They’re invaded, beat, brutalized: a consequence of not covering the bodies ordained to them. They’re stuck in their homes, forbidden to drive, or travel without a male presence: a situation arising from the pairing of two Xs. Loathsome in description, heinous in implementation, this is seen to some as Islam. The inability to comprehend the idea of Islam is evident among many - especially in regards to women's rights. An unfortunate consequence of Islamic nations' negligence, women face problems of limited rights and degrading laws, which demonstrate a misconstrued view of Islam and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Women are oppressed, denied rights. They are degraded, refused freedom: and all of these claims are true, completely accurate. These are things often seen in many Islamic nations, however these are not things ordained by Islamic teachings.
The topic of hijab (head scarf), for example, is one typically misunderstood, not only in the case of non-Muslims, but severely so in the case of many leaders who claim Islam as their decree. The first emergence of veiling in Islam was revealed to the Prophet in reference to his wives. It was stated in the Quran "O believers, enter not the dwellings of the Prophet, unless invited…. And when you ask of his wives anything, ask from behind a hijab. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts" . In this case, the hijab is not referring to clothing, but a sort of screen to protect the privacy of the women. It is an indication of their elevated status, as the prophet's wives, as leaders, as the people who hold the sacred knowledge of Islam and were continuously consulted in regards to it by many members of the community. It was later revealed, “O Prophet! Say unto your wives, and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their 'Jilbab' (long, loose dress); so that they will be known and not be abused". The purpose of the hijab is meant to be an identifier of the woman, displaying her as a Muslim, and guarding her from the wandering eyes of strangers. It is meant as an indicator of respect, a symbol of protection. These descriptions would exhibit the integral theme behind hijab: safety. The fire that took place in Saudi Arabia in 2002 demonstrates that this is not the mindset held by a number of people living there. The setting of the tragedy was a Girls' School, a place where covering would not be necessary to implement. However upon arrival of the Religious Police, known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, when the unveiled girls were spotted, they were beaten to prevent them from leaving the building. These police, these Preventers of Vice, these Promoters of Virtue left the girls in the school, to burn to death. And the results were the charred corpses of fifteen schoolgirls. In no way can this be viewed as Islam and in no way can this be related back to the Quran, to the Prophet. It is nothing but evil, evil shamelessly and falsely excused under the name of Islam by misogynistic leaders of a corrupt rule.
Throughout the Prophet's life he fought for the rights of woman at a time when they had close to none. The advances he provided for women were among the first in the history of humanity. However, his death and the succession of new leaders drastically diminished his attempts. In the Prophet's time, female infanticide was heavily practiced. Prophet Muhammad not only banned the practice, he promoted the opportunity of having daughters where in Hadith (or the Prophet's teachings) it is stated that he said "Anyone who has...daughters and provides for them, clothes them and shows mercy to them will definitely enter the Garden." The love of daughters, of women, the regard to their rights, was something for once celebrated and granted blessings, highly contrasting the typical hostility toward women at the time, and demonstrating attempts to constitute change. Before the Prophet, women were seen as property to men, with no say in their choice of spouse and limited financial security, the groom's dowry not in the possession of his wife but rather her male relatives. Prophet Muhammad brought an end to these practices by giving women rights to inherit property as well as the opportunity to enter masjids and pray. They were given the rights to independent property, divorce, and testifying in court. He made seeking knowledge a duty for every Muslim, male and female. These were immense leaps forward for women.
Under Umar bin Al- Khattab, one of the successors of Prophet Muhammad, we see the beginning of the deterioration in women's lives. With the intention of keeping women safe, they were prevented from praying in masjids. Eventually this denial was exaggerated to further restrictions and they were forced to veil and forbidden from interaction with men. His successors built on to create even further limitations. Women's right to seek knowledge was stripped: in Saudi Arabia women are denied education in engineering and law fields. In the Indian providence of Kashmir, veiling was demanded of, and those who did not comply were responded to with acid thrown into their faces. The idea of a mehram, or male companion, typically referred to when dealing with traveling, was formed in a time of war and banditry, to provide a source of safety for women. This, however was taken out of context and morphed into an imprisonment, and women in many nations are not allowed to travel without a mehram and in Saudi Arabia are denied even driving rights. At this point we see the abandonment of protections and the formation of restrictions. We see the abandonment of the rights granted by the Prophet. We see the abandonment of Islamic customs. And this continued and continues to ensue for hundreds of years.
"All people are equal, as equal as the teeth of a comb. There is no claim of merit of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of white over a black person, or of a male over a female. Only God-fearing people merit a preference with God." These are the words of the Prophet Muhammad himself, what he emphasized, what he believed, and what Islam presents. Any claim against this truth has not seen the revelations, the teachings in the Quran, and in the Hadith that the Prophet provided. They are not to be confused with the nations who claim to represent Islam. It is a false claim, and the real answers can be found at the origin: the Prophet and the Quran.
