Musawah, Muslim Women For Equality And Justice

Attitudes towards women are the biggest problem arising out of the refugee/migrant crisis. The non-Muslim women don't have the knowledge to fight theses attitudes. The Muslim and non-Muslim men aren't going to agree. Only Muslim women can change attitudes among their menfolk.

Musawah. www.musawah.org...

The movement is led by Muslim women who seek to publicly reclaim Islam's spirit of justice for all.

Equality, non-discrimination, justice and dignity as the basis of all human relations;
Full and equal citizenship for every individual; and
Marriage and family relations based on principles of equality and justice.
Realisation of these principles entails laws, policies and practices that ensure:

The family as a place of security, harmony, support and personal growth for all its members;
Marriage as a partnership of equals, with mutual respect, affection, communication and decision-making between the partners;
The equal right to choose a spouse or choose not to marry, and to enter into marriage only with free and full consent; and the equal right to dissolve the marriage, as well as equal rights upon its dissolution;
Equal rights and responsibilities with respect to property, including acquisition, ownership, enjoyment, administration, disposition and inheritance, and
Equal rights and responsibilities of parents in matters relating to their children.

This is where activists can make a difference. Listen to and support those in a position to know.

This is really good to hear.

Unfortunately, feminism in the West has started to take on a negative aspect, by being commonly associated with fools on the internet harping on about how terrible men are, and subtracting meaning from the word "rape" by using it far too loosely and inappropriately - such as considering all heterosexual men to be "rapists" by mere virtue of their sexual interest in women. This has spurred a hateful reaction to the very word "feminism", when it would be better if the word retained its association as liberator of oppressed women, such as it is in this case. I mention this because Western support could really go a long way in this.

I also think that feminism will help slow the birth rate in countries where poverty and hunger are real problems. In many Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, women can't really do much other than produce children. If they were able to obtain an education and have their own lives, it's unlikely that they'd have as many children, meaning far fewer people left to live in destitution and danger.

Not that Islamic oppression of women is limited to Africa and the Middle East (and Asia). Things like honour killings and coerced marriages do happen in Western countries.

originally posted by: Kester
Attitudes towards women are the biggest problem arising out of the refugee/migrant crisis. The non-Muslim women don't have the knowledge to fight theses attitudes. The Muslim and non-Muslim men aren't going to agree. Only Muslim women can change attitudes among their menfolk.

Musawah. www.musawah.org...

The movement is led by Muslim women who seek to publicly reclaim Islam's spirit of justice for all.

Equality, non-discrimination, justice and dignity as the basis of all human relations;
Full and equal citizenship for every individual; and
Marriage and family relations based on principles of equality and justice.
Realisation of these principles entails laws, policies and practices that ensure:

The family as a place of security, harmony, support and personal growth for all its members;
Marriage as a partnership of equals, with mutual respect, affection, communication and decision-making between the partners;
The equal right to choose a spouse or choose not to marry, and to enter into marriage only with free and full consent; and the equal right to dissolve the marriage, as well as equal rights upon its dissolution;
Equal rights and responsibilities with respect to property, including acquisition, ownership, enjoyment, administration, disposition and inheritance, and
Equal rights and responsibilities of parents in matters relating to their children.

This is where activists can make a difference. Listen to and support those in a position to know.

If you are referring to the recent influx of migrants/refugees crisis in

Europe.

The percentage of women is so small as to make little difference

in changing male ingrained cultural attitudes.

Intergrating into the *new* societies and not expecting the host

nation to fit in with notions and ideas brought with them may also

help. As these western (European nations) have already made huge

steps in those areas.

a reply to: eletheia

I can't remember which but one of our newspapers did an interesting article by a journalist who sat in on a Shaira court. He was disgusted when he saw a woman come to the court because of her husband beating her. Mr Sharia decided that it was her own fault for having married him! Ha Ha!

Given a knowledge of muslim culture how did Mr Sharia think she was ever going to get to know him prior to marrying him? Did he get off knowing that she was utterly compromised? etc she could have been forced into the marriage for family perks along with a lot of different things.

What we are facing is that especially within Muslim culture ignorant and uneducated and also importantly somewhat isolated ladies are so vulnerable its unbelievable.

One of the reasons we see these muslim patrols is not to protect their women against rape from outsiders etc its to keep their society isolated especially their women.

She has a lot of rights under British law but unless she can escape Sharia we all know the outcome. Its important to realise that she has no rights over her children under Sharia so she isn't just looking at her own situation. Even if many Islamic men are happy and do treat their wives lovingly and fairly, unless you break this chained to the past cranking mental attitude of disparaging females and not according them respect or human rights, many lives, especially among the more ignorant, won't be changing soon regardless of whether they live in Luton or Pakistan.

a reply to: eletheia

I wish this organisation every success in their endeavours. Just the fact that its growing and will help to develop a sisterhood for many isolated girls and women is brilliant because the support of other women is essential and has been something Western women have been able to utilise in order to get the rights they have today.

