What’s wrong with just a look?

Not that we as Muslim women needed this confirmation of what we already knew. We have always known that when it comes to the relations between men and women where sexual interest is involved, it always starts with the look. When it comes to the root of all corruption in society that results from the exploitation of women, it starts with the look. When it comes to the woman not being valued as a human being for her mind and character and only prized for her beauty, it starts with the look.

A look is a powerful and often times imperceptible tool of communication. A look can freeze you in your tracks. That’s why we have expressions like, if looks could kill. Having a romantic interest in someone is described as: having eyes for someone. An unfaithful partner is described as having a roving eye. It’s pretty obvious how the unrestricted permission to gaze at a strange woman has led to filth in society. But how does the male gaze affect the woman who is being stared at? A team of leading US and Israeli researchers has asked exactly this question. What they found will come as no surprise to any woman who is honest with herself about how she feels when ogled at by a man. They found that a woman is literally silenced by the male glance, calling it a psychological muzzle for the woman. They had women talk about themselves while a man listened and watched them on a screen from the neck up, neck down or not at all. They found that women talked about themselves less than men when they knew their bodies were being looked at. The men had no such issues, and talked regardless of whether they were being looked at or not.

It is obvious that a woman is different from a man. Leaf through any women’s magazine and you’ll find 95% of the pictures and ads contain women and then leaf through any men’s magazine and you’ll find that over 90 – 95% of pictures and ads contain women also. Dr. Louann Brizendine, neuropsychiatrist and author of The Male Brain, says that a man’s number one mate detector is visual and it takes a man only 1/5^th of a second to identify whether he is attracted to a woman. So when the secular system tells us that as men and women we are all, not just equal, but the same, and we should have the right to act and dress the same, it is simply a denial of reality.

As Muslims, we understand that in order to have a society that is pure from the filth of adultery, that protects the sanctity of marriage from the unnecessary strain of distraction, longing and dissatisfaction with one’s partner, exploitation, objectification and degradation of women based on their sexuality, there need to be rules regarding dress code and the mixing of the sexes. As Muslim women, we follow the Islamic dress code of hijab and jilbab, first and foremost, because it is an order from Allah our Creator who knows what is best for us. We also see the wisdom behind following these and the benefit that comes not only to society but also to ourselves. Since wearing the hijab and jilbab, I have never had a day or moment of anxiety about how I look or fit in, when I’m out in public. My appearance and the value that is attached to it is completely taken out of the equation whether it is considered positive or negative by society. I would rather not be evaluated on those terms. How shallow would I be if I valued myself at all on how I looked and not on my character, my mind, my ideas, my dedication to my family, my loyalty to my friends, and my contribution to society.

Allah (swt) has told us in the Quran, “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to protect their private parts. That is purer for them. Verily Allah is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and protect their private parts…” [24:30-31]

In addition, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, “…do not let a second look follow the first. The first look is allowed to you but not the second.” [Ahmad, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi].

According to a Tradition related by Abu Umamah, the Holy Prophet said: “If a Muslim happens to glance at the charms of a woman and then turns his eyes away, Allah will bless his worship and devotion and will make it all the more sweet. ”. [Musnad Ahmad]. ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud quotes the Prophet as having said: “Allah says that the gaze is one of the poisonous arrows of Satan. Whoever forsakes it, out of His fear, he will be rewarded with a faith whose sweetness he will relish in his own heart.” [Tabarani]. It’s huge how through these “small” injunctions that Allah (swt) has simultaneously protected the individual and the society as well as both men and women. With respect women, Islam imposes on society the obligation to humanize us instead of objectifying us. With respect to men, they are protected from becoming slaves to their desires and being pre-occupied with baser instincts.

A look at Islamic history will show it rife with exemplary women who reached great heights in society. These women never had a care for how they looked when they interacted in society. Their mental universe did not include such limiting thoughts that gave them a ranking based on their appearance. Insha’Allah, if Allah helps me, I plan to learn more and write more about these women who were the torchbearers that we need to follow as we carve out a path to the change that is coming in the Muslim world where Islam will once again inform not only the values but indeed the laws and structures of society.

