Nasir Khan, September 30, 2013
In various old cultures and religions
women were reduced to a low status for thousands of years. The
male-dominated system or patriarchy imposed inhuman chains on them and
they (men) justified these by appealing to social customs, traditions
and religious mantras, which however remained under their control. But only
over the course of the last 150 years or so the movement for women’s
rights started in earnest and gradually gained important civic and
political rights for women in Europe and North America. The struggle for
the gender equality and gaining proper social status for women in all
spheres of life including jobs and professions is still continuing in
Europe and America.
But Islamic world has remained outside
such liberating movements and influences. The task of gaining full human
rights of women is a human task, a task in which both both men and
women have to take part. Women are marginalised in Islamic world;
therefore they need the support of enlightened men in struggle for the
liberation of women and thus help break the inhuman chains of
degradation and discrimination. We can’t expect ignorant clergy and
conservative people to do much in this area; they stand for status quo
and continued oppression of women. The role of progressive women in
making Muslim people aware of the situation is immensely important
because without their active work nothing much will change. It takes
time to realise that the liberation of women is also the liberation of
men from their nefarious role of domination and control. Thus the
liberation of women is also the liberation of men and this social
reality needs to be publicised widely.
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