George Mikhail
English 1: 12:30 TWTH
Dr. Linda Palumbo

			A Deprived Minority

	Throughout the world, we have many various religions and creeds. Some are great in the number of believers, others are very small. Islam is perhaps the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam is not a new religion.  It is believed to have the same message and guidance which God revealed to all His previous messengers. "Say:  'We believe in Allah and that which was revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to the Prophets from their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.'" (Qu'ran 3:83) The message which was believed to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad is Islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form. Every action done with the awareness that it fulfills the Will of God is considered an act of worship in Islam.  But, it is the specific acts of worship termed the Pillars of Islam which provide the framework of Muslim spiritual life. All Muslims share five basic beliefs, or the Five Pillars of Faith. These Pillars of faith include the Declaration of Faith and prayers that are prescribed five times a day as a duty towards God.  The Declaration of Faith is as follows:  "I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God (Allah), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." The prophethood of Muhammad obliges Muslims to follow his exemplary life in every respect. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is also a Pillar of Faith. this means abstention from food, beverages, and sex from dawn to sunset, and curbing evil intentions and desires. It teaches love, sincerity, and devotion.  It develops patience, unselfishness, social conscience, and willpower to bear hardship. The fourth Pillar of Faith is the Zakah. The Zakah is a proportionately fixed contribution collected from the surplus wealth and earnings of the Muslim.  It is spent on the poor and needy in particular, and the welfare and infrastructure of the society in general.  The payment of Zakah purifies one's income and wealth and helps to establish economic balance and social justice in the society. The last Pillar of Faith is the Hajj, or pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Islam is believed to enjoin faith in the oneness and sovereignty of God, which creates an awareness of the unity and meaningfulness of the universe and of man's place in it.  This belief frees man from all fears and superstitions by making him conscious of the presence of Almighty God and of man's obligations to Him. But, this realization must be expressed and tested in action. Faith alone is not enough.  Belief in one God requires that Muslims look upon all humanity as one family under the universal omnipotence of God; the Creator and Nourisher of all. Islam rejects the idea that there is a "chosen people," making pure intention, faith in God, and good deeds the only way to heaven.  Thus a direct relationship to be established with God, open to all alike, without any discrimination or intercession. However, women in Islam are not taken into consideration when it comes to the belief of Islam not discriminating. Islamic tradition deprives women of certain rights that were originally granted unto to them. The Qu'ran is believed to be the last revealed word of God and the basic source of Islamic teachings and laws.  It deals with a variety of subjects including the basic beliefs of Islam, morality, worship, knowledge, wisdom, God and man's relationship, and relations among human beings. Comprehensive teachings on which sound systems of social justice, politics, economics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international relations can be built form an important part of the Qu'ran. Although Prophet Muhammad did not receive a formal education, the Qu'ran, as soon as it was revealed to him in the spoken word, was committed to writing by his secretaries.  In this way every word was written down and preserved during his lifetime by his companions.  The original and complete text of the Qu'ran is in Arabic and translations of its meaning in most known languages are available in major libraries and bookstores. The Qu'ran grants women the same rights as men. Due to the fact that the Qu'ran sets the standards and laws of Islam, Muslims should abide by it completely. I believe that women in Islam should be given the same rights as men because original Islamic teachings and texts, such as the Qu'ran, permit such freedom. Muslims have taken their religion out of the hands of God and have put them into their own. As Muhammad was believed to be the messenger of God, he wrote a book known as the Hadith. The Hadith, teachings, sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, were accurately reported and collected by his devoted companions.  They explain and elaborate the Qur'anic verses and provide an example of conduct for Muslims. However, there are many contradictions between the Qu'ran and the Hadith, especially when it comes to the issue of women's equality in Islam. The Qu'ran is believed to be from God and the Hadith from Muhammad. Why wouldn't Muslims lean more towards the book of God than towards the book of man?
	
