Taslima Nasrin: Exiled Writter from Bangladesh

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

CBC canada interviewed Taslima Nasrin.
I think this falls under the canada’s hate crime act.

hiHC14. What is the crime of wilful promotion of hatred?
Promoting hatred means making statements that strongly encourage people to hate a group because of its colour, race, religion or ethnic origin. The people making hate statements must mean to say them, but actual hatred need not result from those statements. However, the statements must be made in other than private conversation. (05.21.98)

PART 1

Evan Solomon: First of all, Taslima, I’m glad you’re here. Last time you were in Canada, I understand you were at Concordia University and what happened?

Taslima Nasrin: Many students who were Muslim, they protested. They didn’t like me to say anything against Islam so and I had to stop. The police took me away from the room.

ES: This was your first experience in Canada?

TN: Yeah.

ES: So it’s better this time?

TN: Yeah.

ES: All right, now most people who have heard of you in North America have heard that moniker that I’m sure you loathe now: the female Salman Rushdie. But this is because of this book here, Shame, that you wrote. I think you wrote it in '93, or it came out in '93 and then the mullahs in Bangladesh declared a fatwa.

TN: Yeah, the mullahs issued fatwa against me, is not for this book. This book was banned by the government -

ES: The Bangladeshi government -

TN: The Bangladeshi government banned Shame but I didn’t write anything against Islam in Shame. The fundamentalists issued fatwa against me because of my other books, what I wrote in other books against Islam and I criticized Islam and Islamic fundamentalists.

ES: So by the time you wrote Shame, you were not a popular person to the mullahs?

TN: No, no, no, not at all.

ES: You were a newspaper columnist and you were writing controversial columns in Bangladesh about women that were critical, also critical of Islam and I thought, you have to [correct], that in Bangladesh there’s a secular government.

TN: Secular government? No.

ES: That one, that it supposedly that there’s elections, there’s some kind of free speech there. But I guess there’s not free speech against the religion of Islam.

TN: You know in Bangladesh, the state religion is Islam so it’s not at all a secular government and we have seven centuries Shari’a law so there is no uniform civil code in which women can get equality and justice. So it’s not a secular government.

ES: Nothing at all? There’s no separation between church and state?

TN: No separation between state and religion. But you know in 1971, when we got independence, that time the we had secularism but that secularism [unclear] – secularism in Indian sub-continent means that you know equal rights for the, for all the people who have different faith. But secularism doesn’t mean we doubt religion or [sounds like] no religion in Indian sub-continent.

ES: This is interesting. In other words, you’re allowed to practice in whatever sect you are, but there is still a state religion which you cannot criticize?

TN: Yeah in Bangladesh now, yeah. Then afterwards, secularism was removed and state religion is Islam, state religion became Islam you know so that the minority community was Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, they don’t have much rights there in Bangladesh because if state religion is Islam, then you know only Muslims can get opportunity.

ES: But is it, doesn’t Islam in the Koran, at least in my understanding of it, isn’t it supposed to protect those who practice other religions outside of Islam? And for centuries it did?

TN: No.

ES: Jews, Christians that lived under Islamic law throughout history have been protected?

TN: I don’t think so because you know the non-Muslim had to pay tax, kind of tax because they are not Muslim in Islamic countries under Islam.

ES: But still allowed to practice.

TN: They are in Bangladesh they are allowed to practice, it is true, but you know still they are not allowed to criticize the Islam because Islam is the state religion. And also it is written in the Koran that if you are not Muslim, or if you are you know disbeliever, then you should be killed. Islam divides the world in two parts: Dar al-Harb and Dar al-Islam. Dar al-Harb means land of infidels and Dar al-Islam means land of Islam. So it’s the Muslim’s duty to make, to kill all the infidels or make them convert and to make all the land Dar al-Islam, means land of Islam.

ES: What about the idea of tolerance?

