NGOs & Muslim Women’s Rights
English Essay on "NGOs & Muslim Women’s Rights"
NGOs & Muslim Women’s Rights
Of late there has been a mushroom growth of NGOs in Pakistan to deal with various social and economic problems of women. Some of these are rendering laudable humanitarian services in refugee camps and also in various social sectors. They also highlight cases of cruelty, deprivation and destitution of women and weaker sections of society. The performances of some of the indigenous and locally financed NGOs deserve encouragement. Nevertheless there are some NGOs raised by ladies and gentlemen who manage to receive substantial foreign donations and who are Westernised in their thoughts and outlook. They do not care about the basic norms of Islam, Qur’anic Commandments, our culture, civilization and society. They oppose laws of Qisas and Diyat, inheritance, evidence, pardah and morality. They little realise that these are not laws of Zia, Nawaz or Benazir, but that of God Almighty who best knows the nature and requirements of His creatures. No Muslim can think or talk of changing Qur’anic laws. No Muslim can pick and choose and like or dislike the provisions of Qur’anic laws for his convenience or pleasure.
The Holy Qur’an says ‘you have to accept Islam as a whole’ otherwise you cannot be a Muslim. These ladies are particularly advised to study Islam and its principles from some genuine Islamic scholar, with particular reference to rights and obligations of women in Islam. They should also acquire knowledge about the rights and obligations of women in the West. Islamic laws on a subject should not be studied in isolation. All laws complement each other and are part of a system and way of life, which is product of Divine philosophy. They will be amused and startled to know’ that Islam granted far more rights and privileges to women 15 centuries ago, most of which women have not yet been able to gain in other civilisations and religions; despite their consistent struggle. They should also study views about woman in books of other religions and they will come to know that Islam has a very humane, kind, respectable and encouraging view as compared to others.
It is the policy of the West to create aversion in the minds of Muslims about their religion, culture and civilisation. Some of our Westernised ladies unwittingly fell a prey to this Western state which is a part of their war against Islam and Muslim civilisation. No wonder that another front has been opened in India, besides Israel. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VIP) has demanded in India that Muslims must modify and the reinterpret their religious teachings. They say there are 24 Ayat (Verses) in the Holy Quran, which hurt the people from other faiths.
Let us have a cursory comparison of the rights of Muslim women with those of the present Western women. While Muslim woman has a religiously bestowed right of inheritance both from her parents and husbands, sons and daughters sides with no liabilities (this is why she is given half the share of the male), the Western women have no such bestowed right. A Western marriage is a religious bond, which i inseparable and both husband and wise merge into a single entity/person. This is why religiously they have no concept of divorce, which has recently been granted to women by legislation on very limited grounds. On the other hand in Islam, marriage is a mundane affair, a social contract which envisages rights and duties for both. A wife can seek divorce on a number of grounds. She can get reserved her right’ to divorce on some contingency (Talaqbit-tafweez) at the time of agreement of marriage (nikah) and get this condition recorded in Nikahnama. She has the right to get Mehar from her husband according to his financial position. She has the right of custody of children and can get their maintenance from husband. She is the exclusive owner, of her personal property—inherited property, self-acquired property income, Mehar and gifts received at marriage and has full rights to control and alienate it. On the other hand Western women (in England) had no such right on their personal property. They have been granted this right through legislation ie (Married Women’s Property Rights Act). In England a wife cannot sue her husband for a tort, upon the principle that husband and wife form in the eye of law,, one Person. A wife cannot ‘sue her husband for his anti-nuptial tort, nor can she sue him for a personal wrong such as assault, libel or other injury caused to her by the negligence of her husband. Hence the saying “a husband may, with civil impunity, break his wife’s leg but not her watch”. A divorced wife cannot sue her husband for a personal tort committed during coverture (eg while married). In Islam there are no restrictions for a woman to sue her husband or anyone else for an wrong.
As regards law of evidence, it only says “in matters pertaining to financial or future obligations, if reduced to writing, the instrument shall be attested by two men, or one man and two women, so that one may remind the other, if necessary, and evidence shall be led accordingly.” It does not require much intelligence to appreciate the blessed philosophy of this provision.
