Re: Pakistan as Muslim country
SW, I see a problem in the way you view different things. Like you can see, I have written, “As far as I know there are no restrictions on driving of women IN ISLAM”
And look what you have written in reply to that. You have referred it to Saudi Arabia.
Thats what it is. We have to look at what Islam says, not what is practiced in the name of Islam in different countries because it may be right, it may be wrong. So we need to know what is right… and to do that, we would have to go back to Quran and open it to see what does it say about this particular issue rather than simply assuming what Saudi Arabia is doing. Right? Do you agree?
What I don’t understand is that why you are totally ignoring many aspects and looking at one aspect of it that you consider in your daily life. Haj is not an ordinary ocassion. It is an occasion where many “Halaal” things become “Haraam”. The pilgrims are to remain under a state of “extra” caution and alertness. Men and women have to be in a state of spiritual and mental clarity and peace. There is a protocol that has to be followed for Haj, just like “Wudu” for Namaz…And everybody has to follow that.
Imagine yourself in that situation? Can you survive on your own? Be raelistic. You don’t know anyone there and you want to perfom Haj?
OR
Whom else besides Mahram you would wanna go out for Haj? A boyfriend? Isn’t it ironic SW. We are want to perform Hajj, an “Islamic Ibadah” and we are forgetting here that Islam does not recognize any fifth relation of a woman with a man besides a wife, sister, daughter and/or mother? So the need for a Mahram is alread justified here. Right?
Do I make sense?
Hate to say that but this is a western concept of “Unlimited freedom” what they call democracy.
Hijab first of all, is ordered for men and women both, if you don’t know it before.
Second, Hijab deals with the “Collective” life of a society MORE than it deals with the individual life of a person.
Third, when something deals with the colloective life or a society, leaving it upto an individual 's choice can devastate the whole society. Let me give you an example. Marriage is a way to maintian social integrity of a society. If left on the indiviual choice, people wouldn’t bother to marry because they will not be willing to take the responsibility associated with marriage.
Similarly, if hijab left on an individuals own choice, I can guarantee you (Use your common sense here) imagine if 100 women are roaming around with tight fitted jeans and a tight shirt with the belly button visible, I am sure there will be 1000 men running after them, right? And what would happen next, you can imagine.
Fourth but not the last, laws and rules are made to be enforced and implemented. They are not left to individual choice. For example. On the freeways, it is posted “Speed limit 70 mph”. If it is left on the individula choice of the driver, who is gonna follow it? I guess none. And why do you see so many policemen on the highways catching people overspeeding and driving after drinking?
I think same applies to the Hijab Laws of Islam.
When we look at a system and talk about it, there are responsibilites of an Islamic state which are divided and allocated at its various levels. That have to be followed in any way because in an islamic state, it is it’s responsibility to “implement the laws ordered by Allah by acting his representative on earth”… And this has been clearly said in Quran. Any doubts about it?
PS. I usually wouldn’t have bothered to reply to your response but I have because I consider you a sensible individual, as I have noticed it many times in GS.