Gender equality, Islamic Law and the Modern Muslim state - Essay Example

? Gender equality, Islamic Law and the Modern Muslim topic Gender equality, Islamic Law and the Modern Muslim state Equality of men and women is a recent concept which has surfaced with the introduction of human rights and has become equal to the concepts of justice. The issue of gender equality in Islam was not a central notion nor was it addressed until the 20th century by Muslim jurists. The status of Men and Women in Islam is continuously explained by the Muslim scholars in the light of teachings of Islam and Holy Quran. The Islamic laws negated the modern authoritative position attributed to men in modern states and gave equal rights to the women. Although Islam has given equal rights to women, the misinterpretation of its laws and principles has exposed the religion as a typecast. Resultantly, a great number of misconceptions have arisen in the minds of Non-Muslims and Muslims alike. This paper is an attempt to highlight some key elements regarding gender equality concept in Islamic law with reference to its implementation in modern Muslim state. Islam permits women to hold any office outside her home as long as that post is not derogatory to the feminine nature. The only condition which Islam presses on the women is that their working outside their homes should not be a source of embarrassment for them and their families and must not harm their reputation as a woman and a human being. It also impresses on the women to strike a balance between their jobs outside their homes and their duties as a mother or a wife. The teachings of Islam also do not forbid Muslim women to interact with the opposite gender in public as per the requirement of their jobs1. However, the gender gap index of the world in 2009 shows that most Muslim countries have performed below the global average and are not showing any signs of improvements in the previous years. Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria and Bahrain however, remain an exception to this. Yemen was rated at the bottom of the 134 nations graded for gender score index in 20092. Additionally, it has been reported continuously that most of the Muslim women are denied basic human rights, ranging from permission of a guardian for marriage to abeyance of husband in all fields of life. Most of the people also blame Islam for the frequent incidents of Muslim men torturing women and providing them with below par living standards. According to experts on the subject, the true identity of Islam prevailed for a very brief period after its inception. Initially the Umayyads played havoc with the principles of Islam and then the Abbasids inflicted much of the damage to the concept of the religion. It did not end here and the monarchs who ruled Iran continued to distort the religion by forcing their women to submit to the will of men. Another factor responsible for inequality of gender in Islam is colonialism. From 20th century onwards, colonialism has had a profound effect on the internal and external structure of the society. Through this concept, the already established norms and traditions were completely destroyed and novel foreign norms were imposed. It also exaggerated the existing gender divisions and labor roles of the two genders. Resultantly, the Islamic society completely collapsed with an environment of complete confusion. Men tried to find solace in rigid cultural customs e.g. forcing their women to cover themselves with veils and making them invisible in the eyes of the society. So much so that the princesses of once Mughul Empire were forced to indulge in prostitution. However, experts believe that understanding the complete scenario is essential before criticizing the principles of another religion. The religious experts of Islam believe that Quran has given spiritual and moral equality to both men and women. This is clear from many verses in Quran clearly which spell out that men and women in Islam are in fact each other’s protectors and complement each other. There is a strong bond of respect between the two genders and several principles of Islam in fact give many rights to the women over men. One of the classic examples of gender bias being projected in Islam is the issue of head scarf. According to Islamic principles, a woman is required to cover her head and private parts in public. However, forcing her to cover her whole body with a long garment is not the requirement of Islam. This practice is enforced in many Muslim countries around the world and was a hallmark of Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But the fact is that it more of a cultural issue than a religious binding. Many Muslim cultures around the world also maltreat women in the form of female circumcision and mutilation of genitals which is considered totally against the teachings of Islam. The fact is that Islam does not place any such restrictions on women and gives them the right to inheritance and divorce at will3. The fact that an unassailable management of an organization requires a cohesive regulation and just supervision cannot be undermined. Due to this reason, the responsibilities of heading a household are preferred to the husband who takes all the major decisions for the family with consultation of all the family members. However, the decree of this authority does not mean than men are preferred over women in Islam. It is just a logical methodology adopted by the religion to dispense responsibilities. Both the genders are given equal importance in Islam and are considered as important members of the society who are given equal rights and different responsibilities. Although it is true that both genders are assigned different duties in life keeping in view their psychological and physical limitations, both men and women are held equally accountable for their actions with respect to their obligations. A modern Islamic state is a concept which is based on the principles of Holy Quran and Hadith (sayings of Prophet). This concept is based on transparency and justice and assures rights and responsibilities of the ruling elite as well as common citizens of the state. This concept gives the right to every common man to ask for an explanation from even the ruler of state if the later is found doing something wrong. A modern Islamic state is a notion which is completely different from the ideas presented by the Western worlds. Such a state is aimed to achieve complete welfare of the citizens which includes economic and social welfare. Additionally, the economic and social effects of an Islamic state exclude the problems faced by nations from the concepts of socialism and capitalism. In an Islamic state, the responsibility to safeguard economic interests of its citizens from the strong and rich lies with the state itself. However, this kind of exploitation can be seen in many Western states causing injustice to the common man. An ideal modern Muslim state also gives equal rights to the non-Muslims. Their safety and welfare is also given equal importance and they are also provided with an opportunity to dwell peacefully. Not only this, they are also free to practice whichever religion they choose without any restrictions. The state does not allow any discrimination on the basis of colour, creed, language or religion. These measures and practices create complete social harmony among the society with everyone equal in the eyes of law. Famous writer H.G. Wells commented on this Islamic state concept in these words “Islam has created a society more free from widespread cruelty and social oppression than any society had ever been in the world before”4. Bibliography Horrie, Chris. What is Islam?. London: Virgin Books, 2001. Peter, Demant. Islam vs. Islamism: The Dilemma of the Muslim World. ABC-CLIO, 2006. Wells, H. G. The outline of history, being a plain history of life and mankind. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2004. Zahidi, Saadia . The Global Gender Gap Report 2009 . World Economic Forum, 2009. Read More