ABSTRACT
Before
properly identifying whether to support or reject a position in relation to a
debatable or controversial subject, you should examine all sides of the topic without
bias or prejudice. Being a women
of color, I defend and support a family’s history of fighting for the rights
and freedoms basically warranted from a nearly missed emancipation. Through the trials of my ancestry of
slavery, it is hard to imagine a mindset other than my own, fathoming a way of
living or understanding without supposed definitive and supported justice,
belief and political systems.
Religion
in this country is a “to have or not to have” choice that doesn’t establish the
character of a person, or woman for that matter, it just means you don’t
believe in that particular faith. But what if society had instilled a mandated practice of
religion and faith since I was old enough to understand the concept. And what if, as a female, I had to
abide by a certain standard of dress, could only participate in “female”
activities and had “duties” to men with little or no say so. As a Westerner, it sounds like a great
beginning of a lawful argument or protest in addition to the option to refuse certain
activities and fundamentals based upon my gender and culture in this country.
With
that being said, there is a such culture of women who are constantly and
sometimes quietly ignored, scrutinized, abused yet these struggles are building
a definitive woman of character and strength that manifests in extreme cases of
oppression and limited exposure. I
would like to capture some of these similarities and contrasts in this analysis
with a range of emotions about the retrospect, renderings and reverences of
Muslim Women.
RETROSPECT
“Whoever
works righteousness whether male or female, while he (or she) is a believer –
We will surely cause him to live a good life, and we will surely give them
their reward (in the Hereafter) according to the best of what they used to do.”Qur’an 16:97 (IISNA).
Gender roles are derived through every
culture’s history and traceable evidence appears for Muslims “like most
religions that grew up in the agrarian age” (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p
108). Marriages were arranged,
preferably between cousins for property and lands possession to remain intact;
love would come in time of mutual domestic responsibility, yet romantic
affections rarely led to marriage (Goldschmidt Jr., Davidson p 108).
Unfortunately, for sake of argument,
“little is known about the status of women in pre-Islamic Arabia…they are
mentioned [through]…activities of the ruling class” (Egger p 50-51). Examples of historical
accounts held by women were, “Khadija, the Prophet’s first wife, and other
women…as prophets…soothsayers…[also] appeared on the battlefield…to mutilate
the bodies of wounded and dead enemy soldiers, and even to use the sword and
bow in combat” (Egger p 51).
As a custom, “education was perceived as
a form of worship…for knowledge was widely regarded as a duty of every Muslim” (Egger
p 223). While in opposition
by occasional male naysayers of the day, women were known to receive their
ijazas (written student approval stamp) from family members in an informal
setting…and daughters of the learned elite…became famous Hadith transmitters” respected
and admired among all Muslims (Egger p 223).
Oppression is a controversial subject
especially in the case of “Muslim women…oppressed and not given their rights
[but] not the fault of Islam” (IISNA).
Misinterpretation of cultural applications in regards to any religious
act, lacking in knowledge of many practices throughout the world has similar
results. The reaction of gender
roles can be found where “Allah says: ‘...and the male is not like the
female’ (Qur’an: 3:36). Islam has
therefore ordained different roles for men and women to reflect this
undisputable fact. Women have been
granted the honour and tremendous responsibility of caring for the family and
the household…while men have been given the responsibility of providing financial
support, security and maintenance...” (IISNA).
But yet there is
still a “small minority of staunchly misogynistic individuals who firmly
believe that women deserve no rights” with plausible examples ranging from
“child marriages, to female genital mutilation, to the ban on women driving in
Saudi Arabia-is a deep hatred of women” (Zohdy). So many factors are comparable to the many complexities and
extent in which Muslim women share “cultural authority in the hands of men…not
[meaning] that women were without power and influence. Seclusion of women in the household
under the protection of husbands and other male relatives became a common means
of protecting the bloodline” (Crocco, Pervez, Katz p 108). There is a definite line to be drawn
between the chauvinism of male dominance and the protection of patriarchy. For instance, where “women themselves
were considered a form of property [to] sell his wife and children to pay
debts…the scope of female action, creation, and control…was vital to the
ancient world” (Crocco, Pervez, Katz p 108).