	Women in Islam are treated as if they were much lesser beings than men. They are often separated from males and do not get the rights which were originally given to them by the authority of the Qu'ran. In Islam, there is a lot of pressure to keep safe the honor of families and respectability of women, so there are a lot of times where mixing of the sexes is not allowed. In some countries public transportation is segregated (in Muslim Sudan), but there are also places (Tunisia) where public transportation is integrated. In places like Cairo in Egypt, where it is very crowded, voluntary choices of separation are made. Public education is usually sex-segregated at elementary and secondary levels. There are male and female teachers at both levels, however the teaching of younger children usually is by females. Now, major universities (like Cairo University in Egypt) have about fifty-percent female students. At the university, students mix, but outside of university, it is much more conservative. Weddings are one of the few social events where young men and women can meet socially, talk, mildly flirt and sometimes dance even though it must be under the eyes of watchful adults. Because of this, weddings are very popular events and tend to be very large social affairs. Male-female dating is forbidden. Meeting at a cafes or restaurants is not proper. Movie-going is a male form of recreation, but some theaters have special sections for unescorted females during daytime hours. Male-female friendship occurs with brothers and sisters. Usually not with husband and wife because in Islam they do not marry for closeness. Husbands and wives do not walk down the street holding hands. Women spend long hours socializing. They visit in each other's homes. Usually no subject is forbidden. Marriages can be arranged during these meetings. Compared to Western Cultures, women do not have many rights or privileges. The father or husband has final say in all matters. Tradition forbids Muslim women to marry non-Muslims. The Qu'ran permits a man to have as many as four wives. Divorce is much easier for men. Men are managers of women's affairs. After marriage, a woman must obey her husband, her father-in-law, and her mother-in-law. Women could bring dishonor to family much more easily than men could. Women are expected to stay secluded within the house. They have to cover faces with veils so men other than their husbands don't see their faces. Women use separate entrances, eat from separate plates, and eat at different times. Finally, women only eat in the company of other women. In studying about the life of women under Islamic conditions, we, as Americans, feel that even though some women think it is good, we would not like it at all. In my opinion, it is both restrictive and unfair. Islam does not necessarily encourage men's superiority but yet, the followers and believers believe that this is the way it should be. Islamic tradition has always encouraged men's superiority, while the Qu'ran just requires women to respect their husbands, it does not say anything about prostrating to their husband or fulfilling her husbands desires at once, as the Hadith states. Since men are physically stronger than women, women cannot take action towards reformation in Islam. It would be, in a sense, Islamic blasphemy and the consequence would be death. Islam is a very strict religion and tends to be based on tradition more than actual law of the religion. This should be changed in order for women to be recognized as equal figures to men. Islamic tradition also sees men as the salvation of women. In Hadith 868, "The prophet once said to a woman: 'Watch how you treat your husband for he is your Paradise and your Hell.'" This passage indicates that obedience to the husband is the key to paradise. I find this phrase very offensive, due to the fact that man decided whether his wife will be rewarded in heaven or punished in hell. All the woman's piety is considered useless if she disobeys her husband. Her obedience to her husband is the key to Paradise as is clear from the above passage. Christianity, however, has a completely different perspective on the social and spiritual status of women. Since Islamic tradition is mainly based on the actions of Muhammad, I wish he had granted the female more than her mere right to life. Evidently she was given hardly any rights to protect her and uphold her dignity and worth in the eyes of Islamic society. For we have seen earlier in our discussion how Islam, definitely lowers women's station in society. Even the Prophet himself declared that woman is deficient, both mentally and religiously.
	
	Although women are seen as a step below men in Islamic society, there are some advantages and positive things about it. According to the Qu'ran, a woman is as vital to life as man. Foreign cultures and alien influences brought about the question as to woman's importance. Rights and responsibilities are equal to man, but not identical with them. Equality and sameness are two quite different things. Equality is desirable, just, fair, but sameness is not. Had woman's status been identical to man, she would simply be a duplicate of him. Islam recognizes woman as an independent personality. A woman is recognized by Islam as a full and equal partner of man in procreation of humankind. She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsibilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds. She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge. Muhammad declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim male and female. She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as man is. Women participate in public life, especially in times of emergencies. Women used to accompany armies engaged in battles to nurse the wounded, prepare supplies, serve the warriors, and so on. They were not shut behind iron bars. Islam grants woman equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and possess independently. Her life, her property, her honor are as sacred as those of man. Man does get more property inheritance than women, but it is logical because the man is solely responsible for complete maintenance of his wife and family. Woman has no financial responsibilities, she is financially secure and provided for. If she is a wife, the husband is responsible. If she is a daughter, her father is responsible. If she is a sister, then her brother is responsible. If she has no relations, then males in society must care for her. When the woman gets less than man,  she is not actually deprived of anything that she has worked for. If property is divided equally, it would be unfair to man, who actually earned it. He has more social responsibilities, so he deserves more. In bearing witness to contracts, woman is not as experienced, so of course men need to do it. Because of this lack of experience, two women must do what only one man needs to do. A woman has privileges that man does not. She is exempt from all financial responsibilities, and she exempt from some religious duties. As a mother she has more recognition and higher honor in the eyes of God. She is entitled to 3/4 of her son's love and kindness with 1/4 left for the father. She is entitled to complete provision and total maintenance by the husband. She does not have to work or share with her husband the family expenses. Women get to be completely covered to protect themselves from embarrassment. The veil is called the veil of honor, dignity, chastity, purity and integrity. This veil saves her soul from weakness, her mind from indulgence, her eyes from lustful looks, and her personality from demoralization. Islam says that God decides what is fair and just. He knows best what is good for woman and what is good for man.
	
