Muslim Women Are Finally Demanding Equality
By Kamal Nawash (03/15/05)
Something wonderful is happening in America. For the first time in 1400 years a Muslim woman will lead the prayers for a mixed gender congregation.
It has been said that an Islamic reformation will be spearheaded by American Muslims. American Muslims are among the few Muslims in the world who can freely express themselves. On Friday, March 18, in New York City, Dr. Amina Wadud will be the first Muslim woman in 1400 years to lead a public prayer and deliver the Friday sermon to men and women.
It is a generally held view in the Muslim world and among American Muslim leaders that women cannot lead mixed-gender prayers. Unfortunately, many Muslim clergy and leadership refuse to accept that a woman is or should be equal to men. This custom of segregating women and not allowing them equality in any circumstance, including in worshiping God has hindered the development of Muslim society.
These archaic rules which are made by Muslim cave-men are pervasive and go unchallenged. However, research by progressive Muslims and scholars indicate that neither the Koran nor the Prophet of Islam have ever prohibited women from leading mixed-gender prayers or from given sermons. Over the centuries, Muslim women have been deprived of their place as intellectual and spiritual leaders and this must be reversed.
It is time for progressive Muslim men to help Muslim women fight for their rights. At the same time, Muslim women must demand equality and not wait on Muslim men to finally wake up and realize that they have no right to deprive women of equality.
Equality for Muslim women is essential to the development of the Muslim world and to the defeat of extremism. Societies which are strictly patriarchal and where women have little to no input in family decision making indirectly teach children to accept authoritarian forms of government. This societal pattern encourages others to listen to the loudest voice, often the voice belongs to extremists.
Promoting societies where women are seen as independent thinking partners in a household rather than servants who merely take orders from their husbands is essential to the development of democratic rule and free societies.
The lack of equal access to opportunities for women stunts economic development in all instances. When a nation deprives women of equal opportunity that nation cannot even come close to reaching its full potential.
Unfortunately, one of the consequences of the rise of political or theocratic Islam is the curtailing of women’s rights. For this reason, The Free Muslims Against Terrorism congratulates Dr. Amina Wadud and the Progressive Muslims for their courageous leadership in challenging traditional Muslims.
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