About Eve who is considered to be the mother of all in the religion of Islam was created by the rib of her husband Adam from which one clearly comes to know that Eve was not made from the feet of Adam so that she could be crushed or talked lowly about, neither was she made from the head to rule over him. But God made Eve from his rib at his side so that they both go hand in hand; hence, both men and women hold equal status in the eyes of god. The Holy Quran which beautifully dedicates a whole chapter on The Virgin Lady Mary the mother of Jesus and the prestige she holds is enough for us to have an understanding of what role a woman has in Islam. So here we go mates, This weeks’ newsletter is wholly dedicated to women, the women of Islam.
editorial
a small note by our editors
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on the house notes from our classmates
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Editorial The pink in Islam
-Umaima Arsiwala and Mubashirin Sayed
What comes to our mind when we hear ‘Women of Islam’? Oppressed, backward, orthodox and prisoners. This is because we live in a country where myths and superstitions become reality. Well, that’s not the case, for we would like to break the truth to you. Islam is a religion that brings equality between men and women. In fact the Holy Quran states ‘to whoever male or female, do good deeds and have faith, we shall give a good life and reward them accordingly to the best of their actions’ 16:97. When on the day of judgment, the Lord is not going to lay his retribution on the basis of gender. Why we as humans are prejudiced to this inequality? Islam has always protected the rights and needs of women. Islam establishes that men and women are both equal, it also recognizes that they are different and has embraced these differences as a way to provide their own individual distinctive talents to the society. Islam provides women the right to education, financial security, modesty and a lot more. God directly addresses women repeatedly throughout the Holy Quran in fact he has devoted two chapters to women.
The following overview details are a wide range of women’s rights in Islam:
ILMA (EDUCATION)
Muhammad the prophet of Islam declared that the pursuit of knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim-male and female. This declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims throughout history. One of the most influential women of Islam was Lady Khadija the wife of Prophet Muhammad who encouraged a lot of women to pursue education. Prophet Muhammad too would seek for Lady Khadija’s advice for decisions.
UMUMA (MOTHERHOOD)
Lady Maryam, the mother of Jesus sets an example of the high status god has given to women of Islam. As Prophet Muhammad rightly guided by saying that heaven lies under the feet of your mother.
QUBOOL (MARRIAGE)
A woman has the right to accept or reject any proposal. Marriage is based on mutual peace, love and compassion. God mentions in the Holy Qur’an - “And of his signs is that he created you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them and he placed between you affection and mercy” (30:31).
THE TRIPLE TALA’AQ (DIVORCE)
Instant divorce or the triple tala’aq is a form of divorce practiced in India whereby a muslim man can legally divorce his wife by pronouncing the word ‘tala’aq’ three times which means divorce. However, there is no description of such a divorce law in the Holy Qur’an. Triple divorce was advocated by the Hanafi school of Islam.
HAYA (MODESTY)
Oppressed is the word used for every woman who covers her head, little do they know it is just the hair they cover not the brain. Islam takes its modesty from the virgin Mary who was known for her piety and modesty. The idea of hijab or covering the body is to dress modestly and not oppression.
Lit AF!
Rifat Syed & Umaima Arsiwala
“Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.” A thousand splendid suns -Khaled Hosseini
“My Crown You see the scarf on my head? it is just not a normal scarf. It’s a hijab. It is my crown. Without saying anything it speaks volume. A touch. A look. Can’t happen unless I want it too. You don’t get the power to decide. I do.” -Kainat. Z.Syeda
“Women opened the window of my eyes and the doors of my spirit. Had it not been for the woman-mother, the woman-sister and the woman-friend, I would have been sleeping among those who seek the tranquility of the world with their snoring.” -Khalil Gibran
Untitled
What do you see? When you look at me Do you see someone limited? Or someone free All some people can do is just look and stare Simply because they can’t see my hair Others think I am controlled and uneducated They think I am limited and un-liberated They are so thankful they are not me Because they would like to remain ‘free’ Well free isn’t exactly the word I would’ve used Describing women who are cheated on and abused They think that I do not have opinions or voice They think that being hooded isn’t my choice They think that the hood makes me look caged That my husband or dad is totally outraged All they can do is look at me in fear And in my eye there is a tear Not because I have been stared at or made fun of But because people are ignoring the one up above On the Day of Judgment they will be the fools Because they were too ashamed to play their own rules Maybe the guys won’t think I am a cutie
But at least I am filled with more inner beauty See I have declined from being a guy’s toy Because I won’t let myself to be controlled by a boy Real men are able to appreciate my mind And aren’t busy looking at my behind Hooded girls are the ones really helping the Muslim cause The role that we play definitely observes applause I will be recognized because I am smart and bright And because some people are inspired by my sight. -Anonymous
On The House
The Muslimah -We Heart It
