Religion and Theology

Women in Muslim states and communities have gained basic social, cultural and political rights. Yet Islam women might be underrepresented in politics. Until the second half of 20th centaury, the womens status and roles in a Muslim culture was hardly a question. At the same time, the locally produced literature on women had a connotation to keep the women under certain restraint to live a pious and seldom modern life. Hence, many of the studies have discussed the position of women in the Muslim countries as one that of survival and seeking change. The world is swifter than ever in changing. It appears to the liberalized world that Muslim woman, in her own community, still suffers the oppression as Mohammads original revelation of faith.  Such phenomenon of patriarchal structures of Muslim fundamentalism is not yet relaxing on the women now. This paper will further discuss how the Muslim women are addressing issues of oppression and recognise their rightful position within their society as respected fellow beings. How far their struggle to identify their role in the society contribute to consider the issue like veiling to be an act to complete their role.
     
A recently read anonymous passage meant how anyone can justify Islams treatment of women, when it imprisons Afghans under blue shuttlecock burqas and makes Pakistani girls marry strangers against their will. One can not respect a religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, mutilates their genitals, forbids them to drive cars and subjects them to the humiliation of instant divorce. The Quran hardly has a suggestion to cover the womans face with a veil or keep the women away from participation in the society. When one of the verses in the Quran protects a womans fundamental rights saying in the verse 59 of Surah Al-Ahzaab reads O Prophet Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when outside) so that they should be known (as such) and not molested, the purpose of this verse was not to confine women to their homes, but to make it safe for them to go about their daily business without attracting unsavoury attention (Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed). In spite of such understanding who insist on using the veil to complete the role of a Muslim Woman. Is it the traditional patriarchal society or the modern fundamentalist society 
 
A most simplistic outlook on the veil is that it is a symbol of oppression, that Muslim women are completely and utterly subjugated by man therefore the veil is a proclamation of the oppression. Women in the Muslim community still ware the veil considering it to be a way of subordinating them in patriarchal society. Nazira Zain al-Din (272) writes about noticing that the nations that have given up the veil are the nations that have advanced in intellectual and material life. The unveiled nations are the ones that have discovered through research and study the secrets of nature and have brought the physical elements under their control as one sees and know. But the veiled nations have not unearthed any secret and have not put any of the physical elements under their control but only sing the songs of a glorious past and ancient tradition. However, oppression or liberalization, sacred or survival, going by the terminology The Veil sounds a negative terminology. Though in English language veil is normally a piece of fabric attached to a womans hat to protect from the sunlight or to cover the face, where as in Islamic tradition it conveys an Islamic notion which is in fact very inadequate (Catherine Bullock 34). The connotation goes as hide, cover or conceal mainly from the opposite sex, a concept which can clearly considered as an aspect of dominating and overpowering.
   
Finally, coming back to the role of Muslim women in their own society and community calls for a further analysis of the atrocities committed on Muslim women by their own fellow beings who are supposed to be their protectors. The oppressive or humiliating actions mentioned in the beginning of the paper are not even humane to be inflicted upon a fellow human person, if so how can it be an Islamic action. An inhumane act done to a Muslim woman would not let her identify the niche she has in her own society, but rather, the position of her gender in an inhumane society. Where as, the role a Muslim woman has in the Islamic culture will be identified with the discovery of her very being in a dignified society, if the society could be called so. For example, a veil would be a sign of oppression for a liberalist Muslim woman until she finds herself to be a practising Muslim, when she would consider it to be a holy habit of her self esteem and existence.