Domestic abuse is swept under the carpet in Islamic countries yet strangely enough, I understood Mohammed had entrusted Islam to his daughters yet it got snatched away by ambitious men keen to get their power on the back of Islam.

What is so odd is that Islam appears to have the wisdom to bring in new ideas but sadly only within accepted boundaries as opposed to the other two lots, where one step from past tradition is a heresy or an agonised, long drawn out suffering process before the new idea which fits modern society can be implanted and the old redundant part cut off.

originally posted by: Shiloh7


I can't remember which but one of our newspapers did an interesting article by a journalist who sat in on a Shaira court. He was disgusted when he saw a woman come to the court because of her husband beating her. Mr Sharia decided that it was her own fault for having married him! Ha Ha!

Ha Ha! Yes .... The victim card nearly as popular as the race card!

What we are facing is that especially within Muslim culture ignorant and uneducated and also importantly somewhat isolated ladies are so vulnerable its unbelievable.

Education and Choice is the key, knowledge will set you free!
However within their culture their idea of education is limited
to what they are 'allowed' to learn even in this country. The very
recent debate of whether to allow the face covering by pupils or
tutors is ongoing.
Personally I would not converse with anyone with their face covered,
whether you call me a racist or bigot ... I want to be able to *see*
what they are saying, as there is as much can be read in a face as
heard.

One of the reasons we see these muslim patrols is not to protect their women against rape from outsiders etc its to keep their society isolated especially their women.

I think it is to protect them from gaining any idea of just
how many freedoms they are entitled to. The more they find
out the harder they will be to control? And CONTROL is the key
word in the culture/religion?

She has a lot of rights under British law but unless she can escape Sharia we all know the outcome. Its important to realise that she has no rights over her children under Sharia so she isn't just looking at her own situation. Even if many Islamic men are happy and do treat their wives lovingly and fairly, unless you break this chained to the past cranking mental attitude of disparaging females and not according them respect or human rights, many lives, especially among the more ignorant, won't be changing soon regardless of whether they live in Luton or Pakistan.

The sad thing is they don't realise they are being 'played'

originally posted by: Shiloh7


I wish this organisation every success in their endeavours. Just the fact that its growing and will help to develop a sisterhood for many isolated girls and women is brilliant because the support of other women is essential and has been something Western women have been able to utilise in order to get the rights they have today.

Thumbs up to that....but I wont hold my breath, these things take time.
It took the west many decades. So I cant see much progress in the near
future.

Domestic abuse is swept under the carpet in Islamic countries yet strangely enough, I understood Mohammed had entrusted Islam to his daughters yet it got snatched away by ambitious men keen to get their power on the back of Islam.

Problem with that is it is not looked on as abuse ... The woman is the
property of the male - lock stock and barrel!

What is so odd is that Islam appears to have the wisdom to bring in new ideas but sadly only within accepted boundaries as opposed to the other two lots, where one step from past tradition is a heresy or an agonised, long drawn out suffering process before the new idea which fits modern society can be implanted and the old redundant part cut off.

Something I stumbled across written by a male>>>>

I think women are foolish to pretend that they are equal to men,

They are far superior and always have been.....William Golding.

I bet he wasn't Muslim!!

a reply to: eletheia

You made me roar on your point about talking to someone whose face is covered - it could be a bloke.

One hopes that social media will help the girls to chat but we are in for a clash of law and I wonder if our legal high flyers whose jobs are actually at risk via the introduction of Sharia, have glanced below chin level to see the threat they are actually under - pomp through traditional roles doesn't mean permanence.

originally posted by: Shiloh7


You made me roar on your point about talking to someone whose face is covered - it could be a bloke.

You know I hadn't even considered that when I replied!!

so you see there's an instance of not even knowing who

you're talking to.

The veiled women must feel some what ostracised as they

will not be acknowledged... as being hidden ... they will not

be recognised?

One hopes that social media will help the girls to chat but we are in for a clash of law and I wonder if our legal high flyers whose jobs are actually at risk via the introduction of Sharia, have glanced below chin level to see the threat they are actually under - pomp through traditional roles doesn't mean permanence.

Out of school and college they tend to stick with their own, so

it will be only a few that are curious and have out going

personalities who will engage outside of their culture .... it will

take time .... a lot of time. Does the west have the time?