Another Muslim woman dies seeking justice from a corrupt system

Pakistani acid victim Fakhra Yunus is seen before and after her attack

Fakhra Younus committed suicide on March 17. She had endured over 38 plastic surgeries to correct her severely disfigured face, head and neck from an acid attack she had suffered, allegedly at the hands of her ex-husband.  She wasn’t just an acid attack victim but she was the victim of a capitalist society that has no interest in delivering justice. It’s only raison d’être is to have a class of minions who slavishly maintain a system of neocolonialism to serve the interests of foreign powers, lining their pockets in reward for their loyalty. They run a brutal system, which allows for the elite to run around with impunity fearing no one. They are the last stand of protection for the foreign interests against the people’s will which seeks political independence from outside intervention and the implementation of Islamic rule.

Twice a victim

Fakhra Younus could never have received justice from such a system. It was never created to deliver justice. She didn’t just become a victim of injustice when acid was mercilessly thrown on her face, melting her flesh to the bone to the point that she needed to use a straw to breathe. Her life from the beginning was casualty of a system that fails to provide even the basic needs of its citizens with dignity. So she was twice a victim of this unjust system. Her victimhood began when she had to start working as a dancing girl in the prostitution district of Karachi while still a teenager (eventually becoming a prostitute), which is where she met her alleged attacker whom she later married. It is an atrocity anywhere in the world when a woman is reduced to selling her body to provide for her family but especially so in a Muslim society whose values (and indeed laws should also) dictate not only that wealth earned from a woman’s charms is illegal but also that a woman and her honour are to be cherished and protected. She is to be provided for and looked after by the male relatives of her family and if none exist then by the Khalifah.

Roots of corruption

Economic

The root of the corruption that has led to such filthy districts existing in a Muslim society such as Pakistan is twofold. One is economic. The capitalist system that exists in Pakistan does not provide financial security for all its citizens. This is because it is a system that came from the limited mind of man and therefore even with the best of intentions it cannot address all the needs of man comprehensively and foresee the consequences of all its prescriptions. It ends up accumulating the wealth of the nation into the hands of the few, the majority of whom are the colonial hands while depriving the vast majority of even two meals a day. It’s a system, which implements policies that divert the wealth of the nation to Western interests. For example, one such policy is the system of taking loans from global institutions such as the World bank and IMF. In 2011 Pakistan would have paid $ 319 billion to repay a foreign loan in the principal of 76 billion rupees and a staggering 243 billion rupees interest (Riba) to foreign countries and institutions. This and many other such  policies suck the wealth of the nation especially out of the hands of the poorest, which leaves some women no choice other than resorting to selling the only thing that they have available to trade, i.e. their bodies, in order to feed their families.

Thoughts and Values

The other cause is the thoughts, values and laws of a society that sees the woman’s body as a commodity like any other. It’s the persistence of the feudal culture that sustains the existence of this abhorrent industry. It’s a culture where men are supposed to openly frequent these types of establishments and feel no shame in doing so. Although prostitution is supposed to be illegal in Pakistan, the government, other than the occasional raid on a brothel, turns a blind eye to the practice. In fact, most brothels operate as places of mujra (dance) with legal permission to open for business for a few hours a night. This is allowed based on the claim that men only come to watch women dance whereas it’s well known that these are brothels that exist for the sex trade. It is also an open secret that high powered officials and elite frequent the high class brothels. So the government has no real interest in closing these places of humiliation of women.

