Am involved in a workshop today with 2 other enlightened friends of mine on the topic of "Women & Islam". Most women, Muslims included, sometimes feel that they are marginalised and treated as second-class in this religion. This is the second run of this programme. Currently, my male asatizah friend is lecturing on "Islamic Worldview", then an Ustazah will address the topic of "Between Rights & Obligations: Women In Islam" and finally, I will be lecturing on the topic of "Marriage & Divorce In Islam".
I think this is such a wonderful programme to eradicate any mis-perceptions, or otherwise - sometimes understandable. Muslim men need to learn what their rights are from their wives, but, more importantly, what their obligations are towards them before such rights can be accorded to them. And, the reverse is equally true as well.
And another wonderful thing today is: about half of the participants are non-Muslim social workers. This is a very positive step forward indeed.
Question is:
Are we Muslims not interested?
Or are we comfortable with our lot thus far?
Do you think, as Muslim women, you are oppressed or are treated as second-class?
Please let me hear your views. I am sure some of the readers of my Blog were there today, or am a social worker who may wish to share your experiences from the ground with others in this Blog.
6 comments:
Q1 Are we Muslims not interested?
Or are we comfortable with our lot thus far?
Maybe the marketing effort about the program was not aggressive enough. Or I may be the only one in Singapore who was not aware of such interesting program (I really should read the local papers! Urgh... no - should get out of my own little universe).
Q2 Do you think, as Muslim women, you are oppressed or are treated as second-class?
Depending on the measurement standard that you live your life by. If you live your life using the "worldly / globle standard" created by man, which is obviously a very western concept, you would probably by now, have joined some kind of women liberation organizations fighting for your rights.
But if you live your life using Allah's standard, then you would obviously be laughing at all the "i-am-insecure-oppressed-victimised-woman and the self-fulfilling prophecy" activities organized by such women lib groups.
I would like to think I am living in the world according to Allah, where man and woman are equal and the what differentiates us is the strength of our iman. This gives me the confidence to face the challenges that's presented to me as a woman in this society. I am not robbed from my dignity with this standard that I live by.
I believe a lot of people have mixed cultural outcomes with religion and unfairly attribute some negative views to Islam. When I first attended a hadith course, I was very surprised to realise that our Prophet (s.a.w) had advised men to treat women like flowers. Through knowledge, I was amazed at how Allah had created women as a support for the men and how they were supposed to be taken care of and treated well. For eg. in the Indian culture a women is supposed to stay at home and do ALL the housework even if she goes to work. A woman who asks her husband to help is viewed negatively. I learned in Islam that housework is not compulsory for women and if she decided to do it for Allah and for the benefit of her family, she is rewarded! Alhamdulillah!
It also irritates me when women think covering up is a sign of oppression. By covering up, you are saved from the lustful eyes of men, lower the chances of being molested and raped. Allah who created men and women knows too well the weakness of both. By covering up, you are actually protecting yourself and how is that supposed to be a symbol of oppression? When I started wearing the 'hijab', I saw a big difference. I feel more respected now and men actually move away avoiding unnecessary contact. Definitely more secure.
Truly, men and women are not created to be equals but rather to complement each other. We have different roles to play in this earth until we meet our maker. Everybody should know about what Islam says about women and what are their rights and obligations. Then truly, everybody would realise what a beautiful religion it is.
Salam,
Thank you for sharing your profound thoughts on this issue. I wish to share the following divine verses and prophetic ahadeeth (addressed to both genders) to remind us that in the end, what differentiates between one and another, irrespective of gender, is our piety to The Almighty:
"Surely for men who submit to Allah and for women who submit to Allah, for believing men and for believing women , for devout men and devout women, for truthful men and truthful women, for steadfast men and steadfast women, for humble men and humble women, for charitable men and charitable women, for fasting men and fasting women, for men who guard their chastity and women who guard their chastity, for men who remember Allah much and for women who remember Allah much, for all of them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a mighty reward." (al-Ahzab 33:35)
"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him will We give a new life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the their actions" (an-Nahl 16:97)
"And among His signs is this: That He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for people who reflect." (ar-Rum 30:2 1)
"The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives" (Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396)
"O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company? The Prophet (saw) said, Your mother. The man said then who else: The Prophet (saw) said, Your mother. The man asked, Then who else? Only then did the Prophet (P) say, Your father. (Bukhari and Muslim).
"Paradise is at the feet of mothers." (Al'Nisa'I, Ibn Majah, Ahmad).
Not to mention that Sayyidatina Aishah (ra) reported more than 2000 ahadeeth that we apply in our lives and was regarded as one of the best teachers of Hadith, Shaykha Nafisa who was such a great authority on Hadith that Imaam Syafi'e (ra) sat in her circle. The famous mystic, Rabia al-Adawiyya (Basria) was also a woman.
And the list goes on ...
Salam,
Dear thehoopoe,
1. Well, I didn't hear about this programme, either, hmmm.. perhaps, you can start to announce such programmes via this blog? Wallahu a'alam...
2. I like your second questions but I thought that the answer is a bit more complex. When you say "Muslims", which strata of society or level of "muslim"ness are you referring to?
3. Well, again, I think, this is a bit more complex as it also involves "cultural" expectations and stereotypes of "woman" since most Muslim societies are patriarchal in nature...
Personally, because of the cultural amount of freedom via the education system given in our country, I'd say, we don't feel we are oppressed or second-class. But there are those cultures in other countries, who in trying to protect their women, became overprotective, thus, suppressing the rights of the women. However, if the women themselves don't feel oppressed as they themselves are brought up in that culture and are not exposed to other cultures, does oppression occur?
Wallahu a'alam...
Just extending the discussion a little for further thought :)
Wassalam.
Just came across this and thought it relevant:
The Prophet, to whose speech the world was enslaved, used to say, 'Speak to me, O Aisha!'
The Prophet said that women dominate men of intellect and possessors of hearts,
But ignorant men dominate women, for they are shackled by the ferocity of animals.
They have no kindness, gentleness, or love, since animality dominates thier nature.
Love and kindness are human attributes, anger and sensuality belong to the animals.
She is not your 'sweetheart'! She is the radiance of God.
Rumi
I am not sure whether the programme was open to the public or mainly to organisations and social service agencies.
One of the workshop's objectives was also to increase awareness among social service professionals with regards to Women Issues.
Attending the workshop last year was definitely enriching and being involved with discussions with non-Muslims really surfaced the disparities in understandings on these issues.
As a worker, I find it disconcerting because other social service counterparts hold on to certain perceptions about Muslim women or Muslim men or Muslim marriages and they carry it through their interventions.
InsyaAllah, continued efforts and runs of this workshop can help to increase awareness at the community level.
N yes, i still remember u flashing slides of statistics. Loads of statistics. =P
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