Is Islam The issue?

To answer Foulla's question: What if laicity is the solution?

Foulla wants to know if Laicity will help women get the decent men that will respect women as a being. however some of the commentators like Behrooz see the issue differently, and here what i think:

Behrooz has a point Foulla, we do as Muslims tend to use Islam right and left and forget sometimes to differentiate between what is religion and what is traditions and culture.

That being said, I have also to agree with what some say about the religion not being the real issue. I want to point out to something that may be the reason why Islam was accused more then any other religion, ever before, of mistreating women.

Before I try my luck sharing what I have with the rest of you, we all should keep in mind that on his last address, the prophet Mohamed (may god bless his soul!) said that Islam as a religion was sent to the world as whole and that it is meant to be flexible. Islam is suppose to follow the evolution of societies and what worked for them back then might not be applicable to us today.

So since Islam is meant to be interpreted and adjusted to the needs and demands to the new world, mistakes and manipulation can and have taken place. We do not pay attention or even question what we are told about this or that by our Cheikh—Correct?-- for the simple reason that all regimes are manipulating us and had us believe hard as a rock that we can’t question what our clerics say. It is a no! To even ask question about any point in the religion. I will give the example of Morocco; where a Ceikh is highly regarded in our societies and you can’t argue with what he say even if you have the certainty that it is incorrect. So let’s say if he says that Islam wants women to stay at home and be the object of the society, you will have an estimable portion of Moroccans doing as they were told without questioning any of it.

And as you all certainly know, most of clerics in the Islamic world are Men and because some of them are ‘Biased’ and ‘Macho’ theologians’ misinterpretation and misleading definitions are existent. But the worst is that most of those come to us from a society that is viewed by several Muslims around the world as higher Islamic authority.

Another point to add to that is that politics is now part of religion, or influences the practice of the religion. Have you ever asked yourself why does certain countries though very close to each other and belonging to same time zone don’t fast the same day, well don’t be surprised I heard that for example some countries won’t fast the same day as Saudi Arabia because it stopped given them aids.

More will come but i prefer to wait for your honest feedback...

On pins and needles

January 22, 2006

It's true, the deadline has passed with no word on Jill's fate, but I remain very hopeful, as efforts to secure her release continue non-stop.
As the clock keeps ticking, I'm on pins and needles. The wait is really wearing me down both physically and emotionally. I can't imagine how hard it must be on her family. I'm unable to sleep through the night, waking up every few hours to check my phone for new text messages or missed calls. Jill has become an integral part of my dream life. Fortunately, most of the dreams are positive, with me talking to her face-to-face and discussing her ordeal.
I was glad to see over the weekend that the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) had sent a delegation all the way to Baghdad as part of their efforts to free Jill. I believe this could have a huge impact. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
We are the only people who have come from outside of Iraq to call for Jill's release, and we are very hopeful they will hear our message on behalf of American Muslims ... Harming her will do no good at all. The only way is to release her.
I'm also encouraged by the sheer volume of good wishes and prayers being put out there for my dear friend. Some of those prayers are coming from Amman, Jordan, where my mom and all her friends are praying for Jill's release. Everyone that Jill touched remembers her sweetness and open, honest character. Such a mobilization of prayer and good will can only bring positive things. God, please bring her home safely.
UPDATE: The CSM has done a bit of a round-up on things with two items particularly catching my eye. First, the director of London's Islamic Observation Center, Yasser al-Sirri, called on the group that it appears has Jill, the so-called Brigades of Vengeance, to release her rather than tarnish the image of Islam. Second, Iraq's Justice Ministry continues to say that it expects the release of six of the nine Iraqi women prisoners this week, despite Coalition comments to the contrary, saying: "The Iraqi detainees will be released within a week from today." All that said, the article closes with Reuters disturbing report of U.S. forces blowing off the front door of an Iraqi family and dragging one family member off for questioning.

For the better and the worst...

My encounter with North African bloggers has started with Maghreb blog.net. That is where I have virtually met Adib, Oumelkhir, Manal and lately Thysdrus. I have never chatted with Thysdrus or Hannibal as it says on his blog but I was very interested by his postings and one in particular. Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Maghreb Blog Review XIII , the article asks a question about whether or not we Muslims should reconsider the way we live our faith.

First of all, who is this writer who gave himself the right to analyse for us what we need to do ourselves and two why aren’t we taking charge here?

I am not what is agreed upon as a good Muslim, I do my best to pray and fast but I would not categorise myself as “bonne musulmane”. But there is one thing for sure, I love my religion and I certainly love god.

But that being said, I do think that we need to reconsider some of the things we do vis-à-vis ourselves or our societies under the umbrella of Islam. When I posted that article “Conference of European Women Theologians”, I was not, gods forbid, complaining or other disgracing my faith; I was just looking for answers and I still am.

I believe that as a Muslim i ought to try harder to find answers to give those who either try to know more about our religion or to shut the mouths of those who would not leave a slight chance to throw insults at my face. Being a Muslim now is not as it used to be, we are ambassadors and representatives of our faith. If we call ourselves Muslims we have to defend it, and the only way for us in doing that is to be provided with the right and complete answers.

As a Muslim women and knowing all the stereotype that have made the front pages of the western news media, I need answers when asked to verify or deny things such 'Islam considers women as objects and not as an equal to the men'. I know that it is not true, and i certainly can give some answers but not complete ones. I am neither a theologian nor have I read and grasped the meaning of the holy book. That is just to say that it is time to call upon our Oulama to do their jobs and adapt their answers to the time and societies we live in. And to all the Oulama i say, please stop being biased, women are not your enemies but rather your halves, your daughters, mothers and …so a little fairness please!!

If I tell you how many people now have made it their favorite pass time to humiliate Muslims like me who try their best to stay unbiased; I need answers to protect myself and my state of mind. Because I have to admit that sometimes they come with rather very convincing arguments that could lead you to madness.

I can not blame them (all those who say this or that about Islam) though. Some of our “brothers” are just a disgrace not only to Muslim community but to the human being as well.

N.B: Please don’t let me wonder here alone join me or just tell me that my questions are not going to be answered.

Mabrouk L'Aid

Bonne fête a tous, que ce sacrifice nous apporte paix et prospérité!!!

Conference of European Women Theologians

I came across this article about women taking a role in what is commonly called al-Ijtihad. Though I kind of understand why we women are not allowed to lead the prayer and i also understand why we get less than men while inheriting, I have never understood why we are not allowed or at least given the chance to play a role in interpreting certain things in our religion not only because they concern us but mostly because they require n effective knowledge of women nature as well as way of thinking. If our religion is suppose to adapt to societies and time it should adapt to human nature and give women a chance to do more than only discuss daily rituals.