The Muslim Woman

In Islam, there is no such concept of free will, especially with respect to women folk. They are treated as mere commodities in the hands of men. They are battered, molested, killed when they ask for freedom. To make the situation worse, women have given no say in their own marriage. Girls less than ten years are given away to men over fifty years! Do you expect women in Islamic countries to breathe? There are no such laws in Saudi Arabia that define the minimum age for marriage. Although a woman’s permission is legally required, but that’s a different story that some marriage officials do not think it’s necessary to ask them. Running on the similar lines, recently a case has come up from Saudi Arabia where the court has discarded a divorce plea from eight-year-old girl married to 58-year-old man. The girl’s mother filed a divorce plea on her behalf but the judge dismissed it saying that she (the mother) has no right to file such a case. And that the girl can only file the plea when she reaches puberty. This is just a single case but the province is saturated with instances where young girls – who themselves don’t know the meaning of marriage – are actually being given away as wives to old men. The so called educated men in Islamic nation are likely to nourish the disgusting practice of marrying off prepubescent girls. Fathers and guardians tend to sell their daughters into marriage just for few bucks, further abetting rape. Instead of feeling guilty about it, poor families find this a profitable bargain, as they receive high bridal fees from the old groom; after all, religious hardliners acts as pillars to support the inhuman regime. What a miserable life for these little girls. (Sigh)!

Once again Pakistan has hit the headline and earned the bad repute, however, not for its increasing terrorist or political controversies this time, but for ever degrading condition of women in the nation, generally dominated by male. In Pakistan, women are not only subjected to financial discrimination, but they are also victims of inhuman customs and laws such as Karo Kari (honor killings) , Hadood ordinance and marriages to the Quran, recognized as a half witness in any case. If you go through the statistics of Interior Ministry of Pakistan, you’ll find that the crime against women has increased thick and fast in the past two years. In all 17692 cases of violence against women have been registered nationwide that includes 612 cases of honor killing, 67 stove burst, 6 incidents of acid throwing, 2484 cases of sexual harassment and so on. And most of the cases were registered in Punjab province of Pakistan. No doubt,Pakistan has been safe destination for world’s most wanted terrorists, but it is a hazardous place for the female folk. Like most other Muslim nations, condition of women isn’t too good in Pakistan. Usually the society is dominated by the male counterpart and freedom of women is just restricted to the four walls of the house. Even they have to endure an indifferent behavior within the home, curbing all the aspirations and dreams that women liberally cherish in open societies. Aforesaid data is just the microcosm of the atrocities that the Muslim women across the world have to undergo in their man dominated societies. There are millions of such cases that never come to the fore. The incidence of wife-battering is so common that it is not even recognized as a pernicious form of violence against women. Discrimination against women begins in their childhood and continues throughout life. They are deprived of basic needs such as education, health care and so on. Though, the women in most of the societies (barring the Western and few other) play the second fiddle after their male counterparts, but most of the Muslim societies put too much repressions – be it religious or social – to give any sort of freedom to their female populace, forcing them to live a deprived and indifferent life. Via Image

Despite becoming victims of permanent threat of shooting, bomb attacks, kidnappings and rape…how a group of Muslim women in Iraq could even think to kill another group of Muslim women? But this is a harsh reality and slowly becoming common practice in Iraq. We all know, condition of Muslim women is worse in most of the Muslim countries. In recent bizarre of events, in the al-Washshash district of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a gang of Shiite women, a part of the Mahdi army militia killed three Sunni women. The Mahdi Army, Militia or Jaish al Mahdi is paramilitary force created by Iraqi Shias to protect Shia community form Sunnis and U.S led occupation forces. The leader of the gang is Layla, the sister of Jabbar Hammudi, the principal leaders of the Mahdi Army,who was killed few days before. Violence broke out, when some of Sunni women try to protect their homes from a gang of Shiite women. From very long time, the campaign of forced migration of Sunni families in that district of Baghdad, have been carried out by the militias of the Mahdi Army. This incident reminded me of a small footage of Saddam regime where a regiment of women soldiers are killing dogs with their bare hands to show how tough they are. The women who is considered to be kind hearted, soft and loving are becoming more and more violent. Not to mention that this story tells that women, too, may engage in ‘jihad’. And it illustrates, in spades, the fact that the much-vaunted ‘brotherhood’ or ‘sisterhood’ of Muslims, everybody all happy families together, is purely illusory. Unfortunately, women in Iraq are wasting their time to attacking and killing each other and not concentrating on real cause of their suffering and problems. The attempts to kill each other by both the Muslim communities (Shia and Sunni) will only be beneficial for US led forces. I just hope that in the future, society will respect the rights of women, and woman will help the other in all walks of life. via Image