It is to all intents and purposes for the benefit and good of the pudanashin ladies. If she wants assistance of the other lady who is recorded as the second witness with her in the document of this crucial and important contract. She can avail of it in the witness box while making her statement or facing cross-examination from the opposite side. The statement of only one lady is to be recorded. Only a cynic or highly prejudiced man can interpret it as derogatory to the status of women. The propaganda of the anti-Islamic elements is fallacious, malicious and misleading. As regards laws about Purdahl Hijab and modesty about women as contained in Sura Alnoor (XXIV) Ayat 30-31 and Sura Al Ahzab (XXXIII) Ayat-59, these are meant to safeguard their modesty and honour and. to protect them from harm and molestation... These are not meant to confirm them to their homes or to restrict their liberty. The distinctive public dress eg Burqa, Chhadar, Gown, Dopatta or Scarf is a badge of honour and distinction for Muslim ladies.
We must not be allured by other civilisation and culture. The nations, who surrender their culture and civllisation and way of life, cease to exist in the world. In order to maintain ones sovereignty, a nation must preserve and protect its culture and way of life.
In the West, a lady looses her separate identity after marriage. As stated above and wife and husband become one person after marriage. This is why’ the wife suffixes the name of her husband with her name. In’ Islam, women maintain their separate personality and identity after marriage and they continue to use their pre-marriage names, which are suffixed with the names of their fathers ie Hazrat Fatima bint Muhammad (PBUH) (The Great Daughter of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Fatima bint Assad, (Great Mother of Hazrat Mi (RA), Hazarat Zanib bint Jahash (Wife of Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Zanib bint Mi (Daughter of Hazrat Mi (BA) etc. These names were retained by them after marriage till their death. Some Muslim girls also adopt aforesaid Western practice after marriage, which must be abandoned.
If a Muslim named Noor Muhammad has a daughter named Nayab, he should name her as Naab bint Noor or Nayab Noor. If she is married to a person named Siddique, she should not change her name as Nayab Siddique after marriage but- should retain her previous name ie Nayab Noor or Nayab bint Noor. Besides acting on Islamic tradition and culture, this Islamic practice will save the lady from complications and difficulties in matters which have already been documented with her previous name. However, after marriage, a Muslim lady can add the name of her husband after her original name ie Nayab Noor or Nayab bint Noor wife of Siddique in documents or can/mention the name of her husband in interviews and meeting if so desired or required (ie Ms Siddique or Begum Siddique).
The need of the hour is not to grant the Western rights and liberty to our women, but to make them aware and conscious about the magnanimous rights with which they have been blessed by Islam and to make all-round efforts to get the same implemented in letter and in spirit. This is a challenge for the mainstream Muslim ladies. Let them raise genuine indigenous, locally financed NGOs for this noble cause. No true Muslim women can ever think to have liberty and rights of Western culture which entails: Sexual-promiscuity, boy friend-girl, friend culture, living of unmarried men .and women together, large-scale illicit births, illicit abortions, night clubs, homosexuality, adultery, drinking, gambling, and other vices, quick breakaway of marital relations; lack of real love and affection, breakup of gamily ties, and which breads mental, sexual and physiological diseases and which is totally devoid of real human sympathy and real peace of mind and soul.
The Holy Qur’an says ‘you have to accept Islam as a whole’ otherwise you cannot be a Muslim. These ladies are particularly advised to study Islam and its principles from some genuine Islamic scholar, with particular reference to rights and obligations of women in Islam. They should also acquire knowledge about the rights and obligations of women in the West. Islamic laws on a subject should not be studied in isolation. All laws complement each other and are part of a system and way of life, which is product of Divine philosophy. They will be amused and startled to know’ that Islam granted far more rights and privileges to women 15 centuries ago, most of which women have not yet been able to gain in other civilisations and religions; despite their consistent struggle. They should also study views about woman in books of other religions and they will come to know that Islam has a very humane, kind, respectable and encouraging view as compared to others.
It is the policy of the West to create aversion in the minds of Muslims about their religion, culture and civilisation. Some of our Westernised ladies unwittingly fell a prey to this Western state which is a part of their war against Islam and Muslim civilisation. No wonder that another front has been opened in India, besides Israel. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VIP) has demanded in India that Muslims must modify and the reinterpret their religious teachings. They say there are 24 Ayat (Verses) in the Holy Quran, which hurt the people from other faiths.