TN: There is no tolerance. There is no tolerance in Islam because, you know if it is, if a law say, because a law says that disbelievers would go to hell if you are a Muslim but you reject Islam and if you deny Allah or Prophet Mohammad, then you should be killed. You know fundamentalists issued fatwa against me. Many people, the so-called liberal Muslims, say that: no, it’s not real Islam, Islam is for peace, Islam doesn’t allow any fatwa. Actually, it is not true. The fundamentalists are following, are practicing Islam correctly. They issued fatwa against me because it is written in the Koran that [sounds like] apposite must be killed.

ES: But this is interesting because you have for years made this case that one ought not to talk about Muslims and fundamentalist Muslims as different, as fundamentally different groups. They are the same.

TN: They are not the same. Some Muslims are liberal, they are more moderate. It doesn’t mean that Islam is liberal or moderate. Some Muslims believe in equality and justice you know, they think that women should live as human beings.

ES: Humanism?

TN: Some Muslims believe that, yeah, because women are not treated as human beings you know especially Islam oppress women and Islam doesn’t allow women to live as human beings. They are just considered as slaves and sexual objects. But if any Muslim who you know there are many Muslims who actually don’t follow the Koran, every words of Koran, they can be moderate.

ES: But this is like defining Christianity or Judaism, according to only the most literal interpretation of either the five books of Moses, the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament when, in fact, a theologian may well argue, and for Islam as well, a theologian may argue: don’t read the book literally, one must follow the tradition as it evolves and therefore Christianity isn’t exactly what it says in the New Testament, Judaism has changed from a literal interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. And same with Islam and the Koran.

TN: I, there is no, no you know nobody can change the Koran or live or disobey the orders of Allah or Prophet Mohammad and call themselves Muslims. Actually, they are not allowed. Muslims are not allowed but some Muslims don’t follow the Koran or the Dar al-Harb and live their life and call themselves Muslims. OK but actually there is no difference between Islam and Islamic fundamentalism.

ES: There is no difference? But -

TN: No difference. Islamic fundamentalists practicing Islam correctly.

ES: The Taliban?

TN: Yeah, Taliban are real Muslims.

ES: [sounds like] Wahabiism as practiced in Saudi Arabia?

TN: Are real Muslims.

ES: Real Muslims, as opposed to someone here in Canada -

TN: But some Muslims, of course, you would find many Muslims who believe in equality between men and women. They are not real Muslims even though they claim they’re real Muslims -

ES: But maybe they’re part of a tradition [unclear] – it’s different, an interpretation that’s different.

TN: [sounds like] Right, you can you know how can you interpret positively when it is written in the Koran that men are superior and women are inferior? When it is written in the Koran that women, men are allowed to beat their women? So how could you know you interpret this positively?

ES: But there are people, for example -

TN: Suppose one thing: sun revolves around the earth. How could you interpret that? Actually it does not.

End of Part 1

Transcipt of the interview from cbc website

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TN: Yeah you know it didn't come suddenly in one fine morning. It came slowly you know. When I was reading the Koran, since I was forced to read the Koran like everybody else in my country when I was a child, I had to read the Koran in Arabic but I didn't understand Arabic and nobody in Bengal understand Arabic. The language is Bengali. So I wanted to know what I was reading, the verses of the Koran, because this I don't know the language but I had to read because I was told that Allah would be happy if I read the Koran in Arabic.

ES: Right and your mother was very religious.

TN: Yeah. But I wanted to know the meaning. So when I was 13 or 14 years old, then I found a book, the translation of the Koran and I read. And I was so surprised and you know before that, when I was eight or nine years old, you know I was saying: what Allah wrote I didn't understand and I also said, my mother used to ask me that to pray always. So I was not happy. I didn't like to pray but I had to pray in Arabic so I asked my mother, who said that Allah knows everything, Allah creates the earth, the sun and the moon, everything, animals, humans. So languages also. So Allah doesn't know Bengali? If I pray in Bengali -

ES: Doesn't he understand?

TN: Yeah. So my mother was a little bit embarrassed but that was my question. And also one day my mother told me that if you say anything bad about Allah, your tongue would fall off. So I was very curious you know that I -

ES: No but you weren't just curious and I don't know [unclear] -- but then she said your tongue will fall out and then you said you went home and you mumbled to yourself: Allah is?