Morsal Obeidi was just 16, she wanted to live like the other girls in Germany. Free to make choices. But she paid dearly for aspiring to be free, her brother stabbed her 20 times. This honour killing right in the heart of Germany has sparked huge debate about muslim women, the choices they have and they don’t have. And whether at all they can opt to walk away from the family bindings. It must be really difficult to live closed life in a free world. The children of religious minority groups can never really get integrated into western society. Their homes and their religious bindings often place them in a dilemma of choices. They rarely think of escaping from home and bindings. Their upbringing teaches them not to abandon family and family values at any cost. The family name, family honour, their own religion and society are of supreme importance. Defying parents and religious law is never tolerated. If some of them do dare, they end up getting punished. Asserting one’s own religion, one’s own culture and value is important. But not giving freedom to step out to explore the world and live life on one’s own terms is a kind of oppression. Modern society will see more such attempts to crossover traditional barriers and boundaries to see the world beyond. source: guardian

Sharon Chadha has written for various publications, including RUSI Journal, the publication of the Royal United Services Institute, the world’s oldest security and defense think tank in London; RFE/RL Newsline, a publication produced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Frontpagemag.com and the Middle East Quarterly. Her book, Jihad and International Security, has been instrumental in gaining her a prominent position, which she wrote in collaboration with Jalil Roshandel. In a recent e-mail interview with us, she disclosed the intricacies which led her to write for the Muslim world, so people whip yourself as I led you to the roller coaster ride of Sharon’s interview, 1. My first question is who is Sharon Chadha in flesh and blood? Sharon: I’m American who is married to an Indian. 2. What inspired you to write on Muslim world? Sharon: In 1999-2000, I tried to write a book about what life was like in Saudi Arabia for women. This was the first time I ever really thought about the Muslim world. After 9/11, I guess you could say events transpired to make what might have been a passing interest a source of endless fascination. 3. Sharon, would you please give us a brief synopsis regarding Jihad and International Security? Sharon: It is basically a primer on the modern jihad movement – where it came from, who fights it and how, who funds it, and what governments have done to counter it. 4. If you could sit on the shoulders of readers and reviewers, how would you tell them to regard your work? Sharon: What sets our book apart, I think, is that we confined ourselves to showing how jihadists see the world, and on the other side, to how governments try to counter the jihad movement. We don’t burden the reader with our opinions or politics. While we intended it to be an introduction, policy and security professionals have said they found it useful as well. 5. How far do you support America’s stand against terrorism in Iraq? Sharon: American policy in Iraq or anywhere else for that matter is too complex to take a blanket stand for or against it. I will say that I think America benefits from having its policies continuously debated and scrutinized. No other country has this advantage. 6. We’d like to have your opinion on ‘Islamophobia’? Sharon: I think it’s a worrisome affliction and directly traceable to jihadism. Prior to 9/11, who in the modern West ever worried about Islam? The jihadists have succeeded in casting suspicion on an entire religion, a substantial percentage of the world’s population, and centuries of Islamic history, in addition to all the widows and orphans they have created. It is unfortunate that Muslims who don’t terrorize people can’t command headlines. But that’s the way the media operates, if it bleeds it leads. 7. What according to you is the interpretation of Islam as postulated by al Qaeda? Sharon: I think Al Qaeda – and its imitators – are basically mass murderers masquerading as Muslims. Sure they construct fatwas to try and justify their despicable actions, but I find their interpretation of Islam to be, well, twisted. Look how Bin Laden perverts the concept of democracy. In his view, citizens who can hold their governments accountable at the ballot box can also be threatened with massive destruction and killing if they don’t elect the leaders he approves of. As I said, his logic is perverse. 