Veiled women are non=persons
The point of the headscarf etc is a ridiculous one....it is so that the womens "hair rays" don't entice the menfolk!! I kid you not this is what the first President of Iran and a well respected Imam had to say

Scientific research had shown that women’s hair emitted rays that drove men insane.” More recently an Iranian cleric explained that women who do not dress modestly corrupt men and cause earthquakes. The flight routes of Iranian planes had to be diverted from a stadium where women played soccer for fear that their hair rays might affect passengers in the planes above.

How can we in the West in the 21st Century deal with such medieval superstition?
If the women themselves don't start making small changes....its guaranteed sure as hell the men wont!

It's a start. Could take many years before there are any changes though. The men treat their women so badly and there is no excuse for that. I would never make it if I had to live like them. They would have killed me off a long time ago. The women are like prisoners and have no real quality of life, no respect etc. makes me sick!

originally posted by: PhyllidaDavenport

How can we in the West in the 21st Century deal with such medieval superstition?

If the women themselves don't start making small changes....its guaranteed sure as hell the men wont!

Yes, Women have to fight for Women - - its the only way. They will get support from some men - - but, women have to be the leaders.

Superstition? In America there are still Christian women who believe the bible tells them to be subservient to men. These women are a danger to Women's Rights in America.

originally posted by: Night Star
It's a start. Could take many years before there are any changes though. The men treat their women so badly and there is no excuse for that. I would never make it if I had to live like them. They would have killed me off a long time ago. The women are like prisoners and have no real quality of life, no respect etc. makes me sick!

When you have to set yourself on fire to escape your prison, that's extreme.

Did you know that Mavis Leno has been fighting for Women's Rights in Afghanistan since 1990's? But, beware - - she's a Feminist.

Mavis Nicholson Leno is the Chair of the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls. Leno joined the Board of Directors of the Feminist Majority Foundation in 1997 after playing an active role in the effort to defeat Proposition 209, the anti-affirmative action initiative on the 1996 California ballot.

She is currently a leader in the effort to make the restoration of women’s rights a non-negotiable element of a post-Taliban Afghanistan, and has been at the forefront of insuring that the plight of Afghan women is included in the world’s reporting of the war in Afghanistan and that the women and girls of Afghanistan are not forgotten. In 1102, the FMF’s Campaign for Afghan Women and Children was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. www.feminist.org...

originally posted by: Annee
Superstition? In America there are still Christian women who believe the bible tells them to be subservient to men. These women are a danger to Women's Rights in America.

A wonderfully eloquent piece by an Islamic Feminist which should have a familiar ring for those Christians you mention who, are similarly, still abiding by rules and interpretation made by Medieaval churchmen.

As a Muslim, I respect these influential and powerful figures as interpreters of the Qur’an and developers of Islamic law, but as a 21st-century citizen of the world, who has lived in the West and in the East, I refuse to be confined to their interpretations and opinions that are rooted in specific cultural and social contexts, knowing that cultures and traditions evolve with time.

Moreover, for centuries, women in Islam have been relegated to the back seat, infantilized, treated as second-class citizens who have nothing to contribute to the intellectual growth of Muslim societies; with rare exceptions, such as those of Shifa’ bint Abdullah and Rabi’ah al-Adawiyyah, we have instead been limited to the domestic sphere, our skills, knowledge, intellect, and potential frozen. We have bee conditioned to think that our roles as mother and wives are our destiny, our Islamic obligation—indeed, our identity—while our male counterparts, even as fathers and husbands, enjoyed the opportunities to pursue much more than fatherhood and husbandhood. Our roles as mothers and wives, but especially as mothers, have been sanctified with teachings such as, “Heaven lies beneath the feet of the mother,” and “A woman who dies while her husband is displeased with her will never enter Heaven.” Needless to say, my objective is not to undermine the value of mothers—my point, instead, is that I have come to realize that we are taught this from our earliest years as little girls apparently destined to become mothers and wives (or heaven will not lie beneath our feet; or, if wives, we will not see make it to heaven unless our husbands are always happy with us) so that we will not dare dream to be more than mothers and wives.

Islamic feminism thus empowers me ethically, intellectually, spiritually, and personally. It reminds me of my worth as a woman, as a Muslim, and as a world citizen concerned with gender equality that Islamic feminism teaches me has ample room within Islam itself but which (the patriarchal) tradition denies and does not deem relevant. Islamic feminism is my response to the bigoted, Islamophobic perceptions of Muslims and particularly of Muslim women prevalent throughout the Western world—just as it is my response to traditional Muslim notions of gender roles that attempt to restrict me in any way.

feminismandreligion.com...

So there IS a structural problem. Good thing they are speaking up........