Many misunderstand Islam as being an inherently misogynistic religion when in fact Islam has always protected and honored its women. It’s sad to see how so many misinterpret the Qur’an and Hadith and often use it in a way to justify their misogyny. “Yes. Women are the twin halves of men.” – Prophet Muhammad -Sarah Rezai “You don’t need to see her skin to know her beauty; her impeccable choice of hijab says it all.” - Suraj Subramanian
“Don’t call her uncultured. She wraps 1400 years of faith around her face. She is more cultured than you could ever be.” -Suraj Subramanian “It is a worldwide belief that Muslim women are oppressed, they are forced to cover themselves even in the scorching heat, not allowed to socialize in public, they get married at an early age and become mothers of several kids and much more to add to the oppression. While on the other hand men are allowed to marry four wives and relish on life. Truth seems to be different, what we have to understand is that there is religion and there is culture we need to recognize the difference.” -Nikhat Meenaz Sayed
“The presence of soul that integrates in to prosperous beings is a Female. The beauty of divine thoughts to become an aspiring source in every means is a Female. Who turns into a Woman in Islam.” -Utkarsh Kumar
“Woman is an essence, an essence in which the world lays, an essence not divided by religion!” -Fiza Idrisi
Artwork by- Mohammed Ali Shaikh
(Theatre Potato is a theatre group formed in a closed room at a friend’s place in 2016. We run a theatre blog from the point of view of a 19 year old teenager. Mati is one of the founders along with Kalpak Bhave. We are Enthu Cutlets trying to make other theatre Enthu cutlets. We have made an experimental play called ‘Point Being’.)
Not Just Her Story
- Mati Rajput
Have you ever been in a situation where you’re sitting comfortably in the front row of Prithvi and in the very next moment you’re being executed in Tehran for a crime you have not committed? That’s precisely what Faezeh Jalali’s 777 does to you. 777 is based on true events. It depicts the story of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a nineteen year old teenager. The Play opens with 6 girls wearing a hijab, as they enter the stage singing in harmony. It seems like quite an ordinary play and then the actors start to unravel the incident. Reyhaneh has been played by 7 actors, each of them equally justifying their part. Faezeh Jalali - the director of the play. chooses to use a format similar to a skit where all the actors of the play are on stage most of the time. The men though lesser in number are also in no mood to be left behind in terms of impact. The ensemble works precisely well in the favour of this play. I like how all the costumes had a grayish tinge. The hijab works just fine to add to the feel of an incident that took place in Iran and continuously reminds me that this particular story might have a Kurdish background but for the hijab, it could happen anywhere and to anyone . Arghya Lahiri’s light design has a story of its own and it makes the play even more magical. The use of catwalk, quick costume changes, flawless character transitions, minimum number of properties and maximum utilisation of it makes the play a directorial genius.
Reyhaneh would’ve come across as any other ambitious girl with an aim of excelling as an interior designer until Mr. Sarbandi, a 46 year old surgeon tried to sexually assault her. Mr. Sarbandi was found dead after the incident. But Reyhaneh only admitted to stabbing him once in her defense and claimed to have nothing to do with the murder. However considering that the man belonged to the Iranian Intelligence Agency, she got thrown into solitary confinement almost immediately. In prison, the policemen practiced third degree investigation to gain information and make her confess. The play keeps repeating the potrayal of the traumatic incident that took place, an excellent reminder of the number of times Reyhaneh was forced to recollect the incident and how every time it left her in a different state of mind. She decided to write about her pain on bits of paper to narrate the story of agony and torture that she had been through and in a beautiful choice of words, hoped for it to spread like ‘seeds of dandelion’. But soon she got caught with a pen and got accused of being a spy. Later, the police inspectors compelled her to make false confessions with the threat of imprisoning her family members. With that, Reyhaneh got sent to a prison in Tehran where she befriended her inmates and made peace with the situation. She was now getting out of her depression. Her urge to attain more education in the prison and repeated efforts in the direction showed how hopeful, bold and strong she was. A special note here about the effortless switch between an inmate and a
warden by Suruchi Aulakh. Every transition taken by the actors to change into another character was an example of mere perfection. From Reyhaneh’s imprisonment in Tehran to her execution, I sat there numb, with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes and I couldn’t stop myself from breaking down. I got so engrossed in the play that I felt like a part of her story and found myself helpless, rebellious, optimistic and I also encountered myself losing hope. Another special mention here for Niharika Lyra Dutta who’s graduation performance I had witnessed just a couple of weeks ago and in her career debut, she became a major reason behind my relentless weeping. 777 managed to stun me as well as all the other people present in the audience. It’s not unusual to see people stand up in joy and applaud to appreciate a work of art but after watching Reyhaneh’s story, people could hardly get up from their seats and exit from the state the play had put them into. This is the beauty of 777. I would recommend everybody to watch it for the performers, for the way it has been crafted, for its ability to make you feel every emotion and for leaving the audience mesmerized by its finesse.