RENDERINGS
“Verily
the most honourable of you in the sight of Allaah is the most God conscious”Qur’an 49:13 (IISNA)
Muslim women are regarded as devout,
surrendering and pious. Their
commitment to the Islamic faith, proves Muslim religion and submission to men
is sometimes misconstrued as yielding in their status, rights, honor and
self-esteem. Weaam Alwaaily, is a 23
year old, Iranian born, Shiite young woman and a co-worker I befriended in the
spring of last year. She is
engaged to a Sunni Muslim man about 10 years her senior and was open to
speaking with me about her beliefs as a nascent Westerner. When I asked her if she believed in the
rights given to women in the Qu’ran as well as the mandated restrictions of Allah,
she replied with a most definite “Yes, all that’s in the Qu’ran…” As far as being a practicing Muslim in
the U.S., she mentioned, “Living in the states is different…you meet people
from all over and learn new things about different countries and cultures. Back home the atmosphere is different
and the people’s mentality are different as well”. Keeping an open mind is key as you begin to realize that we
are all learning about the differences of women both in similarity as well as in
contrast.
Piety of the Muslim woman is preferably
involved to “lower their eyes when encountering others…guard their private
parts…cover their bosoms with veils and to refrain from showing off their
beauty except to close relatives” (Egger p 52). Mostly associated with the social class of the woman and
similar to “the bound feet of aristocratic Chinese women, the wearing of a veil
and seclusion in the home were declarations…not [having] to engage in manual
labor” (Egger 52).
In modern social studies, [Muslim]
women’s history is in the early stages of becoming a more prominent fixture for
acquiring knowledge. Again, in
resemblance of rendering through many cultures of women, “throughout history,
women have shown tremendous initiative, creativity, and agency in shaping their
societies, despite the many strictures imposed on them as a result of
patriarchy” (Crocco, Pervez, Katz p 108).
In association to this brave surrendering of quiescent activism and less
in the view of the western world, there are Muslim women who are telling their
stories…who are speaking out.
At the Oslo Freedom Forum in May 2012, Manal
al-Sharif begins with the unbelievable accounts of November 20, 1979 after the
beheading of militant extremist Juhayman and the events that followed by the
Saudi government that ironically imitated his doctrine. The Mecca uprising removed females from
television, photographs in general, employment was narrowed in education and
healthcare. Music, movies, gender
separation mandated by “law from public places to government offices, to banks,
schools, even…houses…having two entrances: one for men, one for women”
(al-Sharif p 96). An even more
stunning account of Manal and her mother engaging in tawaf and noticing within
the Kaaba’s walls “a hole from a bullet, from the time of Juhayman” (al-Sharif
p 97-98). What a confusing time
for a young [Muslim] woman to live in the presence and direction of a young
Osama bin Laden, “the [hero] of our time”…taught to stay home because “any evil
that would befall…I would be fully responsible…because men cannot be expected
to control their instincts” (al-Sharif p 98). As this talented young woman who loved to draw, she was successively
becoming brainwashed into an extremist.
Unexpectedly, she found
solace through the introduction of venturing onto the Internet in 2000 and
exposure to the outside world in her eyes, began. She remembered being told that the events of 9/11 were
“God’s punishment to Americans for what they had done…over the years…brought up
to hate any non-Muslims…but when [watching] the breaking news…I saw a man
throwing himself from one of the World Trade Center towers…no religion on Earth
can be this bloody, this cruel, this merciless” (al-Sharif p 100).
REVERENCES
“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 chaste women) and not abused...”Qur’an 33:59 (IISNA).
As a Westerner, it has always been
without saying that freedom of speech, dress and actions are just liberties
bestowed upon the civilized American, yet there is a common sense about modesty
of the female self. The hijab for
example, is more than just covering up the female body with unrevealing
clothing relating to “outer appearances; it is also about noble speech,
modesty, dignified and righteous conduct…also required of men” (IISNA). So in fact, what may seem like a restriction
in the U.S. is a customary requirement “simply because Allah (God) made it a
compulsory act of worship…and Allah knows what is best for His creation”
(IISNA).
