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Womens rights in Islam:
RIGHT TO RELIGION: “There is no compulsion in religion†2:256. A man can marry a Muslim woman, Christian woman, or Jewish woman and she has every right to practice her faith, and cannot be forced to convert. It should also be mentioned that women are not blamed for the “fall of man†as they are in Christianity.
RIGHTS TO CHILDREN: Generally speaking, should there be a divorce; the wife is entitled to the children until they are old enough to make the decision they may choose which parent to reside with. Birth control is permitted in Islam as a means of family planning – it is forbidden in Christianity.
REVOLUTIONARIES: The first person to accept Islam at the time of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was a woman, the first person to stand up for their faith and be persecuted for it (killed) was a woman.
SEXUAL RIGHTS: A women must gain sexual gratification in intimacy, it is her right. There is also a chapter of Quran specifically mentioning the clitoris and how it should not be removed as it is for the pleasure of the woman (Al-Tabarani 2-272.) Not one of you should fall upon your wife like an animal; but let there first be a messenger between you.†“And what is that messenger?†they asked, and he replied: “Kisses and words.â€
RIGHTS TO MONEY: A man pays the woman a bridal gift (dowry) of her choice at the time of marriage. Any money earned by the woman is solely hers and she needs not contribute any of it to the home or husband as all financial obligations fall on the husband. Shall the husband want to buy something for himself, he must first offer to spend equal money towards his wife and his children before buying something for himself. If a woman choses not to work and to stay at home to raise the children, the husband must accept this. Afterall, it is HER choice, not his.
Why the scarf?
“And tell the believing women to…protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils all over breasts and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or women…â€
[al-Noor 24:31]
Adornment– This means beauty. We cover our beauty so as not to display it to those who are not family. With only the right people seeing it, we are treated as humans and not objectified. We are judged for who we are not what we look like.
The scarf, serves the purpose of showing our values, of being modest and not displaying beauty, it creates a barrier between women and men, it demands a man appreciate her not her womanly parts.
The scarf is a concept found and originated both within Christianity and Judaism, however mostly followed by those who devote their entire lives to God.
Islam and violence:
To kill is as if you have killed all of mankind, but to save a life is as if you have saved the lives of all mankind. (Quran 5:32)
"Those who believe in the Quran, and those who follow the Jewish scriptures, and the Christians...and all who believe in God and the last day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Qur'an, 2:62)
Some Muslims consider the Qur’an — the Islamic holy text — to be the Bible’s Third Testament. They believe the Qur’an was dictated by God through the Angel Gabriel, to the Prophet Mohammad, who lived in the 7th Century. The Qur’an includes summaries of stories from the Bible's Old and New Testaments, beginning with Adam and Eve to the Day of Judgment.
Islam honors the ancient Jewish prophets, and additionally, Jesus, Mohammad, and Ismael.
Every Muslim (as any Christian) is taught to honor Jesus as Messiah, born to Mary of virgin birth, but rejects (as do Jews) a trinity of gods. Disbelievers are considered those who believe in gods, as opposed to one God (singular).
Muslims (believers in Islam) are fervently monotheistic. They consider Mohammad a human instrument of God, or a messenger, and the last prophet (though not the only prophet).
Some interesting facts:
77.64 of every 100,000 women are raped every year in Canada, while 0.27 of every 100,000 women are raped every year in Saudi Arabia. (Stats from 2002 UN research study.) Note 60% of sexual assults go unreported.
4 times as many women covert to Islam than men.
The establishment of Islam brought the prohibition of female infanticide practiced by the people of the time.
Women were given the right to vote and be a witness thousands of years before any other women.
Allah means “Godâ€. The Quran was revealed in Arabic and God is “Allah†in Arabic. However, it is the same God Christians and Jewish believe in.
1400 yrs ago Islam decreed women's total financial independence, their right to own and dispose of property without the surveillance or control of any man, to conduct business, trade and all the transactions concerning their profit and loss, including the execution of deeds of gift, without having to check with anyone. As it is written in the Sura IV Nisa'a-"The Women" verse 33
A boy once asked the Muhammad (peace be upon him) who is more deserving of his good company, his father or mother, and it was responded three times “your motherâ€.