The Muslim Woman

Just a few days back, a survey was made among the ethnic minorities in UK, which states that the Muslim women from Pakistan and Bangladesh are suffering from job discrimination because of their religious attire. A lot of outcry was heard from many outgoing young Muslim women who feel quite differently. However, coming back to the issue on the recent report published by Minister for Women Ruth Kelly, she says that ‘Women in Hijab’ should get more job opportunities in the front-line media irrespective of their headscarves. Now what pointed Mrs. Kelly to point this thing? Well, as everyone knows, according to survey, employment rate among ethnic minorities from Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin is just about 24% and this precisely had pushed the minister to come up with refreshing idea to help the Muslim women. Via: THE TELEGRAPH

Finding stylish yet decent garments for Muslim women in US is indeed a challenging job. They don’t have much of a choice in the clothing department. If they go for body-hugging and little bit revealing designs, that will be a religious fiasco, so most of the times they prefer to stay covered. Brooke Samad, the 27-year-old lass wishes to fill the wardrobe of the Muslim women with some chic apparel that she has created at her magical working place at Atlantic Highlands. Having graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology, 2004 batch, she thought that it is time indeed to make her world simple and stylish. A creative desire to do something great was driving her mad and then she came up with the idea of her exclusive clothing line to cater to the needs of Muslim women like her. Check out her exclusive designs at MARABO: Via: APP

According to a recent analysis made by the Central Statistics Bureau data, in the year 2005 the fertility rate in Israel witnessed a significant fall. The data report states that the number of newborn babies was 143,913 in 2005, out of which nearly 70% were born to Jewish women and only a handful of 24% were that of Muslim women. Another important fact is that the overall figure of newborns dropped dramatically and this was due to the fertility ratio of the Muslim women, who were giving birth to fewer babies. Via: YNETNEWS

Men in Islam are allowed to have more than one wife and this is prevalent not only in the Middle East countries but in India too – the land of Democracy. Paradoxically, despite the constitution of India bestowing the citizen to assert their right to freedom, women in the Muslim community still suffers from the biased laws of the Islamic religion. A recent case of a Muslim woman locked up in a room without any ventilation and toilet for long three years, should open up the eyes of the Indian government and it’s so called political leaders who are busy making big-time speech but no action at all. In a suburb area of Hyderabad, a man confined his wife in a room for three years and made her drink her own urine because she refused to grant him permission from getting married to another woman. The criminal in question is Mohammed Shadulla, who works as a foreman construction. He tied his wife Asha Begum in chain, forced her into a dark room, and ultimately carried on his wishes. However, by luck, one day he forgot to close the door and Asha escaped. The police have arrested the culprit. The point here is that the religious leaders instead of preaching should at least for once get into their senses and see what the cultural practices are doing to the Muslim women community. Via: IOL

Muslim women often face obstacles at every stage of their life, be it education, choosing their own husband or in decision making matters. Even those who have migrated to the European nations are not free from the prejudice that is generally held against them. The former Dutch Parliamentarian and a Muslim woman, Ayaan Hirsi Ali had met with lot of unfortunate accidents in her life. In an overwhelming piece she has discussed few true facts that women in Islam has to go through every day in her life- the hurdles, which is stopping the progress of the Muslim women community. -FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) is widely practiced among the Muslim community. Girls as young as four years old are forcefully made to go through this procedure. Sometimes they even die during the process. -Girls having incestuous relationship are often looked down upon and ultimately killed. The relatives murder even those teenagers and young girls who are victim of sexual abuse. -Sexually exploited girls are forced to stay quite and not allowed to report the authority. -Girls are not allowed to pursue their education. -Pregnant victims of sexual abuse and incest are made to abort to restore family honor. -Instead of directing any punishment towards the abusers, the girls are made to suffer for no offence made by them. -The parents often beat women and teenagers who dare to raise their voice. -Girls are married off to men old enough to be her father for the sake of monetary benefits. Via: JAYREDING

