International Women’s Day

I am a self declared Muslim Feminist. The state of women's rights in our communities is one of the many reasons why. The position given to me by my religion and my God are others. For me International Women’s Day is a day to highlight the achievements of women in all the fields and across the world but really to use the day to promote change, to highlight how much is yet to be achieved, to highlight the sad fact that we NEED this day simply because across the world, including in the ‘first world’, women have yet to be seen as REAL EQUALS to their male counterparts: in business, in family life, in marriage, in the job market, in education. This is the sad truth, and if women in the ‘first world’ are still fighting prejudices, stereotypes, objectification, preconceived ideas and even hatred, then there is an even greater challenge for those living in the less ‘developed’ parts of the world.

There any many, both men and women who cringe when they hear the words women's rights or Feminist, particularly within my own, Muslim, community. To them I say remember this: Women's rights are the rights of your sister, your mother, your daughter, you niece, your cousin, your aunt, your grandmother, your friend, your partner, your ally, your wife. It is your duty as a Muslim, as a human, to ensure I have my rights, just as it is a duty on me that I uphold yours. Treat me as you would wish to be treated, not as an object or as a burden, but as a person, a fellow human being, a companion. The Prophet (SAW) gave us many examples in his treatment of women as equals, as companions, as teachers, as scholars, as warriors. He brought an end to female infanticide, taught us to respect women and not to treat them as objects or see them as burdens.

“When news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) a female (child) his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief!  With shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil (choice) they decide on!      

                                                                                                Al Qur’an (16:58,59)

And yet, as Muslim communities, we can see within so many problems that go against the very teachings of the Prophet (SAW) and of the Qur’an itself. Yes, it is not only Muslim communities that face these challenges but let us not deny that they are there, let us not shy away from facing them, challenging them and conquering them. Whether it is Female Genital Mutilation, forced hijab, forced marriages, ‘honour’ killing, withholding access to education, not letting women work, perverting the role of women within the family and the household, withholding women’s earnings and inheritance, domestic violence and so many others, there are examples within Islam that deal with them all and teach us to act against these wrongs. We should not only hate them in our hearts, we should speak against them and act against them.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) once said: "Acquiring knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim. (At-Tabarani) And the scholars have agreed that this narration applies equally to men and women. ‘"Knowledge" in this context refers primarily to knowledge of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, as no Muslim should be ignorant of his or her Faith, but it also covers other areas of general education, which can contribute to the welfare of civilization. It is precisely the ignorance about their religion among Muslims that has led to men oppressing women because they believe it is permitted, women not demanding their God-given rights because they are ignorant of them, and children growing up to perpetuate their parents' follies. Throughout Islamic history, men and women both earned respect as scholars and teachers of the Faith. The books of Rijal (Reporters of Hadith) contain the names of many prominent women, beginning with Ayesha and Hafsah.’ (ref: http://www.islamicfinder.org/articles/article.php?id=411)

A woman also has the right to keep her property or wealth, whether earned or inherited, and spend it as she may please.

"And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you excel the others. For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything."

Al Qur’an (4:32)

A woman has the right not only to an education but to her views and to express her opinion freely whether to an Imam or the ruler of her country as demonstrated by a famous incident involving Omar the second Rightly- Guided Caliph. Omar was once standing on the pulpit, severely reprimanding the people and ordering them not to set excessive amounts of dower at the time of marriage. A woman got up and shouted, "Omar, you have no right to intervene in a matter which Allah the All-Mighty has already decreed in Quran: "But if you intend to replace a wife by another and you have given one of them a Qintar (of gold, i.e., a great amount as Mahr bridal money), take not the least bit of it back; would you take it wrongfully without a right and (with) a manifest sin?" (4:20) And after being reminded of this Verse, Omar withdrew his order, saying, "I am in the wrong and she is correct."

In Islam there is no such thing as forced marriage either. Although the guardian of the girl whether her father, brother or uncle may play an important role in mediating her marriage, under no circumstance is he allowed to force HIS choice on her against her wishes. The woman is always free to accept or reject his choice, or to make her own choice. A woman named Khansa Bint Khidam once came to the Prophet (SAW) and complained:
"My father has forced me to marry my cousin in order to raise his own status (in the eyes of the people)." The Prophet (SAW) told her that she was free to dissolve this marriage and choose whomever she wished to marry. She replied, "I accept my father's choice, but my aim was to let the women know that fathers have no right to interfere in the marriage." (Ahmad, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah)

The men in our communities should also remember that it is NOT their role to police other people’s deeds, not to comment on a women’s appearance or her state of hijab. This may be the position of her father, but not yours, and even her father cannot force her to do as he wills. Remember, force only drives a person to hate that which you would have him/her love. Islam is peaceful, compassionate and beautiful, the truth of which is tarnished by roughness of being and force. Also, let us all look to ourselves first: the men in our community also have many issues of hijab, so why always look at the women? Are skinny jeans really halal for men? What about tight trousers? Or drowning yourself in aftershave? Or maybe walking with your trousers halfway down your backside? Modesty is a duty on both sexes, let us not forget this. Men must also learn to lower their gaze, for that is also a duty on them. Let us look to ourselves first for Allah will judge us on OUR deeds.

These are but a few of the many examples we can find within our own faith to tackle these issues. Let us live by these examples: let us live by the Prophetic example. We should not forget that some of the most important figures within our faith are women, whether it is Ayesha (RA) the wife of the Prophet (SAW) and one of the greatest scholars of Islam, being the source of hadiths for much of our faith, or Sumayyah, the first martyr for her faith within Islamic history, or Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet (SAW) who is held as an example to us all. Following these early figures are of course the many female scholars and teachers to whom we owe so much and who have been so well documented in the research of Sheikh Akram Nadwi: definitely something we should all study and make ourselves aware of.

Today too, we have so many amazing women out there, making a difference in our families, in our communities and to the world at large. Any active volunteer within community groups and non-profit work will tell you that the most active and committed volunteers are most often the women, the girls, the sisters. They are also usually the majority in this kind of social work. Yet, do we give them the respect they deserve, and do we teach our sons, the males in our community to look at them in that light and treat them as such? Do we help promote and encourage these women? To do the same with their wives and daughters? If not, why not? Were not the women we admire in early Islam activists in their own right?

And I say this to the women in our community too. Sisters, let us be a support to one another, let us not judge, let us not point fingers, let us not jump on the bandwagon, let us not help arm the very people who would withhold our own rights given the chance. Let us acknowledge each other, learn our rights and help uphold them. Let us cheer when one of us succeeds, and help pick back up, inspire and enourage those that are struggling amongst us. This is a reminder to me as much as to you.

This year, let us all commit to improving the world together, to upholding the rights of half the world's population for just think how much further we might have gotten as a planet if only we had invested in that plentiful resource, our women. Think what hidden talents exist, what solutions to the world's many problems might be found. Just a thought.

Happy International Women's Day everyone.

I shall end with this, one of my favourite Spoken Word pieces and one I think is a MUST WATCH particularly on this day: