and polemical reactions ("You know who really needs saving? Women in western societies! They're practically sexual slaves, and there's so much emphasis placed on appearance and superficiality. Muslim women are fortunate that their beauty is safeguarded").
The truth is, there are vulnerable women in every corner of the world who face oppression and social injustice, and some of them are Muslim. It is time to say this without fear of repercussions or the perpetuation of stereotypes, and it is time to hold Muslims accountable for harmful actions committed against women at home and abroad.
My intense response to this issue comes in the wake of a fierce legal debate among Afghan parliament members. An article published recently in the Detroit Free Press shed light on proposed laws aimed at preventing forced marriage and child marriage in Afghanistan, as well as protecting rape victims from criminal punishments (they are often charged with fornication or adultery, depending on their marital status, due to the sexual acts). In addition, those charged with domestic violence would face prison sentences of up to three years in length if convicted. The hope is that these new regulations would have the cumulative effect of protecting vulnerable girls and women from being labeled criminals and from being punished for their victimization while holding perpetrators accountable for actions otherwise deemed socially and culturally acceptable.
I am Muslim, and I am a woman. I am both flawed and beautiful - and desperately human. Although I tire from the endless campaigns, verbal and otherwise, of non-Muslims to liberate the oppressed Muslimahs of the world, supposedly veiled and silenced by their male counterparts, I am here to admit that some of my sisters in faith are in fact stripped of important rights and protections. I will push aside apologetic explanations ("Muslim women are not oppressed and do not need saving! The media portrays the community in such a negative way. We choose ____ or ____ for the sake of God. Nobody forces us.") and polemical reactions ("You know who really needs saving? Women in western societies! They're practically sexual slaves, and there's so much emphasis placed on appearance and superficiality. Muslim women are fortunate that their beauty is safeguarded").
The truth is, there are vulnerable women in every corner of the world who face oppression and social injustice, and some of them are Muslim. It is time to say this without fear of repercussions or the perpetuation of stereotypes, and it is time to hold Muslims accountable for harmful actions committed against women at home and abroad.
My intense response to this issue comes in the wake of a fierce legal debate among Afghan parliament members. An article published recently in the Detroit Free Press shed light on proposed laws aimed at preventing forced marriage and child marriage in Afghanistan, as well as protecting rape victims from criminal punishments (they are often charged with fornication or adultery, depending on their marital status, due to the sexual acts). In addition, those charged with domestic violence would face prison sentences of up to three years in length if convicted. The hope is that these new regulations would have the cumulative effect of protecting vulnerable girls and women from being labeled criminals and from being punished for their victimization while holding perpetrators accountable for actions otherwise deemed socially and culturally acceptable.
According to the article, Nasirullah Sadiqizada Neli, referred to as a conservative lawmaker, "suggested that removing the custom - common in Afghanistan - of prosecuting raped women for adultery would lead to social chaos, with women freely engaging in extramarital sex safe in the knowledge they could claim rape if caught." (Detroit Free Press)
It appears as though protecting numerous women from rape and sexual abuse is not nearly as important as reputation, social cohesion, and power remaining in the hands of men. The possibility that a few women here and there would lie about an affair by claiming rape is considered so grave, that a law of this kind is not worthwhile to help all the women who have actually been raped.
A similar reaction came from lawmaker Mandavi Abdul Rahmani, who argued that, regardless of an individual's consent to the sexual acts, adultery of any kind is forbidden in Islam. This statement seems to imply that the forced nature of rape is meaningless if the victim is female and married. As long as she is Muslim and is legally wedded to a man, the concept of sexual assault, for all practical purposes, does not exist. She is to blame.