Let us have a cursory comparison of the rights of Muslim women with those of the present Western women. While Muslim woman has a religiously bestowed right of inheritance both from her parents and husbands, sons and daughters sides with no liabilities (this is why she is given half the share of the male), the Western women have no such bestowed right. A Western marriage is a religious bond, which i inseparable and both husband and wise merge into a single entity/person. This is why religiously they have no concept of divorce, which has recently been granted to women by legislation on very limited grounds. On the other hand in Islam, marriage is a mundane affair, a social contract which envisages rights and duties for both. A wife can seek divorce on a number of grounds. She can get reserved her right’ to divorce on some contingency (Talaqbit-tafweez) at the time of agreement of marriage (nikah) and get this condition recorded in Nikahnama. She has the right to get Mehar from her husband according to his financial position. She has the right of custody of children and can get their maintenance from husband. She is the exclusive owner, of her personal property—inherited property, self-acquired property income, Mehar and gifts received at marriage and has full rights to control and alienate it. On the other hand Western women (in England) had no such right on their personal property. They have been granted this right through legislation ie (Married Women’s Property Rights Act). In England a wife cannot sue her husband for a tort, upon the principle that husband and wife form in the eye of law,, one Person. A wife cannot ‘sue her husband for his anti-nuptial tort, nor can she sue him for a personal wrong such as assault, libel or other injury caused to her by the negligence of her husband. Hence the saying “a husband may, with civil impunity, break his wife’s leg but not her watch”. A divorced wife cannot sue her husband for a personal tort committed during coverture (eg while married). In Islam there are no restrictions for a woman to sue her husband or anyone else for an wrong.
As regards law of evidence, it only says “in matters pertaining to financial or future obligations, if reduced to writing, the instrument shall be attested by two men, or one man and two women, so that one may remind the other, if necessary, and evidence shall be led accordingly.” It does not require much intelligence to appreciate the blessed philosophy of this provision.
It is to all intents and purposes for the benefit and good of the pudanashin ladies. If she wants assistance of the other lady who is recorded as the second witness with her in the document of this crucial and important contract. She can avail of it in the witness box while making her statement or facing cross-examination from the opposite side. The statement of only one lady is to be recorded. Only a cynic or highly prejudiced man can interpret it as derogatory to the status of women. The propaganda of the anti-Islamic elements is fallacious, malicious and misleading. As regards laws about Purdahl Hijab and modesty about women as contained in Sura Alnoor (XXIV) Ayat 30-31 and Sura Al Ahzab (XXXIII) Ayat-59, these are meant to safeguard their modesty and honour and. to protect them from harm and molestation... These are not meant to confirm them to their homes or to restrict their liberty. The distinctive public dress eg Burqa, Chhadar, Gown, Dopatta or Scarf is a badge of honour and distinction for Muslim ladies.
We must not be allured by other civilisation and culture. The nations, who surrender their culture and civllisation and way of life, cease to exist in the world. In order to maintain ones sovereignty, a nation must preserve and protect its culture and way of life.
In the West, a lady looses her separate identity after marriage. As stated above and wife and husband become one person after marriage. This is why’ the wife suffixes the name of her husband with her name. In’ Islam, women maintain their separate personality and identity after marriage and they continue to use their pre-marriage names, which are suffixed with the names of their fathers ie Hazrat Fatima bint Muhammad (PBUH) (The Great Daughter of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Fatima bint Assad, (Great Mother of Hazrat Mi (RA), Hazarat Zanib bint Jahash (Wife of Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Zanib bint Mi (Daughter of Hazrat Mi (BA) etc. These names were retained by them after marriage till their death. Some Muslim girls also adopt aforesaid Western practice after marriage, which must be abandoned.
If a Muslim named Noor Muhammad has a daughter named Nayab, he should name her as Naab bint Noor or Nayab Noor. If she is married to a person named Siddique, she should not change her name as Nayab Siddique after marriage but- should retain her previous name ie Nayab Noor or Nayab bint Noor. Besides acting on Islamic tradition and culture, this Islamic practice will save the lady from complications and difficulties in matters which have already been documented with her previous name. However, after marriage, a Muslim lady can add the name of her husband after her original name ie Nayab Noor or Nayab bint Noor wife of Siddique in documents or can/mention the name of her husband in interviews and meeting if so desired or required (ie Ms Siddique or Begum Siddique).
The need of the hour is not to grant the Western rights and liberty to our women, but to make them aware and conscious about the magnanimous rights with which they have been blessed by Islam and to make all-round efforts to get the same implemented in letter and in spirit. This is a challenge for the mainstream Muslim ladies. Let them raise genuine indigenous, locally financed NGOs for this noble cause. No true Muslim women can ever think to have liberty and rights of Western culture which entails: Sexual-promiscuity, boy friend-girl, friend culture, living of unmarried men .and women together, large-scale illicit births, illicit abortions, night clubs, homosexuality, adultery, drinking, gambling, and other vices, quick breakaway of marital relations; lack of real love and affection, breakup of gamily ties, and which breads mental, sexual and physiological diseases and which is totally devoid of real human sympathy and real peace of mind and soul.
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