Women in Islam - From Islam's Sources: Difference between revisions

To hear groups like the Council of American-Islamic Relations or the Islamic Society of North America, one might be given the impression that [[Islam]] holds women in high regard. Indeed, Souad Saleh, a female professor at Al-Ahzar University in Cairo and a vocal proponent of women's rights in Egypt, recently stated, "Islam is pure and simple, and it holds women in high esteem."<ref name="Al Ahram">Gamal Nkrumah - [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/766/profile.htm "Soaud Saleh: Time to tear down the divides"] - Al-Ahram Weekly, 27 October - 2 November 2005, Issue No. 766</ref> For example, she says, "Muslim women were the first to be granted the right to inherit property and conduct their own private business affairs. This was so at an age when the women of Europe and Asia were not allowed to own property, inherit wealth and in some instances were treated as chattel."<ref name="Al Ahram"></ref> When addressing the issue of women being mistreated by their husbands, she states, "guardianship over women … does not give male members of the family license to oppress their female counterparts. Islam enjoins men to protect, love and care for their women folk."<ref name="Al Ahram"></ref>

Another scholar claimed that Islam abolished the horrible practice of female infanticide prevalent among the pagan Arabs. [[Muhammad]] gave clear directions leading to the restriction of polygamy, restrained the unlimited rights by men over their wives, and gave woman both spiritual and material equality with man.<ref> Pierre Crabites, cited in Allama Sir Abdullah Al-Mamun Al-Suhrawardy, ''The Wisdom of Muhammad'' (New York: Citade Press, 2001), p. 20.</ref>

 

Pro-Islamic websites love to proclaim how Islam elevates the status of women. For example, at the website of the Muslim Student Association at the University of Southern California, one can find the following regarding [[Women in Islam]]: