A Sermon On Muslim Women
Mohja Kahf has written some entertaining stuff on the Washington Post titled Spare Me the Sermon On Muslim Women. You know, the usual women in Islam debate. There’s actually a huge wikipedia article on this topic. Women’s status in islam as you all know comes up quite a lot thesedays in the western quarters . There are a variety of opinions in comments, most of them by people who have no idea what they’re talking about (or maybe they do have an idea). Read some ‘insightful’ comments to the article here. 
I liked the author’s writing style, but the message has been heard once too many times. Why do Muslim women living in the West and wearing the hijab feel they need to continuously explain their dress choice to non-Muslim skeptics? Explaining the religion’s treatment of women itself is all fine, but what does that have to do with dress codes? Dress codes are but one small part of the religion. Such non-Muslims will just have to accept it as an individual’s right to express their freedom of being.
I did not understand what the author meant when she said her cousin chose “4 times” did the cousin marry and divorce 4 times?
Divorce is permitted in Islam as a practical means of making life easier for those who really need it. Reconciliation is favored, and the Quran has listed steps to facilliate that. But if all fails, then divorce is permitted. Divorce is considered the most hated permitted act a Muslim can do. So no Muslim embarks on it unless she or he has no other choice.
I regret to read the flippant manner in which this author treated the process of picking a spouse, marriage and divorce. Just because it was done then, does not make it right. Many Muslims get married, and divorce within weeks on basis of some frivolous complaint. This is not in the spirit of what the Quran (God’s literal words) has advocated – never mind what you learned in your history books about so and so.
Wordly Muslimah
October 7, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Yes I think that’s what she meant about her friend. She must have got divorced 4 times until she found just the right man
. Yes you’re right this divorce thing on the basis of some frivolous complaint is becoming quite popular these days.
Daud Ahmed
October 8, 2008 at 5:58 pm