Younus’ body was buried Sunday, according to News Daily, which also reported that she left a written message saying that she was committing suicide because of the silence and atrocities committed by Pakistani leaders. Fakhra Younus had a lot more than just the acid attack to account the leaders of Pakistan for. But the sad reality is that this ruling class will never deliver any sort of justice to the women of Pakistan because their only purpose is to maintain the current capitalist system at the behest of their Western masters. How deaf are these slavish managers of the neocolonial capitalist system that the deaths of the Muslims go entirely unheard by them? How many more Muslim men and women will feel so oppressed, so unheard and ignored that they choose to send such a message of finality that can only be sent through suicide?

International Women’s Khilafah Conference in Tunisia Part 5

The conference began with the remembrance of Allah and His words. Then various women who were members of Hizb ut Tahrir from different parts of the world spoke about the conditions that not just the muslim women is enduring in todays world but also the woman at large. Although the feminist movements of the West have managed to fight for and achieve many rights that were denied to the western women until recently such as the right to personhood under the law, political rights, and the right to property, a cursory look at even western societies would show that even according to their own criteria they have missed the mark. Women still make less money than men for the same work, still face the proverbial glass ceiling, get discriminated in business and politics, face sexual harassment, and they are still victims of mild to severe forms of violence. One of the speakers related that one woman gets raped every minute in America, the torchbearer of freedom and secularism in the world.  So these are failures even according to the feminist movements. From the Islamic perspective and even from the perspective of feminist scholars, the west has lead to the humiliation of women through their objectification in society through the media, art, and cultural norms such as beauty standards, stripping and prostitution. Women are only seen to have worth as instruments of sexual pleasure and if they meet certain standards of beauty. This cultural pressure has led women in the west to mete out such horrific forms of abuse on their own bodies such as plastic surgery, implants, toxic injections, bulimia and anorexia…all in the service of remaking their image to be desirable to men and to be valued by society.

One of the speakers talked about how Islam has elevated the woman so that she doesn’t seek to compete with the man or seek value from being desirable to every man that lays eyes on her because Islam has freed her from setting him as her standard or her criterion for success. It has given her role in the family and society an honoured position. She is appreciated and valued as a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. She has the grave and necessary task of raising the next generation of Muslims. She is a seen as a partner in the marriage and in fulfilling this duty. Her honour and dignity are to be protected by the state. She is also guaranteed education and healthcare rights by the state. In fact, during the reign of the Islamic state Muslim women excelled in education such that they rose to the level of scholars and even the first university al-Qarawiyin in Fez, Morocco was built by a Muslim woman, Fatima al Fihri. Sadly, such a system which implements these laws and propagates these values does not exist in the Muslim world today. Therefore the Muslim woman does not enjoy these benefits that Islam gives her. Instead she lives under dictatorial capitalist regimes which are subservient to Western interests. There is no protection for her, her economic or social justice. The speaker reminded us of the time when just one woman was dishonoured by a Roman soldier and the Ameer Mutassim sent an army to defend her honour.

So some of speakers about the plight of the woman in the Muslim world in the absence of such a system. The speaker from Indonesia talked about the oppression that women there face due to the economic injustice of the capitalist system and the extreme levels of poverty in certain sectors of society. Women are forced to work almost as slave labour for foreign multinationals who exploit their desperation. The economic hardships puts pressure on the entire family and the mental and emotional stress often leads to violence against women. The women from many different parts of the world spoke about the injustice and violence committed against the woman and the insecurity they face in the Muslim world also. They also spoke about the political repression that not only women but men also face under the current system in the Muslim world where the leaders are puppets of western nations and never hesitate to hand the resources to western interests, oppress and subjugate the people and torture and kill anyone who dares to resist. These economic and political conditions which create insecurity and disharmony in the society and family life which leads to the abuse of women.

Tunisia: My trip to the birthplace of the Arab Spring

WEDNESDAY, 21 MARCH 2012 17:22 MELEK BEYZADE

On the 8th March 2012, I travelled with four others to Tunis to attend the International Women’s Conference hosted by Hizb ut Tahrir. In a matter of five days this experience proved to be an eye opening one and our hearts were inspired. The land of Tunis is truly a place of beauty. Lush fields, mountains dressing the landscape and olive trees decorating the view. The baraqah in this land was apparent to see, yet upon my return I felt an assortment of emotions.

