http://religion.upi.com/view.php?StoryID=20050324-011057-3174r

MUSLIM WOMEN HELP MAKE HISTORY
by Saffia Meek

[Saffia Meek is director of the Dallas/Fort Worth office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America's largest Islamic civil liberties group. She can be reached at info@cairdfw.org.]

This month is the 25th anniversary of the Multicultural Women's History Movement. With all the confusion and misunderstanding these days about the role of Muslim women, it seems appropriate to look at some of the ways that they have contributed to the world.

Many people have a stereotypical image of Muslim women as quiet, subservient and male-dominated, with no active role in building society.

This stereotype does not reflect the past, present or future role of women in Islam.

More than 1400 years ago, Islam eliminated the chattel status of women, prohibited the pre-Islamic practice of female infanticide and gave women control over their wealth.

Other rights granted to women by Islam include the right of inheritance and the right to own a business. The first martyr in Islam was a woman, as was the first person to accept the Prophet Muhammad's message.

Islam also grants women the right to equality before the law, to participate in political affairs, to seek an education, and to be free of spousal abuse.

The Quran, Islam's revealed text, repeatedly reinforces the spiritual equality of men and women. "And their Lord hath accepted of them and answered them: 'Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: you are the offspring of one another.'" (Quran 3:195)

During the time of the Prophet Mohammed, women were in the forefront of all aspects of life. Khadijah, a leading businesswoman and first wife of the Prophet, owned and ran her own trading company, which was successful enough to make her independently wealthy.

Aisha, a wife of the Prophet, is known as the woman who memorized the largest number of Hadith, or traditions of what he said or did in his lifetime. She is counted as one of the noted scholars who both men and women went to for religious knowledge.

Clearly, if women face obstacles to progress in the Muslim world, it is in spite of Islam, not because of it.

Contemporary Muslim women around the world are engaged in politics, education, business ownership, engineering, medicine, and many other fields. They are actively contributing to the development of medical and technological advancements, improvements to our public education systems, awareness of the need for political and civic involvement, civil rights protection, and building interfaith relations.

Shirin Ebadi - a lawyer, judge, writer, and activist - was not only the first female judge in Iran but was the first Iranian to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was awarded the prize in 2003 for her efforts on building democracy and improving human rights. Ebadi helped found the Society for Protecting Child's Rights in Iran and wrote a book entitled "History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran."

Muslim women reporters on Arab satellite stations, some wearing Islamic head scarves, interview international leaders, confront controversial subjects and openly debate current issues. Several women have been heads of state in Muslim nations.

Merve Kavakci, a pioneer of the women's political movement in Turkey, was elected to the Turkish Parliament but not allowed to take the oath of office because of her Islamic scarf. After returning to the United States, she began lobbying for women's rights in Turkey.

On the local level, women are on the boards of mosques and Islamic organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). A woman heads the nation's largest Muslim student group. Strong and dynamic women are enhancing the effectiveness of these organizations by addressing a variety of issues in the local Muslim community.

Perhaps these few examples will spark a new appreciation for the many accomplishments of women around the world who just happen to be Muslim.

Women's History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions that women make to our personal lives, our communities, our countries, and to humankind. It also offers a chance to share some achievements and contributions of Muslim women to our world.

We all contribute to the world in our own personal way. Let us celebrate these female pioneers and encourage young women to be the leaders of their generation.