TN: Yeah, I went to bathroom so nobody could see me, I locked the bathroom door and I say: Allah is a son of a bitch, Allah is a son of a dog, Allah is you know [unclear] --

ES: I'll actually read it: "Allah, you are bad. Allah, you are ugly, you are rotten, you are a crook, you are a son of a bitch, you are a pig."

TN: And I was waiting, I was waiting for you know my tongue to fall off. But it didn't. I waited for one minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. I was afraid and I was thinking: OK, my maybe my tongue would fall out but it did not. And then I realized if I say anything bad about Allah, my tongue would never fall off. So -

ES: But just saying that, just out of interest, how old were you when you were saying that? You were a young girl. You precocious little thing. So you're saying -

TN: I was curious.

ES: You were curious.

TN: Children are curious, you know they want to know, they ask questions.

ES: If you were caught saying this by your mother, what would she have done to you?

TN: Sorry?

ES: If your mother heard you say that?

TN: Oh, she would have been very, very unhappy and angry with me so that I you know I went to bathroom.

ES: And earlier, you were very careful but even saying that now, when I read a sentence like that, what happens when they read this sentence in Bengal? What do they say when they say, when they read that you said those things about Allah now?

TN: This book is banned in Bangladesh.

ES: It's banned because of sentences like that?

TN: Um hmm.

ES: So just what I said to you in your country would get you into serious trouble? This is the fatwa, these are the thing that's banned because of these things?

TN: Yeah.

ES: And you're still writing them?

TN: Yeah, yeah, why not? I'm telling the truth.

ES: You said here, these are, I'm interested in your, in how you fell, your disenchantment with religion - first with Islam and then with religion in general. But you know you read here, there's a passage here where you read in the Koran that the sun revolves around the earth and you say: no it doesn't. And you compare science. But look, I read the Hebrew Bible and it says the story of Adam and Eve and I can read it metaphorically.

TN: Metaphorically?

ES: It's just a story, it doesn't have to be the truth, it doesn't invalidate the whole religion.

TN: Yeah, you yeah, Koran is kind of fairy tales, it's all religions are kind of fairy tales you know. If they wrote I could say OK, it's a historical document [unclear] -- some time, some men for their own interest created religion and wrote the Koran, wrote the Bible and everything, fine. But why we have to follow? We have to follow everything as written in the Koran now. That's my question. Is out of religious scriptures are out of place, out of time.

ES: Now a fundamental, not even a fundamental, a believer would answer you and say: Taslima, what you have never experienced is a religious experience and so what you say is out of time, it's because you lack faith. So where does faith function into your rational mind?

TN: Faith. Faith you know is faith, blind faith is irrational.

ES: Ah, but many things are irrational in the world. Love is irrational and you don't discredit love.

TN: Yeah but if, you can have faith, you know, he can have faith, she can have faith. I have no problem if you don't want to impose your faith on other people, if you don't want to decide what other people should do, what other people should wear, what other people should eat, how they should live their life - then problem solved you know. You know Islam does it in Islamic countries we still have Islamic laws which decide how everybody should live their life.

ES: What about a place like Turkey?

TN: There is secularism.

ES: There is secularism. So it is possible for a society to function within a Muslim society.

TN: Yeah, of course.

ES: As well and a kind of secularism to co-exist?

TN: Yeah. It does co-exist. If you have secularism, it means you don't have any religious law. It means women would not suffer you know, there would be equality between men and women. There would be justice at least. Men, women are oppressed everywhere, not only by religion, by tradition, by [unclear] -- and everything.

ES: … girls?

TN: Yeah but we don't need any religious laws so secularism of course is possible in Islamic countries. People can be religious but if state is secular, then you know lots of problems would be solved.

ES: But you know as well as I do that the separation between church and state, between religion and the state government, many Muslims would say that it is impossible to do that because Islam is inherently, as well as a religion, it's also a political method.