8. What do you think, future holds for Taliban? Sharon: I can’t account for the Taliban’s excessive brutality but for some reason I cling to this idea that they are more ignorant than despicable – the inverse of how I feel about Al Qaeda, who I feel are more despicable than ignorant. I do acknowledge that this is probably just wishful thinking on my part. 9. What are your other interests? How are you able to snatch out time for other things? I would appreciate if you can share your working and lifestyle with us. Sharon: Well, I have the responsibilities that you would expect of a dutiful Indian daughter-in-law. Because my children are past the age of really needing me, however, I can’t say I’m really bogged down on the home front. I travel quite a bit to India these days as my husband has a lot of business there. I think I’ve been to India four times in the past year alone. Then I was just there in August and expect to back in October. 10. Where do you see yourself after five years? I mean, any dreams, or plans for the coming future? Sharon: I hope I write another book, a novel. It’s taken me years to get to a place where I could afford to write and I don’t want to blow the opportunity. 11. Any parting words of wisdom, you’d like to leave for our readers? Sharon: Be someone people can rely on. 12. Finally, we would like to have your thoughts on the Instablogs News Network and all its related sites. Which one is your favorite? Sharon: Well yours of course, Pooja! [Yes I knew it ] Quick bits: 1. What is the best/worst feeling in the world? Sharon: Feeling connected – perhaps because I’ve never been hungry or sick I suppose. 2. If you had to walk in another person’s shoes for a day, it would have to be? Sharon: On Tuesday, the sixth anniversary of 9/11, I got to thinking what if I could have been Ziad Jarrah, one of the hijackers? What if I had been him that day and instead of listening to a bunch of serial killers in Afghanistan I had found the courage to heed my own conscience? How many people would still be alive had I been able to walk in his shoes that day? Or had Ziad Jarrah been able to walk in the shoes of any of the thousands of victims he created? 3. If you could choose to make a dream come true, it would be? Sharon: I’d like to go to the Fesitval of the Desert in Mali and to Swat Valley in Pakistan, areas I have discovered tracking jihad – these are places where Al Qaeda is suspected to be hiding. I do think I’ll wait, however, until the jihad movement is over as another dream is to live long enough to see my kids get married, have kids, and even see their kids have kids too. I’d like to be a great grandmother one day, though an able-bodied one! 4. What is your favorite word or phrase? Sharon: Fantabulous – yes, I know, very corny but I like to be effusive. 5. Who is the most important person in your life? Sharon: My husband. 6. What would you like to accomplish in life that you haven’t yet? Sharon: Well, because I don’t think I can eradicate world poverty or reverse global warming, I’d be happy to learn a new language. Wow! This certainly is an amazing interview, thank you Sharon for sparing out time in doing a rendezvous, with us, it is greatly appreciated; also, I’d like to wish you success for all your future endeavors

She can not walk in Australian airports if she is wearing scarf, the hijab that covers a woman’s hair and neck. Keeping in mind the security measures at airports, Australian Federal government wants to ban wearing Muslim scarf, particularly the niqab and the burka that conceal the person from head to toe. This is not the first time when Muslim head wear is target of any Western country. Earlier in 2004, France banned Islamic headscarves at schools. In muslim community, Some women cover with the hijab, others with the niqab. The hijab is a headscarf used to cover the head and neck, while the niqab covers everything except the eyes. The Australian security officials are especially concerned by two other very concealing types of scarf, the niqab and the burka because woman wearing it can not be identified as her face is covered. The former British cabinet minister Jack Straw has also said that Muslim women should not cover their faces while going out. Australia’s Immigration Minister Kevin Andrew is consulting with securities officials over the implementation of the new plan. Via: news.com