The Difference IN ‘Equality’ -Illham Motlekar “If any do deeds of righteousness be they male or female and have faith they will enter paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them.” (Qur’an 4:124) For generations Islam has been considered or viewed as a religion that oppresses the female gender. On the contrary Islam propagates gender equality. It has strict rules on how to treat women and demands they be treated with kindness and respect. Before the spread of Islam in the Middle East female infanticide was rampant and the girl child was buried alive. The teachings in the Qur’an clearly made it a cruel and punishable act. It helped in effectively ending this vile practice.
“When news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) a female (child) his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain her on (sufferance and) contempt or bury her in the dust? Ah! what an evil (choice) they decide on!” (Qur’an 16:58 - 59) The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made seeking education an obligation on every muslim regardless of their gender. A woman does have certain duties just like a man has certain duties but nowhere does the Qur’an state that one gender is superior to the other.
The mutual dependency and complementary of the roles of males and females does not mean “subservience” by either party to the other. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) helped in household chores in spite of his busy schedule. The Prophet Muhammad’s first wife Khadija (r.a.) was a very successful business woman and even after they got married she carried on her work without any restriction from the Prophet. She was also a widow and older than him, the Prophet(peace be upon him ) was married monogamously to her for 25 years till she passed away. He loved her immensely. Once, years after Khadijah died, he came across a necklace that she once wore. When he saw it, he remembered her and began to cry and mourn. His love for her never died. This is just one of many examples of women playing a strong role. The sad thing is that the society has distorted many of these teachings to suit themselves and used as a means to oppress and control women. Patriarchy plays a major role in contributing to the suffering of the women in Islam. Furthermore to drive my point, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made seeking knowledge an obligation on every Muslim regardless of their gender. It is a tragic thing that due to the narrow mindedness of a few a whole religion has been labelled as ‘orthodox’ or ‘unjust’. Women are treated unfairly in every society and across all cultures Is it then fair to paint a target on one religion without even inquiring as to what is the truth?
Much Ado
Voice Of Baceport - Indonesia
- Umaima Arsiwala and Mubashirin Sayed
With their heads covered these hijabies are breaking the stereotypes of a how a Muslim girl is supposed to behave otherwise. It’s easy to say that Voice of Baceprot doesn’t look like your typical heavy metal band, but it’s true. The girls formed their band in 2014 when they met at school according to an interview with Geo.tv they ‘use their music to combat the stereotypes of Muslim women as voiceless.’ “Wearing a hijab should not be a barrier to the group’s pursuit of its dream of being heavy metal stars,” said Firdda Kurnia, 16, who sings and plays the guitar. “I think gender equality should be supported because I feel I am still exploring my creativity, while at the same time, not diminishing my obligations as a Muslim woman”, she added. The girls have a few originals “on issues like the state of education in Indonesia” but mostly cover classics from System of a Down, Rage against the Machine, Metallica and Slipknot. The story notes that the trios were invited to play their school’s graduation ceremony.
Some of the girls’ elder teachers note that it might be unusual to “see a group of hijab-wearing girls playing metal music or even women shouting” but ultimately nobody sees a problem with it.
(L-R) Firdda Kurnia, Euis Siti Aisyah, and Widi Rahmawati, members of the metal hijab band Here they are doing a live studio session of their original track “The Enemy of Earth Is You” Muslims make up nearly 90 percent of a population of 250 million, the vast majority practicing a moderate form of Islam, although there are some conservative strongholds. Not everyone in the town of Garut, where the band was formed, and which is home to several Islamic schools, feels the community is ready for them, or that the music is appropriate for performance by young Muslim women.
The band members all received threats of death, rape and other physical harm as well as a fatwa from Grand Mufti which prompted them to quit the band.
Ink Recommends
-Umaima Arsiwala
I Am Malala (2014) This is a remarkable tale about a family uprooted by global terrorism, a fight for education of girls, a father who encourages his daughter to study and go to school and of brave parents with fierce love for their daughter in a society that worships sons.
Malala Yousafzai the author of ‘I Am Malala’
Love in a Headscarf (2009) This is a memoir of a British Indian Muslim woman looking for a husband. The novel is an account of the author’s search for “the One” through highly structured and family and community-oriented means. She also dwells a great deal on how her faith shaped her search for a partner, alongside more general discussions about Islam and being Muslim in the west.
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed the author of ‘Love Is A Head Scarf’.
Umaima Arsiwala (Editor) Mubashirin Sayed (Editor) Suraj Subramanian & Tanvi Jani (Designers)
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