Contrary to belief and lack of knowledge,
“initial teachings of Islam attempted to improve living conditions for women,
the poor, orphans, and other subordinated segments of Arab society” (Crocco,
Pervez, Katz p 110). There are
actually, more misconstrued rights of Muslim women “theirs by their religion”
depending on the actual region they live in “where women may be unaware of
their [misinterpreted and misrepresented] rights” (Crocco, Pervez, Katz p
110). Where Muslim practice has
been seen overall as one term meaning one injustice, a disheveled
interpretation can be as bias as illustrated here:
|
Nations
placing importance on Muslim women as wives and mothers
|
Kuwait, United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, North Yemen and Sudan
|
|
Provides
opportunities for women’s contributions to political, economic and
educational aspects of society
|
Syria, South
Yemen, Algeria and Iraq
|
|
Guarantee
women opportunities in political, social, cultural and economical spheres,
contingent on not subverting the principles of the Islamic Shariah
|
Morocco and
Egypt
|
(Taken from Crocco, Pervez, Katz p 111)
Women’s organizations like The Israel
Women’s Network (IWN) distributes enlightening reports on women’s issues and
acts as a legislative advocate.
Women Against Violence publicly supports the human rights and cessation
of gender based violence of Muslim and Christian Arab women. Southern Israel’s Laqiya is an
organization for Bedouin women facing changes in their nomadic customs and
culture altered through implemented government policies and practices. The subsidiary Tatreez Al Dadiah
Project assists in the livelihoods of widows, divorcees, and abandoned women
through sewing in their homes. The
Palestinian Woman Development Society as well as The Bahrain Women Society is
administrated through the Global Fund for Women. Together, they focus on women’s health, women’s rights and
the environment as well as educational and leadership training. Even further motivating is the
Jerusalem Center Women providing “Palestinian women with training opportunities
in developing democracy, human rights, advocacy, and other activism skills…”
(Crocco, Pervez, Katz p 113).
In today’s global
workplace, you will find that women in leadership roles play a substantial part
on the focus of the company’s mission statement often finding “that women tend
to have a leadership style that is more participative, interactional, and
relational, with greater levels of emotional intelligence and empathy…” (Ball,
Geringer, McNett, Minor p 284).
Advancements, though moderate, “continue to show unevenness in terms of
the level of participation of women in leadership roles…in business” (Ball,
Geringer, McNett, Minor p 284).
CEO’s of organizations today are even more rare, yet PepsiCo’s Indra
Nooyi and Cynthia Carrol of Anglo America have made strides towards the
exposure of the effectiveness of women in business globally.
The
Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) involves a goal “to build a more
peaceful and prosperous Middle East…so democracy can spread, education can
thrive, economies can grow, and women can be empowered” (Salime p 726). Western female influences supporting
the cause of the needs of Arab women include Hilary Clinton and Condoleezza
Rice as well Egypt’s First Lady Suzanne Mubarak and Qatar’s Sheikha Mozah Bint
Nacer. The value to creating a
forum that includes the progressive exaltation of Muslim women is indeed
forthcoming and gradually becoming a more welcomed and recognized topic.
In
2003, William J. Burns, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern
Affairs described a delegation program which “brought
50 Arab women leaders to the U.S. to observe mid-term elections and meet with
U.S. political professionals…to provide political leaders with the tools to
take advantage of new opportunities for democratization…We will soon bring to
the U.S. our first group of Arab entrepreneurs, many of them women, to
participate in our Middle East Entrepreneur Training program in the U.S…”
(Salime 738)
Hadia
Mubarak prestigiously holds the title of senior researcher at the Center for
Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. She is also an American native and
first female to be elected as head of the National Muslim Student
Association. In an online chat
interview in 2007, she made this simple and profound statement: “ I
agree that everyone has to live according to his/her own principles and apply
them consistently. So if a culture or religion is violating basic human rights
or principles, which you hold to be true, then it is your right to condemn such
practices…I think the best way to deal with the pervasive ignorance on both
sides is to come out of our comfort zone and actually interact with one
another…” (Quinn)
In
summary, the Qur’an’s “Chapter 9, verse 71 best encapsulates the gender paradigm of
Islam. God says in this verse, "The
believers, men and women, are partners (awliya') of one another, they enjoin
what is good and forbid what is evil. They observe regular prayers, give in
charity, obey God and His messenger. God will pour His mercy over them, for He
is exalted in power, Wise." (Quinn). Learning together and living in understanding of the
struggles that all women must endure is the true testament that Muslim women
are receiving notice, which benefits positively as well as questions the negative.
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