Rights for women in Islam

Almost every day, there is news about women rights in The Jakarta Post. Most of the women rights violations are blamed on the apparently discriminatory Islamic law. These are a few, apparently, common forms of discrimination mentioned.

- Why are women obliged to maintain purdah, to cover themselves properly?

- Women are given less inheritance rights as compared to men.

- Why are two women required to appear as a witness in court compared to one man?

- Why are women not allowed to become an imam or lead a prayer?

Now I would like to share my views and Islamic philosophy behind the above mentioned points.

In Islam, it is not just the women who are asked to maintain purdah but men are also ordered to keep their eyes cast down and not to look here and there when there is no need to do so. The philosophy behind purdah is to protect the chastity of women. Medical science would support me, that, we feel a desire and attraction for the opposite sex as soon as we reach adulthood.

Because Islam claims to be a champion of moral values, it does not allow either men or women to have premarital sex or extramarital affairs. The best way to save ourselves from all those bad intentions that may arise after looking at a woman who is not properly covered up is -- purdah for women and keeping the eyes cast down for men -- after all, prevention is better than cure.

The second point is that in the Islamic domestic system, men are obliged to provide for their families financially, not women. As men carry the burden, justice demands they have more rights to the inheritance. However, for the readers' interest, it is only Islam which gives inheritance rights to women. No other religion gives such rights to women. Even some of the most developed countries in the West gave women the right to own property just a few decades ago.

Appearing as a witness -- this is also a proven fact that women are much more emotionally sensitive as compared to men. It is also true that emotions overwhelm logic. This is why in emergency cases such as appearing as a witness, a woman is asked to have another lady with her, who can encourage her and remind her in case she forgets. This shows Islam's extra favor and care for women, and is not an indication that it looks down on them.

Finally, we should remember that women are not totally prohibited from becoming an imam or leading a prayer. They are allowed to become an imam, but for women only. In Islam cleanliness is a must for prayers. As we all know that during menstruation uncleanliness cannot be avoided. So men are chosen as an imam for both sexes.

FAZAL-E-MUJEEB, Jakarta