I am still angry with Islam as a result of visiting 'Ground Zero' yesterday.
While scanning headlines this morning, I was irritated to see an article in the Arab News Daily titled, "Islam Is the Only System That Preserves the Family". The article has Bajija Ezzee, the General Secretary of the International Muslim Organization for Women and Families (IMOWF), taking up the challenge of, "... a world that seems to be targeting Muslims, particularly women". One might think that Ezzee's impression of an Islamic world under fire results from the many thousands of Muslims murdered in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, until one remembers that most all of the victims were non-Muslims while all of the perpetrators were Muslims.
The article quotes Ezzee as saying, "Islam is the only system that preserves the family unit as opposed to most Western doctrines that focus on individualism”. She continues, "We concentrate on women and their rights within the family, although our total concern is the family as a whole.” In fact, the Koran is quite clear about the relationship between women and men, and their rights with respect to each other. Consider the following verses:
"Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them, although men have a status above women. God is mighty and wise." (II.282)
"A male shall inherit twice as much as a female." (IV:11)
"Men are in charge of women because Allah has made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property. So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah has guarded. As for those from whom you fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever high exalted, great." (IV:34)
"[Forbidden to you] are married women, except those whom you own as slaves." (IV:24)
"Women are your fields: go, then, into your fields from whichever side you please." (II:223)
What remains to be explained by Ezzee, or any other Muslim for that matter, is why anyone in the West would view as a lifeline for family preservation, a religion that claims misogyny is a directive from God.
Posted by publius at February 11, 2004 04:00 PM