This will be a two part article, mostly based on my opinions as to how women are treated in Islam and the status of women in Islam. I will also be exploring certain issues and misjudgements the media tend to put a spotlight on and the feminist views both opposing and supporting certain aspects of a Muslim woman’s life. Before I do continue, I have to say that my facts are from the Quran and other Islamic religious sources such as the ahadith (what the Prophet Muhammad said) and the Sunnah (what the Prophet Muhammad did).

I believe that in Islam, Muslim women are equal to men. They may not be identical, but to me, they are most definitely equal in Islam. I can imagine some agreeing with what I am saying and others simply shaking their head in dismay. The reason why this is a subject of lengthy debate among Muslims and non-Muslims is because people tend to misinterpret the Quranic verses and they use examples of the gender imbalance in Islamic states.

Firstly, I would like to talk about the Burqa.

It really upsets me when I see people make uneducated judgments about the Burqa for example. In France, Nicolas Sarkozy made an unethical decision in my opinion to ban the Burqa. I hope you just heard that. A man, banned the Burqa. That’s right a man. Feminists are always complaining about how men seem to always control women and deny them of their women’s rights, but look what has happened here! This is just another example of a man telling women what to do. Sarkozy along with the French government are telling women how to dress and are depriving them of their right to freedom of expression. In France, if you are caught wearing the face veil (niqab) or a burka, you are fined 150 euros which is find absolutely deplorable.

Wearing a burqa or a hijab is a woman’s choice. Islam as a religion provides more freedom than France at the moment! In France, the Government accepts the right to practise your religion. They are violating a law and a right by banning the burqa. In France, 2000 women have converted to Islam and have chosen to wear a burqa. The French President said wearing the burqa is a, and I quote, “form of enslavement” and that women are “imporisoned” by wearing it.

You know what I’ve got to say about that? Complete and utter rubbish Mr Sarkozy, complete and utter rubbish. This isn’t a dress up game where the government chooses what Muslim women should wear. It’s a person’s life, and a form of expression.

I hear some feminists across the world complaining that when they see a woman in a Burqa they immediately think that women is oppressed, denied of her freedom by a male member of her family, and simply brainwashed by the “controlling” nature of Islam. I disagree with this to an extent. There are many women out there who wear the burqa just because they feel like it. All I have to say is that it is a sense of identity and muslim women can wear it if they want. Having a choice and being forced to do something are poles apart in meaning. When we think of the oppressed women, there are so many things that spring to mind. Eating disorders, unhealthy diets and a whole load more need to be tackled first. I find it stupid that the banning of the burqa is more important than those things! They’re only making things worse!

I recently spoke to my Arabic teacher who told me that wearing the burqa out of choice is a form of empowerment. She chose to wear the burqa to fight a systematic oppression against women in which a woman’s body is sexualised and objectified. She is being independent. No male member of the family forced it upon her.

Now, what I’ve just explained here is what Islam has stated and what Allah has said in the Quran. However, as I have said before, people misinterpret verses from the Quran and make Islam look like a foul religion, and extreme religion, especially the media.

Some women are forced to wear the hijab, or the face veil, not by Islam but by culture. You see, there are many patriarchal societies out there such as countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Men seem to rule the countries and the women of that country. I believe that culture is the reason why some men in Islam are controlling.

A woman can work since it has not been mentioned in the Quran neither the hadith that women are housewives. The Quran states that Muslim women and men are equal, but old customs overshadow this. Islam grants women the rights to inheritance, wealth and landed property. She has the right to enter any business, contract or transaction. When a woman gets married, she doesn’t have to hand over her rights to her husband. Her legal liabilities are set equal to a man’s liabilities. In some Muslim countries, women enjoy the freedom and accessibility Islam offers them, whereas in other muslin countries, the situations are often deplorable. I do have to admit though, the media portrays these conditions out of proportion and in a way to create new stereotypes based on Islam being a violent religion which doesn’t accept women at all. The truth is, these countries interpret the Quran wrong. They have a system which contradicts the true teachings of the Quran.

Tune in next week to read part two of my article about the Women in Islam. Thank you for reading.