	As one may argue that a woman has an individual personality but yet she is equal, I can prove that false. According to the Qu'ran, man and woman were created equal. All of the mental and spiritual features are equal. However, the Hadith and Islamic society ignore this very obvious fact. If property is split among the man and wife, the man gets more. This is due to the fact that the husband earned most of it. Well, the reason why the husband earned most of it was because the woman never had the opportunity to go out into the world and earn her own materialistic goods. If the woman, according to original Islamic teachings, is mentally equal to man, then why is she deprived of maintaining financial responsibility? I believe this is because women are indeed, not viewed as equals in Islamic society. According to the Hadith, the woman is mentally and spiritually unstable, unlike man who is both intelligent and religious.  As woman have proven to be just as intelligent, sophisticated, and useful as men, they have falsified the present-day beliefs and traditions of Islam. Women's success negates the primary significance of the Hadith and all texts and theories after the Qu'ran. As the past has proven, many women, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote the book that started the Civil War, have had great significant impact on society. If it wasn't for Mrs. Stowe's book, the Civil War might not have occurred. If the Civil War would not have occurred, slavery might have flourished to the western parts of the United States and perhaps, would have lasted much longer. Although husbands control everything their wife or wives do, they are not allowing the woman or women to be their own person. Even though the men make all the decisions, women have the responsibility of pleasing their husband, which in some cases can be brutal! According to the Bible, man and woman were created equal, even though one was created after the other. As a Christian, I believe that God sees men and women alike. Therefore, if God sees women equal to men, humanity should have the same perspective. 

	Today's Islam has nothing to do with the Qu'ran, the only book delivered by the Prophet Muhammad. Clerical teachings and medieval collections of narration have incredibly distorted the original message. Being a researcher on the subject, I am shocked by the amount of contradiction between the traditional Islam and the teaching of the Qu'ran. Today's mainstream Islam, unfortunately, does not recognize freedom of expression and religion. It humiliates women, forces them to wear the veil and deprives them from such basic rights as divorce, education, employment, etc. Here are a sample of some well-known tradition that is narrated by Sunnis' two holy books, Bukhari and Muslim: "The intelligence and the religion of women are incomplete."  "It is said that if a monkey, a black dog, or a woman passes in front of a praying person, his prayer is nullified."  "To find a good woman among women is similar to finding a white crow among a hundred crows."  "If anybody has been required to prostrate before others beside God, the woman should prostrate before her husband." "I have been shown the dwellers of hell; the majority of them were women." "If the body of the husband is covered with pus and his wife licks it with her tongue, she still will not be able to pay her debt to him." (Passages from the Hadith). It is noteworthy that the Quranic changes in women's status are in the direction of enhancing their rights and elevating their status and dignity. In an environment where women were so devalued that female infanticide was a common and tolerated practice, the Qu'ran introduced reforms that prohibited female infanticide, permitted women for the first time to inherit, restricted the practice of polygamy, curbed abuses of divorce by husbands, and gave women the ownership of the dower, which had previously been paid to the bride's father. It is natural that contemporary Muslim feminists, when they look at the history of their religion, are very skeptical when assured that Islam, which initially aimed to remove disabilities women had suffered in pre-Islamic Arabia, provides the rationale for keeping women in a subjugated, inferior status. In many so-called Muslim countries, clergymen (Mullahs, Ulamas, Khojas, Mawlanas, etc.) are usually either the sanctifying puppets of oppressive governments or the spiritual leaders of terrorist organizations. They use God's name to justify discrimination, torture, and oppression. Their influence within the political sphere comes from their shared fate with kings, sultans, emirs and totalitarian leaders of their countries. Saudi's top clergymen, Abdul Aziz b. Ba'z, wrote a book claiming that the earth was flat and still. The book is full of references to Hadith (narration falsely attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) accompanied by murderous instructions: "If the earth is rotating as they claim, the countries, the mountains, the trees, the rivers, and the oceans will have no bottom and the people will see the eastern countries move to the west and the western countries move to the east. . .  Those who claim that the earth is round and moving around the sun are apostates and their blood can be shed and their property can be taken in the name of God." This "authoritative" book was not published by a private publishing house but, by the Islamic University of Medina, a prestigious university in modern Saudi Arabia in 1975, years after men landed on the moon. You may see this as an example of harmless nonsense or amusement. Unfortunately, for those who live in Saudi Arabia or who dare to criticize such corrupt and oppressive religious teachings, the issue is not amusing. When clerics are united, every corner of the planet might become the target of their ridiculous conclusion. If woman are truly suppose to be treated as Islamic society claims, then women are no more than slaves to men. The Qu'ran says that women are equal to men in God's eyes. But the Islamic tradition as well as the Hadith, believe different. The relationship described in Islamic society is described as the relationship between slave and master rather than the relationship between wife and husband. Since the original laws of Islam do not recognize this practice to be true, then this problem of men's superiority can indeed be changed. Even though it might take a while, women in Islam should not hesitate to take action towards reformation. Although some might be sacrificed for the sake of this issue, change will gradually occur.