An Islamic Bill of Rights for Women
Friday, September 10, 2004Hats off to Asra Nomani for coming up with this much needed document. After demanding her right to enter her mosque through the main entrance a few months back, she has now come up with an 'Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Mosque'. Recent developments like these really show that a genuine reform of Islam is being led by American Muslims more than any anyone else. (Read Michael Muhammad Knight's report on last week's ISNA Conference).
You might think I'm joking, but I seriously think that one of the reasons that current representations of Islam are so screwed up is because men seem to hold the exclusive right to interpret the religion. I'm sure that if women were to have a stronger presence in determining the direction of the community things would be considerably different. For one thing, I don't think violence in the name of Islam would be invoked as frequently as it is today. I think this Bill of Rights is a step towards achieving that goal. I do hope that women in Bahrain are also inspired by this and start demanding their rights in our mosques.
An Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the MosqueWomen have an Islamic right to:
- enter a mosque.
- enter through the main door.
- visual and auditory access to the main sanctuary, or musalla.
- pray in the main sanctuary without being separated by a barrier.
- address any and all members of the congregation.
- hold leadership positions, including participation on the board of directors.
- be full participants in all congregational activities.
- lead and participate in meetings, study sessions, and other community activities without being separated by a barrier.
- be greeted and addressed cordially.
- respectful treatment and exemption from gossip and slander.
Read Asra Nomani's article about this Bill of Rights at Muslim Wakeup. Also, don't forget to check out her 'Sex & the Umma' column.
This entry was posted
on Friday, September 10, 2004 at 9/10/2004 02:10:00 pm. Permalink
9/11/2004 12:41:00 am
Yeah, I've heard about the book, but I havent got my hands on a copy yet. It seems like his assessment makes sense. Even though women played a significant role in the rise of Islamism in Bahrain it does seem to be this "lifestyle" Islamism, -- exactly as you have described it,... consumerism with a veneer of piety.
And actually, we do know of female suicide-bombers, and female terrorists in Palestine and Chechnya, and other places.
But my contention is that if women were able to find a place in the decision-making process of Islamist organizations (rather than just serving as pawns) things would be significantly different. Of course, this is entirely subjective, but I do feel that most women have a sensibility that men do not possess. I mean, if you have ever had a female significant other then you will know how they are able to sneakily achieve their goals without you ever knowing it :) This skill is particularly useful in the political arena, which is necessary to avoid violence. The Islamists generally have quite weak political skills, which is why they so often turn violent to achieve their goals.