Women In Islam versus Judaeo-Christian Tradition The Myth & The Reality

17. Epilogue

The one question all the non-Muslims, who had read an earlier version
of this study, had in common was: do Muslim women in the Muslim world
today receive this noble treatment described here? The answer,
unfortunately, is: No. Since this question is inevitable in any
discussion concerning the status of women in Islam, we have to
elaborate on the answer in order to provide the reader with the
complete picture.

It has to be made clear first that the vast differences among Muslim
societies make most generalisations too simplistic. There is a wide
spectrum of attitudes towards women in the Muslim world today. These
attitudes differ from one society to another and within each individual
society. Nevertheless, certain general trends are discernible. Almost
all Muslim societies have, to one degree or another, deviated from the
ideals of Islam with respect to the status of women. These deviations
have, for the most part, been in one of two opposite directions. The
first direction is more conservative, restrictive, and
traditions-oriented, while the second is more liberal and
Western-oriented.

The societies that have digressed in the first direction treat women
according to the customs and traditions inherited from their forebears.
These traditions usually deprive women of many rights granted to them
by Islam. Besides, women are treated according to standards far
different from those applied to men. This discrimination pervades the
life of any female: she is received with less joy at birth than a boy;
she is less likely to go to school; she might be deprived any share of
her family's inheritance; she is under continuous surveillance in order
not to behave immodestly while her brother's immodest acts are
tolerated; she might even be killed for committing what her male family
members usually boast of doing; she has very little say in family
affairs or community interests; she might not have full control over
her property and her marriage gifts; and finally as a mother she
herself would prefer to produce boys so that she can attain a higher
status in her community.

On the other hand, there are Muslim societies (or certain classes
within some societies) that have been swept over by the Western culture
and way of life. These societies often imitate unthinkingly whatever
they receive from the West and usually end up adopting the worst fruits
of Western civilisation. In these societies, a typical "modern" woman's
top priority in life is to enhance her physical beauty. Therefore, she
is often obsessed with her body's shape, size, and weight. She tends to
care more about her body than her mind and more about her charms than
her intellect. Her ability to charm, attract, and excite is more valued
in the society than her educational achievements, intellectual
pursuits, and social work. One is not expected to find a copy of the
Quran in her purse since it is full of cosmetics that accompany her
wherever she goes. Her spirituality has no room in a society
preoccupied with her attractiveness. Therefore, she would spend her
life striving more to realise her femininity than to fulfil her
humanity.

Why did Muslim societies deviate from the ideals of Islam? There is no
easy answer. A penetrating explanation of the reasons why Muslims have
not adhered to the Quranic guidance with respect to women would be
beyond the scope of this study. It has to be made clear, however, that
Muslim societies have deviated from the Islamic precepts concerning so
many aspects of their lives for so long. There is a wide gap between
what Muslims are supposed to believe in and what they actually
practice. This gap is not a recent phenomenon. It has been there for
centuries and has been widening day after day. This ever widening gap
has had disastrous consequences on the Muslim world manifested in
almost all aspects of life: political tyranny and fragmentation,
economic backwardness, social injustice, scientific bankruptcy,
intellectual stagnation, etc. The non-Islamic status of women in the
Muslim world today is merely a symptom of a deeper malady. Any reform
in the current status of Muslim women is not expected to be fruitful if
not accompanied with more comprehensive reforms of the Muslim
societies' whole way of life. The Muslim world is in need for a
renaissance that will bring it closer to the ideals of Islam and not
further from them. To sum up, the notion that the poor status of Muslim
women today is because of Islam is an utter misconception. The problems
of Muslims in general are not due to too much attachment to Islam, they
are the culmination of a long and deep detachment from it.

It has, also, to be re-emphasised that the purpose behind this
comparative study is not, by any means, to defame Judaism or
Christianity. The position of women in the Judaeo-Christian tradition
might seem frightening by our late twentieth century standards.
Nevertheless, it has to be viewed within the proper historical context.
In other words, any objective assessment of the position of women in
the Judaeo-Christian tradition has to take into account the historical
circumstances in which this tradition developed. There can be no doubt
that the views of the Rabbis and the Church Fathers regarding women
were influenced by the prevalent attitudes towards women in their
societies. The Bible itself was written by different authors at
different times. These authors could not have been impervious to the
values and the way of life of the people around them. For example, the
adultery laws of the Old Testament are so biased against women that
they defy rational explanation by our mentality. However, if we
consider the fact that the early Jewish tribes were obsessed with their
genetic homogeneity and extremely eager to define themselves apart from
the surrounding tribes and that only sexual misconduct by the married
females of the tribes could threaten these cherished aspirations, we
should then be able to understand, but not necessarily sympathise with,
the reasons for this bias. Also, the diatribes of the Church Fathers
against women should not be detached from the context of the misogynist
Greco-Roman culture in which they lived. It would be unfair to evaluate
the Judaeo-Christian legacy without giving any consideration to the
relevant historical context.

