Response to brooke3777’s blog “An Interesting Read”

It’s quite a long read so grab a soda or coffee before you begin. The article is taken from a pamphlet not written by me.

 Who Oppresses Women? 

For many the term Muslim Women' brings images of exhausted mothers chained to the stove, blinded by their veils, suppressed 'victims', pregnant and frantic to be westernized. It seems unbelievable that Islam could be a rational choice. Female converts, they say, are either brainwashed, stupid or traitors to their sex. Those who make such allegations against Islam have usually taken their information from a biased non-Muslim media which adores sensationalism and has no use for interviewing people who are actually content with their way of life. Not only do most people have a very superficial knowledge of what Islam is but they are also ignorant of their own religion. 
 

What follows is a brief look at what Christianity and Islam say about women in their original sources.

 EVE'S FAULT Both Islam and Christianity agree that Adam and Eve were the first created man and woman. However, disagreement starts soon after their creation. The Biblical account given in Genesis 3 tells us how the serpent seduced Eve to eat from the fruits of the forbidden tree and Eve, in turn, seduced Adam to eat with her. When God rebuked Adam for what he did, Adam put all the blame on Eve: 'The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.' Consequently, God said to Eve 'I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you.'

The Qur’an, contrary to the Bible, places equal blame on both Adam and Eve. Nowhere can one find even the slightest hint that Eve tempted Adam to eat from the tree or even that she had eaten before him. Moreover, Eve isn't blamed for the pains of childbirth. Both Adam and Eve committed a sin, asked God (Allah) for forgiveness and Allah forgave them: Their Lord called unto them "Did I not forbid you that tree?"They said: "Our Lord. We have wronged our own soulsand if You forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your Mercy,we shall certainly be lost."' (Qur’an, 7:23) 

EVE'S LEGACY The image of Eve as a temptress in the Bible has resulted in an extremely negative impact on women throughout Christian tradition. In the Catholic Bible we read:'No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman. Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die.' (Eccl. 25:19, 24)

In the New Testament St Paul, the founder of Christianity says:'A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I don't permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam wasn't the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner, but women will be saved through childbearing.' (I Timothy 211-15) 

As for the canonized Church Fathers... 'Do you not know that you are each an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the Devil's gateway: You are the unsealed of the forbidden tree: You are the first deserter of the divine law: You are she who persuaded him whom the devil wasn't valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man.' (St. Tertullian) 

‘What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother; it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman.' (St. Augustine)

 'As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten...' (St. Thomas Aquinas) 

‘Woman has the poison of an asp, the malice of a dragon.' (St. Gregory) 

‘Woman is a daughter of falsehood, a sentinel of Hell, the enemy of peace; through her Adam lost paradise.' (St John Damascene) 

Finally, Martin Luther, the'Father of the Reformation':'If they (women) become tired or even die, that doesn't matter. Let them die in childbirth, that's why they are there.' 

If we now turn our attention to the Qur'an, we soon realise that the Islamic conception of women is radically different from that of Christianity.

 'Revere the wombs (i.e. your mothers).' (Qur'an, 4:1) The Qur'anic term for womb (rahm) is synonymous with the word for mercy (rahma). So rather than a punishment, childbirth in Islam is seen as a mercy and blessing from God. Christianity holds every new born baby - the fruits of its mothers punishment - to be a sinner. Islam however, teaches us we are all born innocent upon a natural inclination to worship Allah - it is only a child's upbringing and bad environment that make it a sinner. Hence someone who embraces Islam is a 'revert' as they simply return to their natural belief in Allah. 'Whoever works righteousness, man or woman,and has faith; Verily to them We will give a new life that is goodand pure, And We will bestow on such their reward according tothe best of their actions.' (Qur'an, 16:97) 

SHAMEFUL DAUGHTERS The difference between the Biblical and the Qur’anic attitude towards the female sex actually starts as soon as a female is born. For example, the Catholic Bible states that 'The birth of a daughter is a loss.' (Eccl. 22:3). She is considered a painful burden, a potential source of shame to her father (Eccl. 42:11).It was this very same idea of treating daughters as sources of shame that led the pagan Arabs to bury their new-born daughters alive.

The Qur’an severely condemned and outlawed this heinous practice: 'When news is brought to one of them of the birth of a female,his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief.With shame does he hide himself from his people because of thebad news he has had! Shall he retain her on contempt or bury herin the dust? Ah! What an evil they decide on?' (Qur’an, 16:59) 

In contrast to the Bible, the Qur`an considers the birth of both males and females as gifts and blessings from God. Female birth is even mentioned first:

'To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.He creates what He wills. He bestows females to whoever Hewills and males to whoever He wills.' (Qur'an, 42:49) 

EDUCATION In the Bible, St Paul says: 'They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.' (I Corinthians 14:34,35)  

How can a woman learn and grow intellectually if she is not allowed to speak and her one and only source of information is her husband? The Prophet Muhammad said: 'The seeking of (religious) knowledge is compulsory upon every Muslim (i.e.. male and female).'  The only infallible sources of knowledge are Allah and His Messenger Muhammad.

Furthermore, the most honored position a person can reach in Muslim society is that of a scholar. The Prophet's wife, Ayesha, was herself a great scholar. And included amongst the teachers of the celebrated scholars, 'So ask the people of knowledge if you know not.' (Qur'an, 21:7)

ADULTERY in the Bible, constituted a violation of the husband's exclusive right to his wife; the wife as the husband's possession had no such right to him. Jesus (allegedly) said: 'I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.' (Matthew 5:31-32)  

There are no such double standards in Islam -adultery is considered to be the involvement of a married woman or man in an extramarital affair. And neither is there any stigma attached to widows or divorcees.

 'And they (women) have rights (over men) similar to those of menover them in a just manner.' (Qur'an, 2:228) 

'And among His signs is that He created for you mates fromamong yourselves, that you may dwell with them in tranquility.And He has put love and mercy between your hearts.Verily in that are signs for those who reflect.'(Qur’an 30:21) 

'They (your wives) are a garment for you,And you (husbands) are a garment for them.' (Qur'an, 2:187) 

I think I am going to stop now, this piece is becoming too long.