Islam should not be held responsible

THANK you for your interest in Islam. With regards to your letter I would like to make several points. In the third paragraph of your letter you wrote: 'By far the worst offence committed by Islam is the perceived treatment of women . . . . . If Muslims break their own codes, how do you expect to gain respect or liking?'

Please allow me to eliminate any confusion regarding the terms 'Islam' and 'Muslims'. I believe your argument is against 'Muslims', the followers of Islam, rather than against 'Islam', the faith. Islam has committed no such offence against women, as by your own admission of a Qur'aanic verse, 'Oh ye who believe, it is unlawful that you should take women as heritage against (their) will.'

Women in the West have just recently received the most basic rights, but at the same time still bear the burden of double standards. Compare this to the fact that Islam gave women rights, the likes of which the West can still not match, over 1420 years ago. It wasn't until WW2, due to a shortage of men that women were fully accepted as members of the workforce, but even today there are complaints that women are paid less for the same amount of work as men. In the Qur'aan it is written, 'And in no way covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn.' (4:32) Islam has never prohibited women form engaging in any form of employment, business, profession or vocation, to earn or contribute to the income of the family. Until recently in the West women faced great resistance in order to receive education beyond basic literacy and numeric skill. Even the bourgeoisie women were expected to take up alternative studies, i.e. sewing, cooking, etc. In Islam, women have always had the same right to education as men. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad's wife, Aisha Siddiqah herself, was one of the greatest scholars of Islam. It is related in Sahih Ibn Majah (a collection of authentic Hadith tradition): 'Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "The pursuit of knowledge is compulsory upon every Muslim male and Muslim female."'

What some Muslims may do does not dictate the impetus of Islam. According to Islam a marriage is void unless the bride and groom give voluntary assent. Islam cannot be held responsible for those who call themselves Muslims and yet adhere to their ancestral customs that belong more to the Indian sub-continent than Islam.

It seems you have misunderstood the philosophy behind the veil. Let me draw your attention to the following verse of the Qur'aan: 'O Prophet, tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when out of doors); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested; and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.' (33:59)

This injunction was made not to oppress a woman's rights, but to free her and protect her. The male gaze continuously sexually harasses women, especially in the West. Women are not objects on display, it is a gross violation of their rights to be so scrutinised, but it is impossible for them to escape this scrutiny even when walking to the shops. The veil empowers women to go forth without fear of such violation. Furthermore, Islam places a sterner injunction on men, 'Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.' (24:30) The veil was the mark of a free woman in Islam; only slave girls went about without a veil. Women of station in early European civilizations also wore the veil.

I draw your attention to the following verse, 'That Radiant Woman, once she reached her suitors, drawing her glittering veil across her cheeks.' (Book 1, lines 383-384, Odyssey, Homer). The veil has always been a symbol of high status and not degradation. The greatest act of sabotage of women's rights is having convinced women that shamelessness is liberation and that equal means the same rights as men whereas women deserve more. Men don't have to worry about post-menstrual stress and cramps.

In regards to your views on the Iraq situation, Muslims dislike Saddam Hussain and the other corrupt Muslim leaders as much as the next person. But the source of their corruption is due to ignoring the precepts of Islam and their adopting capitalist and socialist values. We do not support people like Saddam, but the USA and its allies saw fit to do so openly when Iraq was warring with Iran. Muslims only provide unconditional support for the oppressed Muslims of the world, including the ones suffering under tyrannical rule and subjugation. As far as Saddam being guilty of mass murder, etc, lets not forget the tragedy of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A columnist writing for the Guardian recently reflected on whether the greatest threat to the world is Saddam or George W Bush, with his gung ho tactics, personal vendettas and vast arsenal of nuke.

To speak a treasonous sentence is still an offence in the UK and USA. The Royal family and politicians are protected by liable and slander laws; and yet there isn't a Western law protecting God from the same attacks. The hounding of Salman Rushdie was instigated by the UK media, if the incendiary passages hadn't been sensationalized in the British press, the Satanic Verses would have gone unnoticed and disappeared into obscurity. The whole affair felt more like an overblown promotional strategy that got a little out of hand. The only people to benefit from this incident were Salman and his publishers. The Hardliners that you mentioned, especially Khomeini, had similar aims, to promote themselves beyond their minority following. It maybe worth your while to look up a history of the British occupation of the sub-continent and read up on how the Imperial army burned stacks of Qur'aan's in public.

If you have any further questions and queries regarding Islam, please feel free to contact us at the Lancashire Council of Mosques (www.lancashiremosques.com). It is our aim to promote and facilitate inter-faith dialogue and a better understanding of Islam by working with local authorities and schools. We aim to facilitate services and development and seek representation for the Muslim community to empower them to interact equitably with the indigenous population of Lancashire and the UK.

Once again, thank you for your interest.