I am a woman, and I do wish for equal opportunity and rights for both genders, however, this does not have to translate into a western perception of feminism - meaning that I don't have to go out into the street and start burning my bra because I wish to be liberated from my 'femininity'. Aren't radical western feminists aspiring to be that which they despise? A man? Feminism to me is accepting your womanhood - your femininity ---Being able to live up to your biological and psychological potential as a woman. Let's face it - a man and a woman can never be equals because they have different functions, different responsibilities within a society- even though it has been argued extensively by feminist theorists that a 'woman' is not born - but 'made'. Even then, a woman still has a uterus; she has that capacity to give birth and to be a mother - which a man does not. With that come various psychological differences, different emotional characteristics which are unique to being a woman.
Surely our world is an overwhelmingly patriarchal manifestation, yet women still 'hold up half the sky' as the famous ancient Chinese proverb goes. We cannot simply put all the blame on men, it is women who need to be blamed just as much (for the inequalities we see today). We cannot improve the condition nor the status of the world's women if we don't involve both genders in this process. Thus the woman who is striving to be more like a man is not achieving her full 'womanhood' she is deliberately deconstructing it's meaning while there is no mutual deconstruction of the 'manhood' which leaves the female without an identity except that of her male counterparts - Meaning that the 'man' still remains dominant. True success would arise from women accepting their role as women - become empowered through their identity as women, and attain equal status through carrying out their responsibilities as women.
Now, part of being a woman is to become dignified, self-sufficient and empowered -- Hence why I have a problem with things like 'sex work', for example. Some liberal, post-modern feminists argue that the conceptualization of 'sex work' (that is prostitution) should be considered legitimate "work", that it is part of empowering a woman to choose, and thus allowing her to become all those things I mentioned above. Yet I must wonder how being comodified and objectified is empowering, and dignifying? First of all, it takes away your humanity, then it also takes away your womanhood. If we want to say that things like Mut'ah or Urfi marriage should be allowed for this precise reason, then how is that in anyway empowering for the women? Is that liberation and equality? To be able to be used and thrown away at a man's leisure? To be married for the sole purpose of sexual pleasure and then divorced because they wish nothing else of that woman? You think that is power? Darling -that is just being naively STUPID! And why do these 'liberal' 'feminist Muslims' even say such horrid things, in the first place? Because they wish to disobey that 'random' cleric denouncing Mut'ah marriage and saying it is bad for women in the long term?!? That's just ARROGANCE!
Most of these women do not even posses the proper knowledge on Islamic fiqh - jurisprudence and laws. They are ignoring that which is better for their interest, just because they want to stay true to the 'radical western feminist' who says a woman has the 'right' to do what ever she wants with her body - that includes the right to being plain ignorant and misinformed (i.e. stupid).
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Do they not acknowledge that in the 8th Century, over ten centuries before the Western woman even had a right to vote, or own property, Islam had given basic human rights to women. Islam increased a woman's status to that of the man's before God, while women in the West were still being treated as 'property.' In Islam, the woman had all the rights a man had - however, the male is her counterpart, and she is his counterpart. They are made in equal status, but share different responsibilities onto each other, and onto society. They compliment each other. The first Muslim revert was a Woman - Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) the Prophet's peace be upon him first wife. She was the prophet's boss - she employed him, and she advised him on many things, and consoled him in times of hardship. She was a powerful woman, she was dignified, and quite self-sufficient. She owned land, and partook in trade and business. The prophet's youngest wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was a woman of great knowledge (who memorized a great deal of the authentic haadiths of the prophet himself); she lead an army into battle, and she was involved in politics. In the 8th Century. Because Islam (revealed through the man named Muhammad peace be upon him) gave women their rights centuries before Western feminist even dared to speak up! That sheikh who is saying that 'Mutah' marriage is wrong - is reinforcing these given Islamic rights to all Muslim women, yet you'd like to repudiate his well intended reaction and allow the woman to become a commodity, an object of a man made capitalist economic system which drives women deeper into despair and calls for their complete demoralization. You want to rape the womanhood of her piety and dignity and force her onto the level of a man she can never become?!?
The man is just sitting idly by - watching women destroying the womanhood of their fellow sisters. Perhaps it is time we reconsider, and redefine feminism. The moment you 'choose' to display yourself (that is your naked body) in front of the world - you choose to devalue yourself - you choose to do the 'man' a favor. The moment you 'choose' to give up all your rights, and normalize 'prostitution', 'homosexuality' or 'abortion' you keep on degrading your humanity. I see abortion as another arrogant choice to be more like a man - to be less like the one who carries a baby in her uterus. And that is when things get even more preposterous because now you are not just 'choosing' for yourself, but you have made a choice for an unborn baby not to live because you want to be a hardcore feminist!
In a sense, you wish to aspire to people like 'Ayaan Hirsi' and 'Irshad Manji' who promote 'women's rights' yet like to support the ban on Hijab and Niqaab - and in turn Take Away basic woman's rights - the right to NOT be just another commodity in the global transaction of goods and services --- But to be simply human!
The man is just sitting idly by - watching women destroying the womanhood of their fellow sisters. Perhaps it is time we reconsider, and redefine feminism. The moment you 'choose' to display yourself (that is your naked body) in front of the world - you choose to devalue yourself - you choose to do the 'man' a favor. The moment you 'choose' to give up all your rights, and normalize 'prostitution', 'homosexuality' or 'abortion' you keep on degrading your humanity. I see abortion as another arrogant choice to be more like a man - to be less like the one who carries a baby in her uterus. And that is when things get even more preposterous because now you are not just 'choosing' for yourself, but you have made a choice for an unborn baby not to live because you want to be a hardcore feminist!
In a sense, you wish to aspire to people like 'Ayaan Hirsi' and 'Irshad Manji' who promote 'women's rights' yet like to support the ban on Hijab and Niqaab - and in turn Take Away basic woman's rights - the right to NOT be just another commodity in the global transaction of goods and services --- But to be simply human!
