By Sadia Akhtar

The sexual revolution of the 1970s is said to have liberated women from the oppression of men. Yet, in 1997 we still find that women are by no means liberated at all. It seems women are still getting a raw deal in the world today a woman is raped every 2 1/2 hours, and only one out of every 100 rapists gets put in prison in England. Here in America, things are no better. Every 45 seconds a woman is sexually assaulted, a total of 700,000 victims a year are reported. A survey conducted at UCLA showed that 33 percent of male students said that they would rape a woman if they could get away with it.

In general, there has been a consensus, even among the great thinkers and leaders of the world, that women have an inferior status. The Greeks, particularly Socrates and Aristotle, were unanimous that, "the name of a woman, like her person, should be shut up in the house." Neither the Renaissance nor the Reformation brought much change for women. The great reformer, Martin Luther said, "take from women their housewifery and they are good for nothing." Rousseau, the great liberal, advocated that, "a woman's place is in the home: she should accept the husband as her master."

We could say that women are only ill-treated in the West, but the situation in the Indian subcontinent and so-called "Muslim" countries is no better. A data sheet produced by the Indian government produced shocking statistics. A woman is raped somewhere in India every 54 minutes; a case of molestation takes place every 26 minutes; a dowry death occurs every 102 minutes; a woman is kidnapped or abducted every 43 minutes. In Pakistan, a young woman called Zainab was tortured by her husband who pushed a burning rod inside her. The worst thing was that her husband was a so-called "religious" leader in the community. There is no one to report these crimes to. The law enforcement agencies are themselves known to be involved in sexual harassment. A relative of Benazir Bhutto was gang raped by a Minister's son-in-law from the opposition party.

The Muslim leaders are doing nothing to protect the honor and dignity of Muslim women. While over 100,000 Muslim women have been raped in Bosnia, the leaders have remained silent. King Fahd chose to be particularly generous; did he declare jihad? No! instead he chose to send the Muslims endless boxes of hijabs, Subhanallah! At the time when the Islamic State was in power, the Khilafah Jafr Al-Mansoor (ra) heard that a Muslim woman had been harassed by some kafirs in the Roman territory. Did he solve the situation by sending her a hijab? No! Instead he chose to send a whole army to go and burn and destroy the whole city because the Roman Emperor did not punish the criminals. He initiated a war with a superpower at the time to protect the honor of one Muslim woman, regardless of the price the Khilafah paid.

If we look at the situation over l400 years ago when Islam first came and compare it to today, the situation is not much different. The society had no respect for woman, and there were basically two types of women, the slave girls and the women who stayed in the houses. If they did go out, they were attacked, raped or abducted. It was considered that women were so inferior that their opinions were not needed. In fact, if a baby that was born was a girl, often they would be buried alive by their fathers. Islam came to emancipate women from this type of society, and to give them rights. Islam recognizes that women and men are both physic ally and mentally different, and have their own identity. They hold a position of great honor and respect. There are many ayahs and ahadith relating to this.

Jahma (ra) came and asked the Prophet (pbuh), "I seek your command to join Jihad." The Prophet (pbuh) asked him, "Is your mother alive?" He said, "yes" The Prophet (pbuh) ordered him, "Go back to her and devote yourself to her service, for Paradise (Jannah) lies under her feet." (Ibn-Majah, Nisa)

In another hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Amongst Muslims the Iman (belief) of that person is perfect whose Akhlaq (morals) are the best, and the best amongst you is he whose treatment with his wife is the best." (Tirmizi.)

Islam is neither a man nor woman-orientated Deen. It is for Mankind. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an, "O Mankind! We created you from male and female and made you into clans and tribes so you may know each other, the most honored of you in the sigh of Allah swt is the one who has more Taqwah. (Qur'an, 42: 13)

There is no single ayah in the Qur'an which addresses men (Rijal) alone. There are 65 ayahs in the Qur'an that talk about Insan (human being). There are 264 ayahs address those who believe (Amanu), 92 ayahs address An-Nas (people), 180 address males and females, and 22 ayahs address Muminat women.

Contrary to the image portrayed in the 52 so-called Muslim countries, a woman in Islam has the right to vote, to choose her husband, and to be educated. Until recently, the Christian Fathers were still debating whether women had souls, or whether women have the right to vote. Over 1400 years ago, the Prophet's (pbuh) wife Khadija was one of the most successful business people in Makkah. Nearly half the ahadith collected after the death of the Prophet (pbuh) were narrated by Hazrat Aisha. The second Khalifah used to go to seek her opinion on various issues of Shariah.

