We're quick to criticize Muslim men in the Middle East for their terrible oppression of women. Women are denied educations, forced into marriages, not allowed to work, and occasionally even murdered with no consequences. In the most conservative Islamic countries, women aren't even allowed to be seen by any man but their husband.But that's only in third-world countries far, far away, right? Surely Muslims in America and Britain don't subscribe to such sexist, oppressive nonsense. Right?
Wrong.
The Muslim Council of Britain has stated women must wear veils. Better yet, they're not even allowed to debate it. It is a "shortcoming" for a woman to show her uncovered face, and any Muslim who disagrees is rejecting Islam.
The Council cites a statement from the Holy Qur'an:
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, that they should have any option in their decision when Allah and his Messenger have decreed a matter."My first thought on reading this was, "This must be some extremist group." I know Britain has its share of extremists, so it seemed logical that this was just another statement from some small group of radicals.
But I was wrong. The Muslim Council of Britain is the main representative of Britain's 2.8 million Muslims. It's the same group that received significant funding from the government, and to which the British government turns for advice on Islamic issues.
If the largest and most respected council of Muslims in Britain believes in and advocates the oppression of women, how can Islam ever move forward? Do Muslims worldwide truly believe that laws their prophet laid down over a thousand years ago are completely unchangeable? Do they believe these laws cannot even be interpreted differently as the world changes?
Islam claims to be a religion of peace, but what does peace mean if women are denied basic human rights and men are considered so untrustworthy that they can't be trusted to be alone with a woman?
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living in britian myself and in a very multicultural city i refute this article!
ReplyDeletethere are only a hand full of muslim women at any given time that wear that veil.
alot of the women wear headscrafs, WHICH are certainly not a veil.
Lottie - you may be right that you rarely see a Muslim woman wearing a veil. But you can't refute the fact that the most influential Islamic group in Britian has claimed that all Muslim women must wear veils.
ReplyDeleteIn every country where Islamic forces have infiltrated the government, it has gone very badly for women. Islam is growing in Europe and Great Britian. Will YOU be ordered to wear a veil some day?
The problem in Britain is that any fair criticism of religion is grouped with the actions of extremist far-right groups like the British National Party. The public can't see a middle-ground.
ReplyDelete"It is not for a believer, man or woman, that they should have any option in their decision when Allah and his Messenger have decreed a matter."
ReplyDeleteWell hasn't Allah, as 'Creator', already decreed by design that veils are not necessary. If they were, wouldn't he have created women who would grow them organically.
PMSL.
The decisions of Muslim Council of Britain are by no means reflective of the true Islam and it is very wrong and in fact IGNORANT to say that this is what Islam is! These very Islamophobic sentiments have led to a clash of civilizations in the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteThe 'terrible oppression of women. Women are denied educations, forced into marriages, not allowed to work, and occasionally even murdered with no consequences' are purely cultural relics of these third world countries. We are doing to Muslims what we did to the Jewish community.
Please help them integrate in our society by letting them live with us with full rights and let's not be Nazi bigots.
We colonized them and subjected them to slavery and never let them succeed whilst we flourished on their blood and flesh! It's our time to return it and if nothing else let's make this world a better place for ALL of us! Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims.. YES Europe welcomes and loves you all...!
Ümaiř,
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, I strongly assert that you are wrong when you state the following: “[…] it is very wrong and in fact IGNORANT to say that this is what Islam is!” Perhaps the Muslim Council of Britain doesn’t reflect all of Islam, but to deny that women are second-class citizens is to deny reality. This is not intended as a slap against Islam because we see the very same misogynist behavior right here with American Christians. I am sorry but for those people who adhere to the tenets of reason and science to listen to others fighting over which myth is the true myth is, quite frankly, frightening.
