Women's Issues

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/05/03/71801.html

The Egyptian Ministry of Religious Affairs is spreading education on the issue of the hijaab with the goal of eradicating niqaab as un-Islamic.

Regardless of what their motives, the response by jerky scholars is soooo horrid.

“What’s happening in Egypt is the law of American city hall,” conservative Islamic scholar Sheikh Youssef al-Badry told Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper. “It’s being translated and enforced on all aspects of life, the niqab is a must. They don’t want the niqab because they want to spread prostitution and illicit desires so that society will be disrupted.”

The government is trying to eliminate niqaab not because it's opressive, but because "[t]hey want to spread prostitution and illicit desires". Riiiight. I'm sure that's what the government is seeking.

Last weekend I celebrated the Prophet's mawlid at Wrestlemania in Detroit.   It was the most perfect Wrestlemania weekend in all eternity, it must have been for the Prophet's sake.  I met my beloved Sabu.  I saw the Sheik inducted to the hall of fame.  We had 14th row ringside seats.  Now who but God could arrange that?  I walked around wide-eyed saying, alhamdolelah, over and over.  I put on hijab to meet Sabu at a photo-op event.  I thought it would be a good way to make introductions faster.  Hey, I am wearing a scarf, guess who I am?  When I walked up to him, he bowed slightly and said, "Assalamu alaykum."  He was dressed in a suit with his "I am an Arab-Muslim Heel" headdress on.  I returned his salams and asked to take a picture with him alone. He grabbed me and said in my ear, "Let's take this somewhere private." I replied, "Let's go. I'm a good Muslim girl, but not that good." He and I chatted some more, he gave me a hug and I was on my way.  Unfortunately, I did not find a slip of paper with his room number in my pocket. 

German Judge and Legal Orientalism
By  Mohammad Fadel

Originally Posted on Eteraz.Org

The Friday New York Times reported that a German judge denied a Moroccan woman’s request for an expedited divorce from her Moroccan husband – despite the apparently undisputed evidence that the husband had repeatedly abused her – on the grounds that such conduct is “common” in Morocco and that the “Koran . . . sanctions such physical abuse.” 

Over the next few months, I will get back to developing the health section on the site.  One major change is to address men's health concerns.  I want to develop pages not simply on men's health issues in general, but also address women's abuse of men and male responses to child abuse.  As I develop that part of the site more, I will be putting together professional-looking pamphlets on these topics that will be available as pdfs for anyone who wants to use them.  Simply download them, take them to your local copy place, fold them in thirds and distribute them in your community.  A few colleagues and friends are going to be helping me with this project.  I'll announce their names as each pamphlet comes out.

To my mind, gender justice must address both women's and men's concerns and needs (in straight and glbtq conexts) if we are to make any long-lasting progress.  Justice (`adl) means to put things in their proper places.  We can only put things in their proper places if we come to understand the haqq of a thing; in other words, all of its rights and obligations, all of its properties and characteristics so that all things may be given their due.  To be "just," then, is to give everything its due.  Insha'Allah, the site will be able to contribute to justice in this way.

Excuse me for a simple reprint of this story.   But I wanted to get it out there.   Mind you, these are civil judges not religious ones.  But this is a step forward in any case. 

Egypt appoints 31 female judges despite conservative opposition
Caitlin Price 

<

p>Sign Petition Here Activists Call For End To Practice Of Stoning  

PRAGUE, October 25, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Women's rights activists in Iran have called on the head of the country's conservative judiciary and the parliament to end the stoning to death of convicted adulterers. Under pressure from the European Union, Iran was said to have introduced a moratorium on stonings in 2002, under pressure from the European Union. But activists accuse judges of perpetuating the practice.

Reports suggest that two people were stoned to death in May and at least eight women currently face stoning sentences.

<

p>I usually post entries here directly, but I have not been able to do that lately, so I thought I would provide a round-up of things on my own blog for folks to be able to follow up. Here's a little list:

Giving One's Life in the Holy Land
Centered around a very small news story in an Saudi Paper and it's evoking a spiritual poem from "back home"...: http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/11/giving-ones-life-in-holy-land.html

Thanksgiving
If one is going to commemorate Thanksgiving, the following ceremony seemed to be the most appropriate I have seen in a while--and it is not even in the US...
http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/11/thanksgiving.html

Rumi. And Hafez. And Khayyam. And Of Whence They Spake.
All the positive feedback on my post in a spiritual mood has been very gratifying.
http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/11/rumi-and-hafez-and-khayyam-and-of.html

Racial Profiling...Diallo was a Muslim, Too
I wish I could write a long and beautiful article about this, so it could be read and re-read and circulated and published...but what I HAVE written is at:
http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/11/racial-profilingdiallo-was-muslim-too.html

Women's Islamic Initiative for Spirituality and Equity -- Follow-Up at:
http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/11/womens-islamic-initiative-for.html

Allow Me to Join in this Call
I'd like to call upon Muslims and organizations of Muslims to join this call from the Turkish press: "It is true that Benedict XVI made disagreeable statements about Turkey and Islam. However, the Pope is visiting as our guest..." http://ifaqeer.blogspot.com/2006/11/allow-me-to-join-in-this-call.html