Iraq has been in the news ever since 2001. With the country being in the state of a perpetual war, women and children suffer the most, both, in social and economic aspects. Amidst such a climate, the atmosphere in Iraq is not very friendly, especially for women, who face threats not only from the militants and frenetic gangs who go looting Iraq, but also from their own family. The recent news of a murder of nineteen year old girl by her in-laws, just because she had an unknown number in her mobile phone, for the sake of honor, shows how blatant their idea about religion is. All the more, since Sharia law is incorporated in the constitution, the government is only able to sit and watch such crimes. This is true not only of Iraq, but many other middle-east countries. We all have memories of Taliban. But many other Middle East countries face these kinds of problems. A reason for such incidents is degeneration of the country itself ravaged by wars and suffering from many social evils. There is an unending fear factor in these countries, for most of these countries never know what peace is, because of which they fear change and stick to old laws trying to implement it. Many women in these countries are denied education- Afghanistan is still reeling under pressure. Some of the sects of Islam even prescribe rules and conducts for women, which they have to compulsorily abide by like the dress codes; laws regarding marriage seem quite absurd and many such forbidden laws preventing social upliftment of women. Any women emancipation program is derogatory to these people, for they are fearful of their own society, religion and world around-that seems too progressive to Islamic fundamentalists. And politics is so corrupt that there are hardly any leaders to curb the hard core fundamentalists and fanatics who make laws as they wish to keep women under control, denying them even basic freedom. The governments should first try to absolve tribal Islamic laws. It is such fundamentalists who are responsible for such honor killings and gang rape, for they try to make it legal. Some of the political governments are either in alliance with them or are silent, too bothered about their own household and their votes. Pakistan – where women are supposed to be free (though many of them suffer), does not find any women activists who have recourse to power to change the tide and though India does boast of Women Emancipation, it cannot deny that there are thousands of women who die everyday fighting for their lives. Unless the fear factor is removed completely from the minds of both men and women, it is difficult that people in Iraq or elsewhere would stand up to guard their honor and dignity. Source: The Independent Image: BBC

The title may be a bit misleading, especially if one were to go by the Western interpretations of the equation between women and radical Islamist groups in Middle East. Obviously the ground realities do not portray a very cheerful picture and, to some extent, feed such negative interpretations. However, women empowerment and radical Islam is a complex equation, which is changing, and from the looks of it for good. True enough, women in more pluralistic and tolerant societies like Egypt, Beirut and Lebanon are seeking to enhance their roles in societies – demanding greater say in decision making and changing status quo on women’s rights vis-a-vis Islam. But the interesting fact is that it is not the secular and liberal groups that are providing a forum for women but conservative groups like Hezbollah (Lebanon) and the Muslim Brotherhood (particularly in Egypt). Hence, the ‘anomaly’ in title. And yet the reasons for such an inconsistency are quite understandable. While the conservative groups tend to derive support from the Western lobbies, radical groups try to garner support from amongst the masses. Hence the latter tend to be more legitimate and popular. Also, the liberal groups tend to side with the West on most issues (including terrorism and Islam), thereby eroding their support base in society, which is still of conventional mindset. However, the biggest reason for Shias to suddenly pitch in for women has to do with changing political scenarios. Over the past decade or so, several radical groups have stepped into political mainframe. Democratic setup has meant that these groups must actively solicit support of women to ensure a broader cadre and voter-group. The result is that several women have come to the fore as leaders. The women in such organizations are entrusted with the tasks of reaching out to female voters and even running for offices, if need arises. Enhanced roles in political outfits, albeit radical ones, has meant that women in general, too, are beginning to challenge their accepted roles in society. Read the story of Ghazwa Farahat, Hezbollah-affiliated woman who won municipal elections in Beirut, to notice how such groups can actively pursue women and ask men to abide by their decisions. As a matter of fact, Hezbollah recognizes and promotes women’s rights, more so than other fundamental groups. Similar is the case with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Such developments can go a long way in improving the lot of Muslim women around the world. These developments are sure to give a jolt to the rigid interpretation of Western commentators on the role of women in Islamist organizations. It is bound to make them give due regard to the cultural, political and economic backgrounds while embarking on any sort of analysis. But more importantly so, such developments will go a long way in ensuring a broad base for feminist movements in Middle East, something which the so called liberals cannot do alone. Via Image Watch