My initial impression upon arrival was one of sadness and disappointment. I felt heaviness in my heart as I saw the presence of alcohol and Muslim women without the correct Islamic attire. Had the fallen regime of Tunis done this much damage to the Muslim identity?

But Alhamdulillah, the pious Muslim woman emerged and became a frequent and dominant part of the landscape. As our short journey continued and we interacted with the locals, we could see just how much love the ummah of Tunis has for Islam and their yearning for the shari’ah to solve their problems. For so many years, they were strangled by their corrupt, secular government that would not even allow the wearing of hijab. Tunisians were left voiceless and lifeless, unable to express what was in their hearts and minds.

However, since the Arab spring revolutions and fall of the tyrant Ben Ali, vitality has flowed back into her. The ummah of Tunis have now awoken and are seeking the Islamic solution. Whilst some are still confused and under the illusion that a secular, democratic government is the way forward, many are looking to Islam. In their pursuit for Islam, the Ennahdah party was voted into power, but in the words of a Tunisian, ‘nothing has changed.’ Women can not wear the niqab, graduates are unemployed and some of the fortunate ones could be working for a measly 10 dinar a day. It was only last week that a brother was killed for calling for Islam. The people feel disappointed and let down. It has not taken them long to realise that the Islam they were hoping and calling for was not realised by the Ennahdah party.

We were fortunate to see for ourselves just where the Arab Spring began. The burnt out government cars, covered in graffiti and fixed in place as monuments so that this historical moment can never be forgotten. We found ourselves standing in the streets where it all began. French inspired buildings, a reminder of French colonialism and the anti- government graffiti on the walls. I felt sad for the sufferings of our ummah and those who had lost their lives during this time, but at the same time proud and happy for the brave stand that they made and how it marked the start of change for the Muslim world.

Just a ten minute walk through the market place took us to the doorstep of the great Zaytuna Masjid. Built in 84 Hijri it was one of the first learning centres of Islam. I suddenly went from the present day revolution, back over a thousand years to the time of the Khilafah State. As we stood in the courtyard, I looked around and felt the greatness of Islam. I remembered what I had read about this masjid, its atmosphere and the greatness it produced. I felt very sad that a courtyard which was once bustling with discussion and learning could now be so empty and silent. However, as I stood contemplating the beautiful words of the Qur’an al Kareem descended upon my ears as a brother passed by reciting. At that moment, I thought about the revolutions, the ummah’s yearning for Islam and felt so hopeful that the glory which once inhabited this mosque would soon return.

The day of the conference further reinforced this hope. Women poured into the conference venue, some from other parts of the world. Indonesia, Belgium, Sudan, Turkey, Australia, Canada, the UK and more. What a momentous occasion. One year ago, the ummah of Tunis could never have spoken openly about Islam. Dawah carriers were imprisoned, some had to bury their Islamic books from fear of the regime and it was deemed a crime to wear the hijab. However, on the 10th March 2012, the women of Hizb ut Tahrir held such a historical event, clarifying to the ummah the way forward. Delegates were flown in from many different countries delivering speeches on the issue of women, the Khilafah and the way forward for the Muslim world. The talks were comprehensive, clear, accurate and enlightening.

On this day, the Hizb expressed what the ummah had felt all along and provided her with the clarity that she had been seeking. All discussions were focused around the Khilafah state. The foyer area was buzzing with media covering the event and even the hotel staff were discussing and taking literature from the stalls. Every attendee wanted to know about the Islamic solution and how they could be a part of it. I realised then that the women of Tunis were beyond discussing whether Islam was a personal religion or not. They were looking to understand the Islamic system of governance as a true solution to the political problems they were facing which affected every one of them, every day of their lives. As they found what they were looking for, the takbirs, the chants for Khilafah and the expression of emotion resonated throughout the day. The atmosphere was electric, raw and authentic.