TN: I know. So this is the problem of Islam, you know you could in other countries you know the Christians, the Buddhists, you know they can separate their, can have separation of church and state. But in Islamic countries, it's impossible because the Koran is complete code of law, you know it's a law so you have to follow. So but it's possible to have secular movement if people through secular education people can have secular education and -

ES: So what would you do? I mean you've said we have to rewrite Koran, rewrite Shari'a -

TN: No, actually is not that actually I didn't say that.

ES: What is the exact quote because this is widely quoted so [unclear] -- rewrite Shari'a, which is Islamic law.

TN: No. I said that we don't need any Shari'a law, we should -

ES: Abandon Shari'a law.

TN: Abandon Shari'a law and the religious scriptures out of place, out of time. We need even from civil code in which women can get equality and justice. That thing I said. But the journalist misunderstood and she wrote that.

ES: In other words, you're not talking about a reformation, you're talking about a whole different social structure.

TN: Of course. You know the reformation it means nothing. You know in Bangladesh, there is reformation of Shari'a law. You know before 1962, if man could just pronounce, just say divorce, divorce, divorce -

ES: If he says it three times, it's the divorce?

TN: Yeah. It's written in the Koran, if men want to divorce their wife, just have to say three times divorce, divorce, divorce. Even it is written in the Koran you don't have to say that. If you think that, already divorce happen. But you know after 19, in 1962 in Bangladesh, this kind of reformation happened that if you say, divorce would not have happen. You have to write down and send to the -

ES: The court.

TN: Not court, just local authority, that's all. Divorce. And so what kind of you know -

ES: Reformations take time. It took time in Europe, it took time in North America, things change, you know women didn't have the right to vote here in Canada till the end of the '20s.

TN: Why should we wait for that? Why should we wait?

ES: It should be instant. Now would you abide by, to get to this state, how do we do it? Would you abide by, I mean what's the process that you would advocate? Would you advocate not waiting, a revolutionary process, a reformation process -

TN: I think so.

ES: A revolution?

TN: Because reformation, you cannot do much reformation, you cannot make 100% sorry -

ES: Change.

TN: Change in Islamic countries by reformation of Islamic law -

ES: [unclear] -- are you talking about a violent revolt?

TN: I don't, no, no, I am against violent revolt. But education is very important, secular education it is very important. And of course, the government should not use religion for their own interests. Normally it happens in Bangladesh they use religion for their own interest, for you know temporary gain, they want vote from the ignorant masses so they use religion you know. Otherwise, if they were really aware of the danger of Islam and if they really want to improve the condition of women, or if they really want to do any good for the society, they would not keep religious law.

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what a dumb ignorant bitch..i dont know how these dumb ppl get publicity

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exactly my point!!

shes only telling one side of story about hijab and why muslims imposed taxes on nonmuslims in the country. Because the muslims countries would protect their asses !!

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Nice language :rolleyes:

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puttar kareem you should stick in corner room forum..dont worry about my language

Furqan..I agree that muslims are not perfect..but why is she saying Talibans Islam is the real Islam..that makes me mad..she is really not that smart if you look at the way she talks

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And you should go back to elementary school to learn some English and manners :rolleyes:

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I am sorry kareem but I guess I have to agree with Sagittarius420. I read the whole thing and she has talked so much nonsense in her interview…hmm to be honest I don’t get the incentive behind her fictitious and bogus behavior. What is she gaining out of this? Well perhaps something to serve her purposes but let me tell you what I feel about her.

It might be shocking to you but I cant help it!! She is one ignorant and thickheaded bitch, who has no reverence towards Islam whatsoever and yet claim to be a Muslim!

Moreover, if you are going to educate me about manners and possibly advice me to learn “some English” I guess you better not because I think if you really want to preach you can start off that “bitch” and then move on to others.

Thank You.