Women in the Middle East are trying hard to be recognized since a long time now. Despite the conservative practices imposed by the radical groups, women are gearing up to take all the rigid challenges on their stride and they are applying various measures to safeguard their interest. Women in the Arab world had attained success to certain extent; nevertheless, there is a long journey ahead of them. To reform the aged-old policies and legislation that blocks the progress of women, several women rights organization are using some ‘basic techniques and well-though out strategies’ to break the shackles. Women in these countries do not have the rights to equal citizenship. Supposedly, if a Saudi woman is married to a non-Muslim man, their children will not be considered as a Saudi citizen. To ensure the citizenship rights of women in the Middle East nations, Women’s Learning Partnership is all set to launch a ‘seven country regional movement’ which is scheduled to kick start on the September 6. The sole aim of this campaign will be to work for the attainment of ‘Arab women’s right to nationality in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Syria’. To know more about the campaign please visit: LEARNINGPARTNERSHIP

Somaliland women are challenging the rules of Islamic society and taking up independent working style to support themselves and their children. One visit to the market place in Hargeisa says it all. Trying to cope up with the daily needs, women are increasingly laying hands in different ventures and clothing business is the most popular one. Women emancipation in the capital has taken a U Turn after the fall of the nation’s dictatorial rule in the year 1991. Due to the sudden crisis in the economy of the nation, the men folks had no jobs and thus came the excellent opportunity for women community. Harowo reports A large chunk of women are running textile shops and earning enough to support their family. 38-year-old Amina Jama and five more women are working together and producing colorful cloths and they are getting good results. Some other women are working as vegetable vendors, selling fruits, opening tailoring shops and even beauty parlours. Shamis Barre, a member of the Humanitarian organization ‘CARE’ has helped a lot in grooming the Somali women in direct marketing skills. She further said that men are too proud to do jobs such as selling things and working in a tailor shop, but the Somali women are too practical to care for such trivial matters. Since the outbreak of the civil war, most of the men are unemployed and this has given the women a chance to stand on their own overthrowing the age-old tradition of Islam religion that women cannot take up any job.

To protect the rights of the Muslim women there is a certain legislation that has come to force these days in America. Under this legislation, a Muslim woman can make her husband sign a contract according to which, she can divorce her husband and ask for alimony if he abuses her. In the Muslim community in America, these kinds of marriages are now becoming popular as ‘Contract Marriage’. Otherwise in any other religion be it Hindu or Christian, such a condition is generally coined as prenuptial agreement. Now, a devoted group of young Muslim women lawyers is working meticulously to create a systematic contract that will help the American Muslim women in asserting their rights. Via: FLADIVORCELAWBLOG

Earlier, PM John Howard had claimed that the Muslims in Australia is an inferior community as they cannot speak English properly and therefore is not fully accepting the ‘Australian Values’. Of late, Howard has yet again hit the headlines with his statement that the Australian Muslim men should treat their women in a decent way if they are to be fully accepted as a part of the Australian community. However, this words of the Mr. PM has caught him in a soup as Dr Christina Ho, an academic from the Sydney’s University of Technology has accused Howard of making it even more difficult for the Muslim women to voice their complaints. In Dr Ho’s words: How can Muslim women freely speak out then about issues like domestic violence without further fuelling the racism that has been generated by the close linking-up of women’s rights with an anti-Muslim agenda? Those women who dare to speak are often tagged as anti-Muslims, and now with the PM’s declaration, Dr. Ho fears that the Australian Muslim Women will hardly speak about their woes. Via: ABC

Muslim women across the world have just one identity that excludes them from the rest of the women community- the veil. The western media often interprets this veil as a ‘symbol of oppression’. However, Miss England winner, Hammasa Kohistani has something else to say to the world. Only about a year ago, Hammasa was among the so-called students in a college based in West London, but her life has undergone a drastic change, when she all of sudden forced by her impulse went for the Miss England Beauty Pageant and ended up winning the crown and thereby becoming the First Muslim women to have won the title. The Beauty Queen now has become a popular political figure and a voice for the Muslim women. She believes that it is not necessary that all Muslim women wear veils. I quote her words: ‘We don’t all wear burqas’. Well folks, it seems that the woman surely has a message behind this statement, which she wants to convey to all her fellow sisters as well as to the western world and the religious leaders. Via: INDEPENDENT