In fact, a proper understanding of the Judaeo-Christian historical
context is also crucial for understanding the significance of the
contributions of Islam to world history and human civilisation. The
Judaeo-Christian tradition had been influenced and shaped by the
environments, conditions, and cultures in which it had existed. By the
seventh century C.E., this influence had distorted the original divine
message revealed to Moses and Jesus beyond recognition. The poor status
of women in the Judaeo-Christian world by the seventh century is just
one case in point. Therefore, there was a great need for a new divine
message that would guide humanity back to the straight path. The Quran
described the mission of the new Messenger as a release for Jews and
Christians from the heavy burdens that had been upon them: "Those who
follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned
in their own Scriptures--In the Law and the Gospel-- For he commands
them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as
lawful what is good and prohibits them from what is bad; He releases
them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them"
(7:157).

Therefore, Islam should not be viewed as a rival tradition to Judaism
or Christianity. It has to be regarded as the consummation, completion,
and perfection of the divine messages that had been revealed before it.
At the end of this study, I would like to offer the following advice to
the global Muslim community. So many Muslim women have been denied
their basic Islamic rights for so long. The mistakes of the past have
to be corrected. To do that is not a favour, it is a duty incumbent
upon all Muslims. The world-wide Muslim community have to issue a
charter of Muslim women's rights based on the instructions of the Quran
and the teachings of the Prophet of Islam. This charter must give
Muslim women all the rights endowed to them by their Creator. Then, all
the necessary means have to be developed in order to ensure the proper
implementation of the charter. This charter is long overdue, but it is
better late than never. If Muslims world-wide will not guarantee the
full Islamic rights of their mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters,
who else will ? Furthermore, we must have the courage to confront our
past and reject outright the traditions and customs of our forefathers
whenever they contravene the precepts of Islam. Did the Quran not
severely criticise the pagan Arabs for blindly following the traditions
of their ancestors? On the other hand, we have to develop a critical
attitude towards whatever we receive from the West or from any other
culture. Interaction with and learning from other cultures is an
invaluable experience. The Quran has succinctly considered this
interaction as one of the purposes of creation: " O mankind We created
you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into
nations and tribes, that you may know each other" (49:13). It goes
without saying, however, that blind imitation of others is a sure sign
of an utter lack of self-esteem.

It is to the non-Muslim reader, Jewish, Christian, or otherwise, that
these final words are dedicated. It is bewildering why the religion
that had revolutionised the status of women is being singled out and
denigrated as so repressive of women. This perception about Islam is
one of the most widespread myths in our world today. This myth is being
perpetuated by a ceaseless barrage of sensational books, articles,
media images, and Hollywood movies. The inevitable outcome of these
incessant misleading images has been total misunderstanding and fear of
anything related to Islam. This negative portrayal of Islam in the
world media has to end if we are to live in a world free from all
traces of discrimination, prejudice, and misunderstanding. Non-Muslims
ought to realise the existence of a wide gap between Muslims' beliefs
and practices and the simple fact that the actions of Muslims do not
necessarily represent Islam. To label the status of women in the Muslim
world today as "Islamic" is as far from the truth as labelling the
position of women in the West today as "Judaeo-Christian". With this
understanding in mind, Muslims and non-Muslims should start a process
of communication and dialogue in order to remove all misconceptions,
suspicions, and fears. A peaceful future for the human family
necessitates such a dialogue.

Islam should be viewed as a religion that had immensely improved the
status of women and had granted them many rights that the modern world
has recognised only this century. Islam still has so much to offer
today's woman: dignity, respect, and protection in all aspects and all
stages of her life from birth until death in addition to the
recognition, the balance, and means for the fulfilment of all her
spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs. No wonder most
of those who choose to become Muslims in a country like Britain are
women. In the U.S. women converts to Islam outnumber male converts 4 to
1. 85 Islam has so much to offer our world, which is in great need of
moral guidance and leadership. Ambassador Herman Eilts, in a testimony
in front of the committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress on June 24th, 1985, said,
"The Muslim community of the globe today is in the neighbourhood of one
billion. That is an impressive figure. But what to me is equally
impressive is that Islam today is the fastest growing monotheistic
religion. This is something we have to take into account. Something is
right about Islam. It is attracting a good many people." Yes, something
is right about Islam and it is time to find that out. I hope this study
is a step on this direction.