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Who died and made this woman a writer? She doesn't know the meaning of "metaphorically", she has to stop and ask the interviewer to explain it; her oral sentence structure is bad, in fact it is worse than a 5th grade urdu-medium student's English; she goes dissing Islam and lumping extremism in the same boat when the whole world is now well aware that the extreme elements within Islam are in the practicing society and not the ideology - I mean come on - is it that difficult to understand that philosophy and real life are two completely different things, and yes in Islam real life has totally deviated from the tenets set by the Holy Book?

No writer she, if u aks me. She's gonna go change her 1993 stance now and merge with the popular crowd sentiments that are hollering "Islamic guidance is good but there are elements in practice that are bad?". Hooey. These people who have no morals, no real brains... just total sellouts. Ridiculous how they can claim to be the voice of anything. It's bad enuf giving them publicity, by governments banning their nonsense scribblings it makes them feel even stronger and reinforces the idea in their own minds that they've got something good going and they've got someone or the other's Achilles' heel sommat.

Depressant psychopaths with convoluted childhoods and serious inferiority complexes ... a rebel going against the system is good only as much as he/she shows some sense. This woman shouldn't be given a second thought, that's how worthless she is.

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lol Ana im with u!!

very well said!

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how about issue a fatwa on her ;)!

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*This is superb. Read it. *

Ms. Taslima Nasreen & Others On the Islamic Code

Colonel Govind Y. Sowany (Retd) - 1999

Ms Nasreen is a 32-year-old Bangladeshi woman, who, without the authority of either age or scholarship, persists in making one insensible statement after another. In a recent interview with the Australian radio she has stated that the Islamic code demeans women and seeks to enslave them. This is absurd.

Below are my observations on this issue, which I have made from the study of the Quran and Hadith, the two authentic sources of Shariah Law.

ANTI-FEMININE BIAS

Gender discrimination is even much more practiced now-a-days in our own country. Recent reports in the press and on the electronic media have confirmed and brought to light the evil practice of female infanticide in Tamil Nadu. Baby girls are being choked with rice gruel regularly and on a massive scale. During Jâhilîyah, - the pre-Islamic era of ignorance - Arabs had similar proclivities and used to bury their little girls alive till Islam condemned the practice as a grave sin and ordered the believers to reject and abhor women who sinned like this. (Sûrah Al-Isra 17:31 and Al-Mumtahana 60:12) The injunction is repeated in Sûrah Al-Takwir. The lines read: -

"When the infant girl buried alive, is asked for what crime was she killed; when the records of men's deeds are laid open, then each soul shall know what it has done" (81:8-10)

MARRIAGE

Marriage is by far the most crucial point in a woman's life. But in very few societies do maidens have or had any say in the matter. The ancient Hebrews (Jews) routinely took money for their daughters from the husbands-to-be. In the Hindu marriage ritual (Kanyadan), the father gifts away the daughter. He thereby earns the equivalent "punya” as would be obtained by gifting 101 cows to a Brahmin.

But Islam does not degrade its daughters to the level of a commodity, to be sold; or regard them as chattel to be gifted away. The whole concept of marriage is different in Islam. It is a contract drawn up by the magistrate himself and duly witnessed. There can be no compulsion.

These people have to hear for themselves the bride give her consent. They are also responsible to ensure that neither party breaches the contract in any way while it is valid.

A wife is not to be regarded as merely a sexual outlet. Her place in the household is one of honor. Chapter 5 commands: -
"Lawful (it will be no sin) to you are free, believing women ... provided you give them their dowries (i.e. marry them) and live in honor with them, neither fornicating nor taking them as mistresses" (5:5)

Chapter 30 brings out the wives equal status and the special relationship even more clearly "And men (one) of His signs is that He gave you wives from among yourselves (equal social status) ... that you may live in tranquility with them and He put love and kindness (for them) in your hearts. Surely, there are indications in this for the thinking man". (30:21)

Indeed, for the "thinking" man, i.e. intelligent man, the Quran leaves no doubt that marriage can be and will be based only on love, kindness and honor.

Incidentally, a dowry is compulsory in Islam; but it is to be given to the woman, and not taken; for a man to expect or accept money is considered to be not only undignified but also as unmanly and a slur on the family honor. As a result, brides do not get burnt in Muslim households.