Perhaps the climax of my frustration occurred after reading one man's declaration that these proposed laws reflect "western values not applicable" in Afghanistan. There it is. The typical East-West dichotomy created out of resentment over colonial history and political and economic strife. Don't get me wrong: As a white person, I often roll my eyes and place my forehead in my hands as I contemplate the way in which many of my ancestors have demonstrated arrogance and ethnocentrism and, to state it bluntly, have ruined people's lives. But this lawmaker's claim that principles of "THE WEST" are threatening his country's cultural practices seems like a poor excuse to me. Finger-pointing at other nations and finger-pointing at women in your own country, rather than looking in the mirror and reflecting on your own intentions.
It is true that a vast variety of cultures exists under the umbrella of Islam from Arab, Southeast Asian, and Desi to African, African-American, and Latin. It is also accurate to say that there are differences in interpretation of Islamic rulings and how they apply, depending on one's location. But I can't sit here and write that treating women with respect and dignity and protecting Muslimahs from the violence and sexual perversion of others is a "western" phenomenon. These aren't foreign, western values; these are Islamic values. I don't claim to be a scholar - I'm not one. I don't claim to be superior to others, Muslim or non-Muslim. But I do claim that men and women are spiritual equals in the eyes of God and that women, both in terms of sacred revelation and in terms of the historical tradition of Islam, are to be respected.
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) - yep, centuries before many European and North American women would have equal rights - women could own property, hold political office, initiate divorce, and lead men into military battles. If the Prophet heard of a forced marriage taking place without the bride's consent, he would have it dissolved. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is considered the best man among men, the best of husbands, and someone whose words and actions should be emulated. That was the 7th century CE. Here we are in the 21st century, and some of these ideas are only preached and not practiced.
The beauty of cultural diversity is seen everywhere from schools and street festivals in North America to vacations and volunteer trips abroad. It is found in the vibrant sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that both shock and excite our system. But when does respect for one's own culture, or the culture of another, overshadow the acknowledgment of social injustice and efforts for social change? When will the label of "cultural tradition" no longer be used as a convenient excuse for physically and psychologically harming members of a society?
When Muslims with extremist attitudes commit heinous acts of violence and terrorism, we proclaim that our religion has been hijacked from us by those who have distorted traditional teachings to bolster their own agendas. But when a woman is raped and flogged for her sexual act, when a young girl is married away by her parents without her consent or ability to consent, when a man brutally beats or even kills a woman and justifies it by calling her disobedient or a shame to the family... we turn a blind eye. To me, these individuals are hijacking Islam just as much as terrorist organizations and suicide bombers.
Praise belongs to God alone, and so does the Final Judgment. Because of that, I can never say that someone is or is not Muslim because of behavior. If someone sincerely believes that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah ("One God") and that the Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he or she is Muslim. What happens in the Hereafter as a result of this life is only in God's hands. But though we don't decide the fate of others, we must still stand for justice and critically reflect on how we are living the deen (Islamic way of life). I was both sad and angry after reading about the current events in Afghanistan. It reminded me of why I love Islam, but don't always love Muslims, and why I can't be afraid to speak up.
With this post, I call for the empowerment of women, especially survivors of rape and abuse. I call for the accountability of Muslims everywhere, including men who hide behind cultural claims and arguments. Whether you are Afghan or American should hold no relevance. If you are Muslim, fight for justice, dignity, and gender equality. Act like the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family members and companions (may God accept them). Appreciate and protect women.
Your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your wives, your friends... they need you.
Embrace.
Apparently, a woman can be raped on the streets of London, but a woman in an Afghan village cannot.
It is true that a vast variety of cultures exists under the umbrella of Islam from Arab, Southeast Asian, and Desi to African, African-American, and Latin. It is also accurate to say that there are differences in interpretation of Islamic rulings and how they apply, depending on one's location. But I can't sit here and write that treating women with respect and dignity and protecting Muslimahs from the violence and sexual perversion of others is a "western" phenomenon. These aren't foreign, western values; these are Islamic values. I don't claim to be a scholar - I'm not one. I don't claim to be superior to others, Muslim or non-Muslim. But I do claim that men and women are spiritual equals in the eyes of God and that women, both in terms of sacred revelation and in terms of the historical tradition of Islam, are to be respected.
