By: Dr. Asad U Khan
The oppression of women is a global phenomenon and so it is reasonable
to say that it is a global concern. The desire by western feminists to
show concern and enter in the foray for Muslim women appears
reasonable and not imperialistic as suggested by some.
Recently a Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussain was fined $200, later
sent to prison for wearing pants at a public place. The punishment for
this crime according to Sudan's sharia laws includes public flogging
of women.
Andrew Brown in Guardian News Paper questioned why the Pakistani and
Bangladeshi Muslim women in the UK are the poorest and least employed;
is this because of racism, or religion or some combination of both.
The Quilliam Foundation of the UK in their survey rejected that
religion or racism were the causes for this disparity. The reasons
given by women were cultural and family traditions of being
stay-at-home mothers.
In Europe, Burqa furor scrambles; especially French politics according
to Steven Erlanger. The French discomfort with organized religion date
backs to the French revolution against the church. The Muslim women's
dress code reminds them of the repression of women of that era.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has joined the call to ban the Burqa in the
French Republic. He also thinks that Muslim women's head scarf is an
issue of liberty and the dignity of women.
For many French Muslims the entire discussion is an embarrassment and
an incitement to racial and religious hatred. The argument to ban the
head scarf in the name of' 'cultural integration' is often expressed
as open hostility towards the non-Judeo-Christian immigrants.
Throughout Europe there has been loud and at times, a racist debate
about Muslim women, should they be allowed to wear the head dress
while at work etc., and various bans have been enacted in several
jurisdictions.
In Germany, 8 of the 16 federal states have laws against head scarves.
In Sweden, Nyamko Sabuni, the Minister for Integration and Equality
wants all girls checked for evidence of female circumcision, and
criminalize arranged marriages. The Minister Sabuni who is from
African descent wants Muslim immigrants to integrate, and Muslim girls
to grow like other children in Sweden.
For the western feminist to assume that the Muslim head scarf is the
symbol of oppression is unfair and simplistic. The head scarf carries
a different meaning for each Muslim woman. The primary and common
motive for the scarf is the expression of modesty, but it also
represents many different things such as their Muslim identity,
cultural independence and empowerment
One important lesson learned from the history of the civil rights
movement is that whenever there was an expansion in racial, sexual,
political rights and liberties it was because the people themselves
struggled against them to win their rights.
Muslim society has to come to grip that most of the issues facing
Muslim women are cultural and not part of the Islamic faith; these
include the wearing of the head scarf or Burqa, sex segregation,
killing of women for the supposed honour of the family etc.
Muslim women face multiple human rights issues and they need guidance
and support from their community leaders and western feminist sisters,
but these issues can be only addressed from inside and a solution
cannot be imposed from the outside.
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