TROUBLED RELATIONS AND HARASSMENT

However, as in any human relationship, things can go wrong in a marriage. In such cases, Chapter 4 lays down that: -
"If a woman fears ill-treatment or desertion on the part of the husband, it shall be no offense to seek mutual agreement (to separate); for agreement is better (than strife). Man is prone to avarice but if you do what is right.... God will know." (4:128)

Illusory opiates like "A marriage is made in heaven, forever, till death does us part" or that it remains "valid from birth to birth, for seven births" are not fed to a woman in Islam (so that she is fooled into meekly accepting humiliation and maltreatment because the husband is "as God"). Since times immemorial, a favorite ploy used by man to harass a wife is to cast aspersions on her fidelity. Islam does not permit such injustice. Chapter 24 thunders: "The adulterer and the adulteress shall each be given 100 lashes. Let no pity for them detain you... Let their punishment be witnessed by a number of believers. (But) those that defame honorable women but cannot produce four witnesses shall be given eighty lashes." (24:2)

This is deterrent punishment indeed, for not many can survive beyond 40-45 lashes. The result is that while adultery as such is ruthlessly stamped out, no one dares to level baseless charges of infidelity against innocent women in a Muslim society

DIVORCE

The unwanted wife has always been a pathetic figure; more so in the olden days. In Persia, they were usually just sold off. In the Roman colony of Syria-Lebanon the prevailing law permitted a husband to even kill a recalcitrant wife. The Catholic Church does not permit a divorce. Since all Europe was only catholic till as recently as the 16th century, unwanted wives were simply sent off to a convent, to be forcibly made nuns. In India and China, they were just discarded. Unquestionably, women occupied a very low position on the social scale. It is against this background, when there was no such thing as a divorce anywhere in the world, that for the first time in human history, Islam introduced the concept of a legal divorce.

At the same time, the fact that it is always a traumatic experience for a woman was not forgotten. It was accepted but only as a necessary evil, to be avoided if possible. Prophet Muhammad has declared that, "Of all the permitted actions, a divorce is the most detestable before God."

Therefore, various in-built checks, to ensure that a divorce does not result because of a decision taken in anger, are inherent to the code. Arbitration is always mandatory, as the first step. Chapter 4 says,
"If you fear a breach between a man and his wife, appoint an arbiter from his side and one from hers. If they wish to be reconciled, Allah will bring them together again." (4:35)

Another check is the compulsory waiting period of three lunar months. Many a reconciliation is known to have taken place during this period because the wife is to stay in the husband's home in the waiting period; human nature being what it is, it is difficult to live in close proximity with the woman who was once a wife and yet hold on to the resolve of the divorce, unless the issue is really serious.

The Islamic code is a marvelous blend of fair-play and pragmatism. In passing must be mentioned a provision which virtually eliminates the possibility of a crooked divorce, being used only as a ruse to humble the wife. If a man wishes to remarry his divorced wife, he can do so, the law says; but only after she has married some one else and has had marital relations with him: This condition puts the male ego under such a severe strain that no one playacts a divorce scene.

To revert to the subject of divorce, if there is an unborn child at that juncture, all its rights (Patronym, inheritance etc.) are fully protected. So also are the woman's right to lodgment and maintenance; in fact, sympathy for the divorced woman becomes almost palpable when the commands of Chapter 65 are studied.

"If you (believers) divorce your wives, divorce them at the end of the waiting period. Have fear of Allah, your Lord; do not expel them from their homes.... When they have reached their prescribed time, either keep them honorably or part with them honorably. Call to witness two honest men amongst you and give your testimony before Allah.... For pregnant women, their term shall be the time they deliver.... Lodge them in your own homes, according to your means. Do not harass them so as to make life intolerable for them" (65:1-6)

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The two honest men are clearly meant to have a final attempt at reconciliation; so is perhaps the hope behind the command to keep the “wife in your own home” for the full waiting period. A woman pregnant with one’s owns child invokes very strong protective instincts in the father and 7-8 months is a very long interval indeed for anger to persist.