After the day of the conference, we visited various masaajid, met more locals and felt their warmth and wonderful hospitality. But, there was one more significant part of our journey which I wish to narrate. We had travelled to Sousse, south of the capital. From there we visited Kairouan, often referred to as the town of one hundred masjids. Within Kairouan we found the amazing Masjid of Sidi-Uqba built by the great Uqba ibn Nafi who led the military campaigns opening North Africa to Islam. This was another structure of sheer elegance and beauty. Thought to have been built in approximately 50 Hijri and often perceived as Islam’s fourth holiest site, once again I was taken back to the time of Islam.

Every stone of this Masjid which was also a world famous centre of learning carried so much history. Many great men of the past walked its courtyard and prayed within its walls. As we walked alongside the outer walls of the Masjid, we noticed something on the wall by one of the huge wooden doors. We moved closer to take a look and discovered that it was actually a poster for the conference that we had just attended. As we continued to walk on, we saw more posters and banners. We felt elated and very excited for this represented something so wonderful. It was so perfectly symbolic. A modern day poster calling for the Khilafah on the wall of one of the oldest Masjids built during the Khilafah, in the town of Kairouan where not so long ago one would have been arrested for challenging the government or calling for Islam. It then became so evident to me that the tidal wave of the Islamic revival was so real and building in momentum every day. It reminded me of the verse of the Quran Al Kareem whereby Allah سبحانه وتعالى says,

يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللَّهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ

“They wish to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths but Allah will not allow but that His light should be perfected, even though the unbelievers may detest it.” [al-Tawba, 9:32]

Our history spans over 1400 years of greatness, but we have found ourselves in a devastating period without our Khaleefah and the Islamic system to implement the Quran and Sunnah, to protect its citizens and spread this deen of truth as a mercy to all of mankind. However, I look to the ummah of Tunis and everywhere in the world. Their courage, perseverance and love for Islam. I think about the Muslims in the West who have rejected Democracy, Secularism, Freedom and all Western values. Then I remember the promise of Allah سبحانه وتعالى regarding the victory of Islam and the Muslims and my heart is filled with so much hope.

Upon returning home I have brought so much back with me. However, the most important realization is that more than ever our increased efforts to work for the Islamic revival is needed. The magnitude of our responsibility cannot be underestimated at all. I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears the suffering of our ummah due to the absence of Islam. But, her suffering is not separate from ours. We are of the same body. Her pain is our pain and our pain is hers. Therefore, this noble duty to work for the Islamic revival must be undertaken by us all, with everything that we have to give. Our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was most truthful when he صلى الله عليه وسلم said,

“The grinding wheel of Islam is turning so turn wherever it turns.” [Tabarani]

Our ummah suffers much oppression at the hands of our tyrant rulers and corrupt regimes but the Western world is also suffering the darkness of ignorance. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى keep us steadfast and grant us the victory soon Insha’ Allah. Ameen.

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Silent Suffering

The time has come to remember and commemorate the woman, at least she is given one day annually to be flattered while standing before audiences, pedestaled on podiums to briefly highlight specific female accomplishments. This “holiday” forged by some committee the mark the International Annual Women’s Day that has gathered the attention across the globe.

Rather than focusing on the accomplishments, why not focus on the obvious? Women and girls live in this world while suffering silently, especially throughout Muslim lands. Often times forced to endure the frustrations and aggressions of their male counterparts. These men vent their aggressions from the outside world on the very person he is supposed to seek comfort. The vast majority of Muslims, men and women knows the due rights of the Muslim female given to her by her Creator. Be they the rights of a wife, mother, daughter, and sister. These range from economic, social rights and beyond. Yet the focus is directed to the woman’s duty to her husband often times oppressed by the same person she obeys. Even when Abu Sufyan known for his stinginess was miserly towards his family, the fairest of the fair from humankind, the Prophet (saw) ordered Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife to take her due right to fulfill her necessities.

