WHY I EMBRACED ISLAM?
BECAUSE ISLAM IS THE
TRUE RELIGION OF GOD THAT DOES NOT OPPRESS WOMEN
by Sister Noor
I came from a purely Hindu family where I found that there
were a lot of things, which really oppressed women, such as:
If a woman was widowed, she would always have to wear a
white sari (costume), eat vegetarian meals, cut her hair short, and never
re-marry. The bride always had to pay the dowry (bridal money) to the husband's
family. And the husband could ask for anything, irrespective of whether the
bride would have difficulty giving it. Not only that. If after marriage, she
was not able to pay the full dowry she would be both emotionally and physically
tortured. Subsequently, when I came to England to study, I thought that at
least this is a country, which gives equal rights to men and women, and does
not oppress them. We all have the freedom to do, as we like.
I thought. Well, as I started to meet people and make new
friends, learn about this new society, and go to all the places my friends went
to in order to "socialize" (bars, dance halls, etc.). I realized that
this "equality" was not so true in practice as it was in theory.
Outwardly, women were seen to be given equal rights in
education, work, and so forth, but in reality women were still oppressed in a
different but subtler way. When I went with my friends to those places they
hung out at, I found everybody interested to talk to me and I thought that was
normal. But it was only later that I realized how naive I was, and recognized
what these people were really looking for. I soon began to feel uncomfortable,
as if I was not myself. I had to dress in a certain way so that people would
like me, and had to talk in a certain way to please them. I soon found out that
I was feeling more and more uncomfortable, less and less myself, yet I could
not get out. Everybody was saying they were enjoying themselves, but I don't
call this enjoying.
I think women in this way of life are oppressed; they have
to dress in a certain way in order to please and appear more appealing, and
also talk in a certain way so people like them. During this time I had not
thought about Islam, even though I had some Muslim acquaintances. But I felt I
really had to do something, to find something that I would happy and secure
with, and would feel respected with. Something to believe in that is the right
belief, because everybody has a belief that they live according to. If having
fun by getting off with other people is someone's belief, they do this. If
making money is someone's belief, they do everything to achieve this. If they
believe drinking is one way to enjoy life they do it. But I feel all this leads
to nowhere; no one is truly satisfied, and the respected women are looking for
is diminishing in this way.
In these days of so-called "society of equal
rights", you are expected to have a boyfriend (or you're weird!) and not
be a virgin. So this is a form of oppression even though some women do not
realize it. When I came to Islam, it was obvious that I had finally found
permanent security. A religion, a belief that was so complete and clear in
every aspect of life. Many people have a misconception that Islam is an
oppressive religion, where women are covered from head to toe, and are not allowed
any freedom or rights. In fact, women in Islam are given more rights, and have
been for the past 1400 years, compared to the only-recently given rights to
non-Muslim women in some western and other societies. But there are, even now,
societies where women are still oppressed, as I mentioned earlier in relation
to Hindu women.
Muslim women have the right to inheritance. They have the
right to run their own trade and business. They have the full right to
ownership, property, disposal over their wealth to which the husband has no
right. They have the right to education, a right to refuse marriage as long as
this refusal is according to reasonable and justifiable grounds. The Qur'an
itself, which is the Word of God, contains many verses commanding men to be
kind to their wives and stressing the rights of women. Islam gives the right
set of rules, because they are NOT made by men, but made by God; hence it is a
perfect religion.
Quite often Muslim women are asked why they are covered from
head to toe, and are told that this is oppression - it is not. In Islam,
marriage is an important part of life, the making of the society. Therefore, a
woman should not go around showing herself to everybody, only for her husband.
Even the commanded Muslim women to cover themselves for their modesty: "O
Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to
draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most
convenient that they could be known as such (i.e. decent and chaste) and not
molested." (Qur'an 33:59)
If we look around at any other society, we find that in the
majority of cases women are attacked and molested because of how they are
dressed. Another point I'd like to comment on is that the rules and regulation
laid down in Islam by God do not apply just to women but to men also. There is
no intermingling and free-running between men and women for the benefit of
both. Whatever God commands is right, wholesome, pure and beneficial to
mankind; there is no doubt about that. A verse in the Qur'an explains this
concept clearly: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their
gaze and protect their private parts (i.e. from indecency, illegal sexual acts,
etc.); that will make for greater purity for them. And God is well aware of
what they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze
and protect their private parts (from indecency, illegal sexual intercourse,
etc.); and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments . . . "
(Qur'an, Surah Al-Nur 24:31) When I put on my hijab (veil), I was really happy
to do it. In fact, I really want to do it. When I put on the hijab, I felt a
great sense of satisfaction and happiness. Satisfied that I had obeyed God's
command. And happy with the good and blessings that come with it. I have felt
secure and protected. In fact people respect me more for it. I could really see
the difference in behavior towards me.
Finally, I'd like to say that I had accepted Islam not
blindly, or under any compulsion. In the Qur'an itself there is a verse, which
says "Let there be no compulsion in religion". I accepted Islam with
conviction. I have seen, been there, done that, and seen both sides of the
story. I know and have experienced what the other side is like, and I know that
I have done the right thing. Islam does not oppress women, but rather Islam
liberates them and gives them the respect they deserve. Islam is the religion
God has chosen for the whole of mankind. Those who accept it are truly
liberated from the chains and shackles of mankind whose ruling and legislation
necessitates nothing but the oppression of one group by another and the
exploitation and oppression of one sex by the other. This is not the case of
Islam, which truly liberated women and gave them an individuality not given by
any other authority.
Sister Noor has been a Muslim for over a year and a half and
is currently in her second year of undergraduate study in the Department of
Biology at University of Essex.
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