IS THERE A FATIMA (Radhiallaahu Anhu) AMONG US?

I am steamed--let me talk to ANY reporter--I will set the record straight!

1. Dear brother--thanks, but I and many other Muslim sisters do not need a brother "defending" our rights when the issue has already been addressed in the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet. If you, or any one else is ashamed of what took place in Toronto, then I beg you to refer back to the proper Islamic resources.

You see, I follow Islam as revealed in the Quran, Hadith and Shariah. In no instance contained therein can I recall a single time when men and women were gathered together as you seem to think is fitting--men and women side by side or intermingled for the purpose of learning or socializing.

2. Given the fact that Islam GAVE women rights, rights which still in the opinion of most practicing Muslimahs today can not be matched by any ERA amendment or other bone that modern women's lib has thrown to us, I take particular offense at your statement:

>>How do we resolve this mistreatment of women under the guise of Islam? Who should take leadership and take feudal male chauvinist attitudes out of our community? Because unless Muslims take charge of the agenda of equity, they will forever be the victims of inequity, since we practice inequity with such shameless grace.<<

How do you dare equate the practice of the sunnah with mistreatment, inequity and shame? Do you think real Muslimahs are so insecure that they can be invalidated just by the position of their chairs????

Alhamdulilah that most Muslim women understand that it matters little where they sit, just as it doesn't matter that we do not succumb to another form of male chauvinism by wearing the latest fashions, uncovering as much as possible, styling our hair and painstakingly applying our makeup, just so me can grab the attention of the opposite sex--something most non-Muslim women must do before they can get their points across. At a gathering such as you describe, I believe I can benefit equally well if I sit in the rear. I am fortunate that if I wish to make a point, I have only to raise my hand or stand and speak--and I can do it covered from head to toe, from the back of the room. Please don't feel sorry for me, or allow a non Muslim reporter to make you ashamed for me--I am quite secure in my position as a practicing Muslimah.

3. Rosa Parks was a heroine in the battle for equal rights as per discrimination as it was/is practiced in America against blacks. She stood for a limited principal in a certain time and place. As a white woman, she did little for me, as I (supposedly--"smile") had all the rights the color of my skin would allow me. This is NOT to discredit her or to diminish her contribution. I only wish to show that HER action pales in comparison to the rights Islam affords ALL women and ALL people of ALL colors at ALL times. The sunnah in Islam has done more for the freedom of humankind in general and females in particular than any single-focused liberation movement since. I would rather you encouraged your Muslim sisters to be more like Khadijah or Fatima or Aisha, or those women who fought on the battlefields--BESIDE men--when it was necessary! These women are/should be our true heroes.

4. Views expressed by any Muslim, male or female, that state it is necessary for sisters to be treated the same as brothers fail to understand the beauty of gender EQUITY (not equality). I enjoy, and am extremely thankful for, those differences which allow me to be treated in a way distinct from my brothers in Islam. I appreciate the fact that I can earn reward by accepting those differences. Your attached article by Lisa Spray does more to support my position than yours. For instance, she addresses those aspects of our biology which keep us out of the masjid. Who cares if my period keeps me from the mosque--I take more reward for praying at home, I can not pray anyway so there is no need to enter the prayer area, and to enjoy activities/lectures I only have to avoid the mussalah SO WHAT IS HER POINT? That hadith are unfair/unreliable and the Quran is our only source of guidance in Islam? This alone speaks to an up and coming separatist movement espousing "Quran only" doctrine and has no place in true Islam. Attaching Ms. Spray's comments defeat your purpose completely. She certainly is NOT "well versed in Islamic theology" and the only "thought provoking" aspects to her opinions are how far off Straight Path, and its benefits, she really is.

Women in Islam enjoy all the benefits of gender equity when it comes to the personal and social self, and all the rights of gender EQUALITY when it comes to the spiritual self. All this courtesy of the INFINITE bounties of Quran and Sunnah. As it is impossible to improve on perfection, what secure Muslimah could ask for more?

And finally, I am reminded by the story of the burial of Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her. It was her wish to be covered in such a way that no one would be able to identify her body as it was taken to the cemetery. She also wanted to be buried at night. All this so that her Muslim brothers would in no way be able to ascertain any aspect of her corpse. Does this not speak volumes in regard to those modern day, liberated sisters and their equally militant brother/supporters who believe we must be seen to be heard! Fatima's quiet statement still has a powerful echo, even after 1400 years.

Iman Islam

Source:  Jamiatul Ulama (Kwazulu-Natal)