Under the Islamic State, there is a system intact to implement and carry out these rights so they are not hypothetical ideals preached upon deaf ears. Therefore when a wife’s emotional and security needs are not met but even worse threatened by domestic abuse, including battery, withholding allowances, she no longer has to suffer in silence. She no longer suffers in shame and indignity. The Muslim female regardless of age has the backing of the just Imam to secure her position in her household. One of respect, dignity, honor who is the backbone of society in Islam. The blessed Prophet (saw) constantly stressed the significance of the amaneh (trust) placed upon the shoulders of men.

Very sadly throughout the world, we witness case after endless case of abuse ranging from physical abuse to acid burnings to severe trauma. Allah (swt) clearly and decisively outlined the relationships between man and woman yet His Commands have little bearing on man’s behaviors and attitudes towards his female counterpart. Indeed counterpart, since women are equal to men as both are human beings.

Today’s dire eroding economic and social circumstances make it almost unbearable living conditions for women. The information is clear as crystal yet again lacks the effect on the behavior.

How is our Ummah supposed to have the Islamic personality if there is a discord or break between (fikr) thought and action?

How are the Mutassims of today supposed to rescue their Muslim sisters if they do not exit in their own family units? If the Mutassims do not exist in our society? Again, this terrible calamity fallen upon our Muslim sisters is the direct result of the Khilafah’s absence.

This Khilafah is not an imaginary utopia but an actual implementation of the Hukm Sharii (Islamic Laws). The State that genuinely safeguards our sisters in the truest form guaranteeing her security, protection, respect and love from her very own Mutassim.

So during the times of trumped up commendations, one needs to realize how much bearing it has upon the millions of women living under oppressions. Has this forgery really made any difference on their current living conditions?

Manal Bader

Bayt Al-Maqdes (Jerusalem)
           
10 Rabi’ II 1433
03/03/2012

Muslim Women as callers for Societal Change Part 4

The Tunisian Connection

Muslim Women as callers for Societal Change Part 3

Global Ummah…Global Da’wah

Muslim Women as callers for Societal Change Part 2

Importance of the Political Participation of the Muslimah

Muslim Women as callers for Societal Change Part 1

Introduction and Context

Would the real Muslim woman please stand up?

The Muslim woman is the subject of much debate and discussion where she is usually a victim of oppression who is in need of protection by legislation, human rights organizations or foreign armies. The reality of all these approaches is that none of them take her interests at heart or benefit her. If anything they have made her situation worse.

The reason for this is that they isolate her and take her as an entity separate from her society. Even if we were to consider these attempts at her rescue sincere, they are still completely flawed due to their detaching her from not only her belief system, which is the most central aspect of her life, but also her society, her family and her rich heritage.

The Muslim woman is part of the fabric of the society of the Muslim nation no matter where she lives. She cannot be separated and studied in isolation. She suffers because the whole society is suffering and the society suffers because she is suffering. It is the knots that tie the fabric of her culture that have come undone. She is suffering due to this unraveling just as the men, youth, elderly and children are suffering. Any truth seeker must make a sincere attempt to understand what caused these knots to come undone.

Social problems are by definition issues which affect many people in a society and relate to the values and norms of a society. Any attempt, albeit sincere, which doesn’t place her belief system as central to every aspect of her life is an imposition of foreign values and standards on her and through her, on her entire community.

Now that we have laid the social argument to rest intellectually, let’s examine the true nature of these rescuers of the downtrodden Muslim woman. The reality of most of their endeavors including the work of the human rights organizations is that they work to further the interests of the powerful nations, in particular the elite among them that control and benefit from them.

This blog will be an attempt, if god wills, to address this reality from its various angles.

It’s time for the Muslim woman stand up and speak for herself. Her belief system and the rich heritage that emanates from it not only exemplify this but in fact, obligate her to work for this cause. She alone is right for the job and from the many examples that are available now and from the past, she is definitely up for it.