Moiz Khan - The godless Liberal

Islam and WomenBy Moiz Khan

For the majority of my life I was a Muslim, a child of Muslim parents, a nephew of Muslim aunts and uncles, and so on. Most of the people I spent my childhood were Muslims, and every single one of them repeated a phrase almost verbatim. “Islam is the only religion that gives respect and honor to women.” I personally never really gave the statement much thought, just accepted it on surface value. So whenever someone from the outside brought up the treatment of women in Islamic cultures, they repeated this mantra like a statement of unquestionable fact. It was not until I looked upon Islam from the outside that I truly grasped just how false that statement was. Islam does not give respect to women, it does the exact opposite. It suppresses and subjugates them. It keeps them down purposely, as Islam is a man-made religion. It deprives women of their beauty with veils, their minds with religion, and their freedom with the law.

One of the most common replies to the oppressive treatment of women is, “it’s the culture, not religion.” The people who say that either know nothing of the religion or are purposely lying to create a better public image of Muslims. The Quran clearly outlines what rights women have, and which rights they don’t. In fact, there is an entire chapter of the Quran dedicated to it. So, let us explore the claim that Islam gives respect to women, and that the oppression is cultural based instead of having its roots in Islam.

4:3 And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess. Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice.

This allows Muslims males to allow multiple women depending on their financial situation. Why can’t women marry multiple men depending on their financial situation?

4:11 Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females, and if there be women more than two, then theirs is two-thirds of the inheritance, and if there be one (only) then the half.

Why should males receive double that which females receive? Is the Quran indicating that Males are twice as worthy and important than females?

4:15 As for those of your women who are guilty of lewdness, call to witness four of you against them. And if they testify (to the truth of the allegation) then confine them to the houses until death take them or (until) Allah appoint for them a way (through new legislation).

Why do males get the right to confine women? Why do males get any right over women?

4:34 Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

Here is a cluster of sexist nonsense. Now, it clearly says, “men are in charge of women.” Why is this so? Why can’t women be in charge of men? How has god made males better than females? According to modern anatomy, there are negligible differences between the two, so how is a male better than a female? Why is a good woman obedient? Is a good man obedient? Why should women be obedient and put under the control of men? Then it says, the women who aren’t obedient, beat them and don’t allow them outside the house. This single passage gives men the right to control women, orders women to be obedient, and allows men to beat their wives.

24:31 And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women’s nakedness.

What is modesty? Who defines modesty? Why should women lower their gaze, and not men? Why do women have to cover themselves while males don’t?

This may have gotten a bit repetitive with the questions, but I feel that such things should be stressed so as to not allow any Muslim to weasel their way out of this. If you are a Muslim, you must follow the Quran. Thus if you are a Muslim, you must be a sexist. It is not the culture which oppresses women, but the religion itself. The culture gets its sick and sadistic ideas from the religion. I stand baffled whenever a woman actually allows herself to be suppressed, and even more so, agrees with the logic behind it. For a woman following these filthy Abrahamic religions is similar to a freed slave staying with his owner. I now challenge my Muslim readers to defend any one of those passages. I shall end with possibly by favorite 8 lines ever wrote.

The Koran! well, come put me to the test–
Lovely old book in hideous error drest–
Believe me, I can quote the Koran too,
The unbeliever knows his Koran best.

And do you think that unto such as you,
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew,
God gave the Secret, and denied it me?–
Well, well, what matters it! believe that too.

- Omar Khayyám

Tags: allah, feminism, hadith, islam, muhammed, quran, sexism, women