Muslim Women Driving and Islam - Essay Example

Muslim Women Driving and Islam Table of Contents Introduction 4 Discussion 5 Works Cited 9 Introduction This paper explores womens rights pertaining to driving motor vehicles in the context of Islam. The literature says that rulings on allowing women to drive differ from country to country. In some countries it is allowed for women to drive cars, while in other, such as in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive. The reason for some countries banning women from driving are mixed. Some say that allowing women to drive can cause them harm, from accidents and the like. Others say tradition prevents women being given licenses to drive. On the other hand in many other Muslim countries women are allowed to drive and it is not a big issue. In Saudi Arabia the debate rages, with both sides making use of the Koran and the Islamic law. Those who say women should be allowed to drive say that the Muslim law does not prohibit the act. On the other hand those who say women shouldnt be allowed to drive point to the same Islamic laws. They say that driving causes women to socialize with men, and that this causes many moral complications, especially with women who are of marrying age. As a result, in Saudi Arabia, this kind of thinking has led to a ban via a religious proclamation or fatwa. Women are banned from driving by force, and can be sent to jail and flogged if they drive in this country. On the other hand this religious ruling is at the center of the debate. Is the religious ruling fair and relevant? This debate is very important for exploration because of the way it impacts the freedom and happiness of women in Muslim society. The research question is therefore this: does Islamic law and Islam in general prohibit Islamic women from driving? This paper develops the thesis that because womens driving rights have implications for other civil rights of women and their freedoms and happiness, it is important for all parties to continue the discussion on its various aspects and implications (IslamQA; Ahmed; Press TV; Khodr; Khazan; Greenberg). Discussion There is the argument that contrary to what Saudi Arabian clerics say, women driving is not against the Islamic religion. Proof of this, according to an article, is that the wife of the prophet Muhammad was an entrepreneur and had her own freedom to move around and to conduct their own business. She was an independent entrepreneur with her own means of travel. This did not meet with the disapproval of the prophet. On the contrary, the prophet held her in high esteem and trust. The first wife is not the only one who demonstrated this freedom. Aisha too, another wife of the prophet, also was highly independent. That independence was encouraged and praised by the prophet too. She was independent and was an intellectual, a scholar. She was also able to move around on her own. This did not displease the poet, but rather was something that even Muhammad deemed praiseworthy. The two women rode their own vehicles during their time in the form of horses and camels. If having a personal means of transportation was against Islam, surely the two women would have been restricted from doing so. Yet these two women are held up in Islam and in the scriptures as being role models for other Muslim women around the world. The argument therefore is that if these two role models were allowed to move around and be independent, then surely present-day Muslim women should be given the same freedoms. These two wives of the prophets were highly respected and esteemed during their time, and then as now they were not violating the Islamic laws. This is contrary to what the present clerics are saying about women driving cars. Therefore it is not against Islamic law for women to drive their own vehicles too (Ahmed). Another article takes a further step by saying that Islam not only does not prohibit women from driving, but that in essence Islam guarantees women their rights and freedoms equal to those of men. One passage from the Islamic scriptures for instance says that womens rights have sacredness to them,. It is the role of the state and of the community to see to it that those rights are observed and granted to them. The article further says that the ban on women driving has nothing to do with Islam at all, but has more to do with some deep-seated negative attitudes towards women. Then there are aspects of the cultures of some countries too that promote male supremacy and male rights to the disadvantage of women. The article notes that in an ideal world, then Muslim women can drive, and that is the least of it. In the ideal world where Islams vision is respected, then women can go to schools, make as much money as men, and are able to lead independent lives. Therefore Islam itself has nothing to do with women not being able to drive at all. It is not in the religion but in the culture and in the traditions of some Muslim countries that prevent them from being able to drive. Moreover, given this, the article further notes that all Muslims must in fact work to give women the right to drive. This is because if all Muslims are sincere and want to follow the Koran, then they will recognize the injustice in the present state of things. To not allow women to drive is not just and goes against the teachings of the prophet. The scriptures are clear in saying that womens rights are holy and therefore Muslims must work to preserve what is holy. Granting women their independence and freedom is a holy task that all Muslims must work towards. This is the argument of this second article (Khodr). On the other hand, clerics make their case on disallowing women from driving on the basis of Islamic law too, as well as the intent of the law. Clerics argue for instance that modesty in women is prescribed in Islamic law, and driving cars make women immodest. Two, when women drive they take off their hijab, and thus expose their faces to all men. This is against Islamic law. Three, driving cars make women more prone to go out when they want, when they are best situated in the home. This is also a strong suggestion from the Scriptures with regard to the place of women in society. This is according to the clerics. There are many other justifications. The end is that the clerics say that there are many aspects of Islamic law that are violated when women are allowed to drive (IslamQA). Synthesizing the three articles, one can see that the arguments from those who say that Islam is about protecting and upholding womens rights go against the traditional arguments of Muslim clerics and governments that say women driving is against Islamic law. On balance, one can see that while clerics seem intent on protecting women, in reality women are prevented from being able to enjoy the freedoms and rights that other women in other societies enjoy. The prohibition thus amounts to robbing women of the freedoms that are granted to them by Islamic scriptures (IslamQA; Ahmed; Khodr). In conclusion, it is clear that people from both sides of the debate need to continue the dialogue regarding womens rights to drive cars. Clearly those who argue for allowing women to drive have sound arguments too, and that some change is needed to advance their freedoms and interests as well IslamQA; Ahmed; Khodr). Works Cited Ahmed, Quanta. “Saudi ban on women driving is against Islam”. Christian Science Monitor. 17 June 2011. Web. 13 November 2014. Greenberg, Jon. “Obei dallah: Saudi Arabia is the only Muslim nation where women cant drive”. Tampa Bay Times. 7 October 2014. Web. 13 November 2014. IslamQA. “Islam Question and Answer”. IslamQA.info. 2014. Web. 13 November 2014. Khazan, Olga. “Negative Physiological Impacts? Why Saudi Women Arent Allowed to Drive”. The Atlantic. 7 October 2013. Web. 13 November 2014. Khodr, Mohamed. “Saudi Arabia: Driving Women Away from Islam”. Veterans Today. 3 November 2013. Web. 13 November 2014. Press TV. “Saudi ban on women driving unrelated to Islam: Press TV online debate”. PressTV.ir. 25 October 2014. Web. 13 November 2014. Read More