Islam guaranteed women's right women's rights over 1400 years ago. It is an honor to protect women. A woman is an individual human being, not a sex object open for the world to see and exploit. The exploitation of her physical attributes by the media would not be allowed in an Islamic State. As a daughter, she is protected and supported by her father; as a wife and mother she and her children have to be provided for by her husband. If she has neither a husband or a father, the Islamic State is fully responsible to feed, shelter and clothe her. The greatest thing for a Muslim is to go to Paradise (Jannah). A hadith states, "A man who brings up three daughters or sister, educates them, teaches them good manners, and treats them kindly till they become independent, is entitled by Allah (SWT) to enter Paradise (Jannah).: Even if a person has two daughters or sisters, the same reward is given as the hadith explains further. (Mishkat)

Contrary to popular the belief, a Muslim woman can, if she wishes, go out and work. She is not under Shariah Law obliged to give her money to her husband. In fact, if she chooses, she is allowed to ask her husband for money for breast feeding his children. A Muslim woman is employed for ber skills and not her looks. This is evident from the Islamic dress code of the women that covers her beauty and demands dignity from onlookers. A Muslim woman has a unique identity and this is recognized in the Qur'an. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an:

'And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is readily apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to reveal their adornment save to their husbands, sons or brothers or their brothers' sons or sister's sons ... And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hid of their adornment " (Surah Noor 24:31)

Sural al-Ahzab refers to Jilbaab (other garment) which translated from Arabic means loose clothing with no visible splits, i.e. such as those visible when trousers are worn. Surah Noor refers to Khimaar, the covering of the head with a thick garment. These are the signs of believing women. A hadith state this:

"Amongst those who will go to Hell are women with such clothing as to appear naked, who attract men, and who are attracted to them. Such women will not enter Paradise (Jannah) nor shall it's fragrance reach them." (Riyad-us-Saliheen)

It is narrated by Hazrat Aisha (ra) that Asma, daughter of Abu Baka (ra), came to see the Prophet (pbuh) wearing a thin dress and headcovering. The Prophet (pbuh) turned his head away from her and said, "O Asma! When a girl reaches puberty, she cannot reveal any part of her body except this (he pointed to her face and hands)." (Abu Daud)

"When a woman prays five times a day, fasts during Ramadan, guards her chastity, and obeys her husband, she may enter by any of the Gates of Paradise (Jannah)."

"A Woman may be married for four reasons: property, status, beauty and religion (piety). Maffy to the one who is religious (pious) and prosper." (Bukhari and Muslim)

The wearing of khimaar (also known as hijab) and jibaab play a vital role in the maintaining of the modesty of a woman. However, the modesty that the woman possesses is not created by the garment that she wears, but is derived from within herself, giving her a certain standard in her manner and conduct. It is not possible for a garment to give modesty to a person, if the modesty itself has already been lost and does not exist within a person.

If we look at creation, we find that Allah (SVVT) has ordained for each and every valuable thing a type of preservative. For example, we find that the pearl is preserved by the shell, and that fruit has a skin to protect it. Also, it is an instinct of human nature to place things of value away from the sight of others. Is it not natural then to want to guard the beauty of women from the gaze of other men?

Islam has been presented by the West as something from the dark ages. It is the feminists of the West that have influenced Muslim women to lay aside their Islamic identity. Unfortunately, many Muslims have followed this without realizing its implications. The plan of the West is not to benefit Muslim women, but to satisfy their own sexual desire. An army of soldiers will break down the wall surrounding the castle before destroying the castle itself.

We should know that those who ask Muslim women to disregard their Islamic identity are asking them to become Western. Before, one admires the "freedom" of the women of the West, one should look at what demeaning consequences this has led her to. In the West, her body has become a mere commodity for display. For example, if a company wants to promote a product a piece of five cents gum or beer for example they will advertise it on television using a half-naked woman. The value of the woman becomes equal to that of the product. Is this freedom or enslavement?

Instead of becoming victims of the West, our duty as Muslims is to choose the path that is ordained for us by our Creator, and to strengthen ourselves against this misguided society. We should be striving to educate ourselves about Islam, and make people aware of Islam being a way of life, so that the Khilafah that was destroyed over 70 long years ago will, Inshallah, come to rule us again.