Over the years, in every religious society, women have always been considered as physically and mentally subordinate and unproductive to men. The trend might have reduced somewhat in the 21st century due to the advent of media, women commissions, NGOs, human rights organisations, etc, but we find reports of widespread violence against the ‘creators of life’, particularly in the backward and developing nations. This particular article would concentrate on the current conditions of women in the Bangladeshi society. As Bangladesh is predominantly an Islamic society, the country’s day to day activities are guided by Islam’s holy teachings. But the role of women in the society is still a major point of concern for the civilized world as it is in some other countries, like India, Pakistan, Iran and many other midle-eastern and south-east Asian countries. Before going on to the general treatment of women in Bangladesh, let us concentrate on Islam’s exact teachings on the role of women in the society. The great Prophet was himself a pillar of respect for women. He was the protector of female integrity, beauty, divinity and above all social rights. In his teachings he clearly indicated that women should be free from religious pejudice, political manipulations and social and personal injustice. But as Islam started spreading allover the world, different regional cultures depicted and manipulated the Prophet’s holy teachings according to local beliefs and traditions and as a result women bacame largely the victims of these age-old human beliefs. In Bangladesh, discrimination against the women is largely due to some inherent and common social and religious factors. Similar to their Indian and Pakistani counterparts (Muslims and non-Muslims alike), the Bangladeshi women have been subjected to unjust local social taboos and norms. People still follow the ancient belief that women should only be considered as child-bearers and housewives and as a result they are discriminated against by parents, husbands and sons throughout their lives. Lack of education of women has certainly played a part in the widespread discrimination. The country’s literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world with women being the most illiterate. As a result employment opportunities for women get heavily affected making them firmly dependable on their husbands, which on many occasions result in domestic violence. Poverty is another major reason for the existence of this social crime. Although the situation has somewhat improved in the cities and towns, large-scale economic pressure in various rural regions drive the families into domestic violence against women due to non-performance of dowry obligations on the girls’ sides. The Bangladeshi government, over the years, has made sincere efforts in reducing the crime against women by introducing stringent laws regarding women welfare. Although there is some progress, many of the guilty party escape tough punishments due to the influence of popular religious leaders and corrupt judicial setting. But there is some hope for the women of Bangladesh and of the world in general. Increase of education is one of the most important ways in curbing the social scourge as proper education helps in eradicating rigid social and religious taboos. In addition to this the rise of both governmental and international social welfare organisations is helping in dealing with the situation. Image Credit: Washington Post Via: The New Nation

Post Saddam Hussain’s hanging, things haven’t changed much and a new phenomenon is grappling Iraq, with a new trend emerging with the rise in the number of widows. One such widow is Suad Rzuki Aboud who lost her husband, three sons and a son-in-law when their family bakery was blown off by the Sunni militia. She says: I was pleading for anyone to help. No one came. One of the reasons attributed to this could be the never-to-end violence in the country which gives birth to many widows each day. The skyrocketing prices of the essential commodities coupled with the poverty in the country makes it difficult for the upbringing of the children by a single mother. As if that wasn’t enough, the US–backed constitutional changes gives each religious sect to determine its own set of rules concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody. Maysoon Al-Damluji, a secular member of Iraq’s parliament is of the view that Article 41 of Iraq’s new constitution is ‘a recipe for disaster.’ The social stigma associated with such a woman in a ‘hardline’ society makes doubles her difficulties. In the eyes of society, women always need a man to protect them and keep them straight. There is still some social stigma about a woman being on her own. The dogma surrounding such widows has reached such new proportions that family members often fake the identity of their kin. One such unfortunate widow was Nuha Farai, who lost her husband 20 days after she tied the knots, whose in-laws, in an desperate attempt to inherit government pension, faked his status as single! The aftermath of the bloodshed has left these widows with a very few choices with some even resorting to prostitution and others taking up begging on the streets of the city. It was only this week that the Sunni militants gunned down three such widows in a country where such professions are treated as immoral. Source: USA Today