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) - yep, centuries before many European and North American women would have equal rights - women could own property, hold political office, initiate divorce, and lead men into military battles. If the Prophet heard of a forced marriage taking place without the bride's consent, he would have it dissolved. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is considered the best man among men, the best of husbands, and someone whose words and actions should be emulated. That was the 7th century CE. Here we are in the 21st century, and some of these ideas are only preached and not practiced.
-----
“I believe that women
are God’s amazing miracle on earth, and that they are naturally so beautiful
both inwardly and outwardly. In Islam, the woman’s womb is called Al-Rahm,
meaning source of mercy, named after God’s most amazing name, Al-Raheem, The One with absolute mercy. This means that he who
honors women honors God, and he who disrespects women is disrespecting God’s
very essence.
Islam honors the legacies of so many women such as Mary, Khadijah, ‘Aishah, Balqees, Fatemah, Sarah and Hagar.
Islam teaches:
1 – The female, when a child, opens the doors of heaven to her parents.
2 – Without the wife, the husband’s religiosity is incomplete.
3 - When the female is a mother, Paradise sets under her feet.
Hence, let us know that no nation can move forward and develop unless it gives women equal rights to men and grants them equal access to education, financial stability, and equality before the law, and equal access to political positions. I greet with my heart and soul all the women of the world, our mothers, sisters, daughters, and makers.”
- Imam Yahya Hendi -
Islam honors the legacies of so many women such as Mary, Khadijah, ‘Aishah, Balqees, Fatemah, Sarah and Hagar.
Islam teaches:
1 – The female, when a child, opens the doors of heaven to her parents.
2 – Without the wife, the husband’s religiosity is incomplete.
3 - When the female is a mother, Paradise sets under her feet.
Hence, let us know that no nation can move forward and develop unless it gives women equal rights to men and grants them equal access to education, financial stability, and equality before the law, and equal access to political positions. I greet with my heart and soul all the women of the world, our mothers, sisters, daughters, and makers.”
- Imam Yahya Hendi -
-----
The beauty of cultural diversity is seen everywhere from schools and street festivals in North America to vacations and volunteer trips abroad. It is found in the vibrant sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that both shock and excite our system. But when does respect for one's own culture, or the culture of another, overshadow the acknowledgment of social injustice and efforts for social change? When will the label of "cultural tradition" no longer be used as a convenient excuse for physically and psychologically harming members of a society?
When Muslims with extremist attitudes commit heinous acts of violence and terrorism, we proclaim that our religion has been hijacked from us by those who have distorted traditional teachings to bolster their own agendas. But when a woman is raped and flogged for her sexual act, when a young girl is married away by her parents without her consent or ability to consent, when a man brutally beats or even kills a woman and justifies it by calling her disobedient or a shame to the family... we turn a blind eye. To me, these individuals are hijacking Islam just as much as terrorist organizations and suicide bombers.
Praise belongs to God alone, and so does the Final Judgment. Because of that, I can never say that someone is or is not Muslim because of behavior. If someone sincerely believes that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah ("One God") and that the Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he or she is Muslim. What happens in the Hereafter as a result of this life is only in God's hands. But though we don't decide the fate of others, we must still stand for justice and critically reflect on how we are living the deen (Islamic way of life). I was both sad and angry after reading about the current events in Afghanistan. It reminded me of why I love Islam, but don't always love Muslims, and why I can't be afraid to speak up.
With this post, I call for the empowerment of women, especially survivors of rape and abuse. I call for the accountability of Muslims everywhere, including men who hide behind cultural claims and arguments. Whether you are Afghan or American should hold no relevance. If you are Muslim, fight for justice, dignity, and gender equality. Act like the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family members and companions (may God accept them). Appreciate and protect women.
Your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your wives, your friends... they need you.
Embrace.
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