Then, you drop this one on us: “The 'terrible oppression of women. Women are denied educations, forced into marriages, not allowed to work, and occasionally even murdered with no consequences' are purely cultural relics of these third world countries.” All of these things are done under the name Islam; do you deny this? You call them relics but they are happening in the world right now, so to call them relics is simply wrong and, as you say, IGNORANT. In many countries, including my own, women have been turned into nothing more than chattel and baby factories for insecure little men. These nasty little grubby-handed men are pathetic and vile and they deserve every bit of scorn and disdain the world has shown. I don’t care if they’re Islamic, Mormon, Catholic, or Jewish; indeed, people who treat other people this way are less then human.
Furthermore, I wholeheartedly disagree with the following statement: “We are doing to Muslims what we did to the Jewish community.” I think we can both agree that this is an entirely absurd statement – one that really doesn’t deserve further comment. However, this statement I think you have hit the nail right on the head (if you’ll excuse my American idiom): “Please help them integrate in our society by letting them live with us with full rights and let's not be Nazi bigots.” Yes, this would indeed be wonderful but it rarely works this way. It is expected that the host culture make every accommodation for them, but women still walk around the streets of Britain wearing the Burqa. There isn’t any other way to put it: this is simply reprehensible! We need to start treating women with the respect they deserve, for it would be a lonely and dark world without them.
I would love to live in a world where we accepted one another, but we don’t and religious people are the worst. They all claim to “know” the truth but you don’t. Religion is usually full or poorly educated people are willing to deny defending their favorite deity; to be sure, many religious people in the US aren’t any different from the Muslim brethren, but like Britain, the United States will not allow such criminal activity. Muslims need to stop this nonsense and allow other people to disagree with them; otherwise, we will be forced to live like poor Kurt Westergaard. In the end, you can attempt to marshal every defense for the Islamic faith but it is as questionable as Christianity, so I highly recommend that you think about accepting an evidence-based mental framework.
Well, if muslims are not OK with this order from the Council, they shoud stand up and say so. Not to cause conflict, but to defend their right to speak for themselves. If they really want muslims to be seen in a different, more benevolent light, they MUST SPEAK UP against these misoginistic pseudo-representatives.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! It's a built-in excuse to say that this-or-that group isn't representative of the whole. All the while women are being subjected to the worst humankind has to offer. As far as I am concerned, I think it is tragic how we treat our fellow human beings - our "womenkind."
I am no more than 17 years muslim girl, I wear the hijab but not the veil and i graduated June 12,2011 two days ago and looking forward to study in architecture. It's really sad that until this moment islam is thought to be a religion that forces and oppresses women when i make most of my choices just like any teenager my age any where around the world. we always find it easier to criticize a religion just because it's way far away from our beliefs. I advise the author of this article to not just read what the religion teaches but understand it. you are not giving yourself a chance to understand because you are just reading to criticize. The scarf is a matter of choice, i chose to put my scarf and if you have any questions regarding my religion if you are willing to give yourself a chance to understand it. I have no problem with being contacted at my email sweethearted92@hotmail.com.
ReplyDeleteAUTHOR CRAIG A. JAMES . . . still actively valid?
ReplyDeleteI am a British subject who became Muslim in 1996.
If currently active - I would like to add a comment . . .
Anon - yes, you can comment, but comments on these older blogs are moderated. Your comment won't appear until I moderate it, which I do at least once a day. I look forward to your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIslam DOES NOT ADVOCATE THE WEARING OF THE VEIL! the interpretation of quranic verses mainly by so called male scholars has led to generatiosn of cultural traditions that have somehow decreed dress for women based on religious endorsement. indeed if one read the passages quoted that allegedly support veiling, they will find that there is a responsibility placed on BOTH MEN AND WOMEN to dress APPROPRIATELY and THIS TO BE DONE PRIMARILY WHEN IN SUBMISSION TO ALLAH (PRAYER). unfortunately, due to the history of divisions and differences in Islam (which can be found in any religion) those SECTS of islam that do value a more progressive and less literal interpretation of the Quran are ridiculed. this is a shame and unfortunately, something that will continue.
ReplyDelete