However, if it has to be a divorce, despite these wise safeguards, the woman is not left destitute. Chapter 2 categorically lies down: -
“Reasonable provision should be made for the divorced woman. This is incumbent on righteous men” (2:241).

In all other cases of inheritance, compensation etc., the code is specific about the exact amount. Only in this case, since a large number of variables is involved (blame for the divorce, dowry, children, age, etc.) The amount has been left to the wisdom of the ummat and the conscience of the man, to be decided on a case-by-case basis. The only injunction is that it has to be “reasonable” and that,
“Let the rich man spend according to his wealth and the poor man according to what Allah has given him”(65:7).

The final word on divorce is the ISMA. This is a right given to women to ask for a divorce if they so wish. This right is to be included in the marriage contract and can even be incorporated in it at a later date. To the best of my knowledge no other code in the world temporal or religious, has ever conferred such liberal rights on a woman

WIDOW REHABILITATION

It should have become clear to the reader by now that Islam takes very good care indeed of its women. But the best part is reserved for the widows. Of all the calamities that can befall a woman, widowhood is perhaps the worst. In some civilizations, her presumed ‘sins’ are held to be the cause of the husband’s death. She is considered to be inauspicious. Her head may be shaven or she could be just abandoned at Allahabad or Brindaban, utterly destitute. The widow’s distress is real and pitiable.

Islam sets out to redress her lot, with a firm hand. A woman is not considered inauspicious if widowed. Her remarriage is assiduously encouraged, even if she is past the nubile age. Rehabilitation of widows particularly war widows, is considered to be repayment of society’s debt.

The Prophet is regarded by all Muslims to be the role model par excellence, to be emulated wherever possible. When he was a young man he married a widowed lady, senior to him in age. For the next twenty-four years, till her demise, no other woman entered his life. By coincidence, just then the problem of war widows had, for the first time begun to loom before the fledgling Muslim community.

Widowed during the Abyssinian exile, Sauda was an elderly lady who came back. Widowed in a foreign land, while already a refugee, she was in desperate state. As always, the Prophet set a personal example to the Ummat by marrying her. The first battle of Islam, Badr, now took place. Zainab d/o Khuzaima, who had already been widowed once, lost her second husband at Badr. Widowed twice, she was utterly destitute till the Prophet married her. Within a year of Badr, almost to the day, came the second battle of Islam’s survival, Uhad. The Muslim losses were five times those killed at Badr and the problem of war widows became serious. Once again, the Prophet showed the way by marrying Hafsa.

FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

The root cause of misery for most women is to be found in their financial dependence on others. While most of the so called advanced civilizations in the world have tried to rectify the evil only during the past 100 years or so, Islam has laid down laws of inheritance for women 14 centuries ago. Under the Sharia Law, a woman will invariably inherit from her parents, (4:7 and 4:11), the husband (4:12), and her own sons (4:11 and 2:180); in certain circumstances she is entitled to a legacy from even her brother (4:176). Besides, no one can lay any claim to what a woman may earn by her own labor (4:32).

RESPECT AND COURTESY TO WOMEN

If the wild and uncouth Arabs of the desert were to be taught to respect womenkind, the mother would obviously be the best place to begin. “Paradise lies below the mother’s feet” the devout are told. Chapter 4 extols mothers thus: -
“Fear Allah, in whose name you plead with one another, and honor the mothers who bore you. Allah is ever watching you.” (4:1)

As the readers no doubt know, the Prophet lost his father while still in the womb and his mother when he was not yet six. It is perhaps the echo of an orphan’s anguish that is heard in Chapter 17: -
"Show kindness to your parents. If either or both attain old age with you, show them no sign of impatience nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words. Treat them with humility and tenderness; and say “Lord, be merciful to them, because they nursed me with great affection when I was but an (helpless) infant”. (17:23-24)

Even more paeanic to mothers is Surah Al-Ahqaf. God is speaking: -
“We have ordained man to show kindness to his parents. With much pain his mother bears him and with much pain she brings him into the world. He is born and weaned in thirty months. When he grows to manhood and attains his 40th year let him say, Grant me Lord, that I may give thanks.”(46:15)

At 40, a man is at the peak of his adult life; surrounded by his own children, established in life, the battle for survival won, rich and powerful. This is the time, when a Compassionate God is telling him, to remember his mother, without whom none of this would have been possible.

ANCILLARY BENEFIT

There are many benefits that women derive because of the provisions of the Islamic code. They are not immediately realized because they are indirect. For instance, take the fact that marriage is a contract in Islam. Under this arrangement there is no such nonsense as severing all ties with the parental home after marriage. It may not be known widely but an Arab woman does not change her name or her surname when she marries. Married, separated, divorced or widowed, the rights bestowed on her when she came of age, remain unchanged. She continues to be a member of her clan and those doors are always open to her, if need should unfortunately arise. Compare this with the lot of her woebegone sisters elsewhere, who may not be getting their due respect in the husbands home. They must endure humiliation year after year, because they have nowhere else to go.

Islam’s strict ban on alcohol is another great benefit. I wonder if Memsabs like Ms Nasreen have even the slightest idea of the hand to mouth existence and the daily beatings that non-Muslim women of the working class have to live with, because the husbands drink.

SUMMING UP

Such then is the Islamic code as applicable to women. It grants a woman full rights as an individual when she comes of age. These remain inviolate whether she is married or widowed. She cannot be married against her will. She will get a dowry when she marries. Her entitlements of inheritance from her parents, husband and sons (even brothers, in special cases) are clear and specific.

No effort is spared to save her from the trauma of divorce. If arbitration and waiting period fail to save the marriage reasonable provision is made for her. She has the freedom to seek separation or divorce. The unborn child’s rights are safeguarded. Her earnings cannot be touched and she will not be ill-treated. If widowed, remarriage is considered commendable. Her parental home remains open to her, no matter what.

As an infant she is not killed. As a daughter she is cherished. As a wife she lives in dignity and as a mother, she is respected and honored.

The vital thing to note in all these is that these are not courtesies or privileges extended to her by convention or social ethos. The actual text of the scripture grants her these rights. To Muslims, their scripture is not a basis for (pointless and endless) discussions but the Divine word of God, to be followed to the letter. It is the cornerstone of their faith that an Omniscient God is aware of all that they do, in thought or deed; in public or in the privacy of their bedrooms.

CONCLUSION

If Ms Nasreen finds this code repressive or unfair, she has to be either stupid or ignorant. From the record she seems to be foolish but hardly stupid. Therefore, she must be unaware of her heritage. It is intended to send a copy of this article to her in Sweden, where she is hiding, in the hope that the irony is not lost on her that a non-Muslim like me should be educating her about what is hers by birthright.

We are all aware of the fact that the Muslim woman’s lot is far from happy today. But that is not so because she is a Muslim; that is the lot of all the women on this sub-continent. We live in grinding poverty, ignorance and superstition. These three factors invariably lead to a poor quality of life and a weakening of the social fabric. Men under pressure do lash out blindly at times and the nearest soft target, always women, get mauled. The Muslim poor are no exception

One must also face the fact squarely that there are sinners amongst the Muslims too. The misguided and the weak-willed do sometimes break the law. Besides, Islam has taken roots in many lands, as on this sub-continent. Inevitably, there is an aping (unknowingly) of non-Islamic customs, which are against the Shariah.

But I find Ms Nasreen in complete error when she defaults the code because all the Muslims do not follow all its dictates at all times. Can non-compliance, disobedience or for that matter ignorance of the law be interpreted as a defect or a flaw in the code?

Govind Y. Sowany (Colonel, Retd.)
Everjoy Society
Near NIBM
Pune - 411 048
INDIA.

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damn she still around thought she was in norway last time i checked guess with all this war on islam by america going on she was bound to be contacted by western organisations sooner or later :yukh: