WILAYAH NEWS VOICE OF THE GLOBAL AWAKENING
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O sister… One of the things you hear about often in our society, and perhaps even work for, is what is called “women’s rights.”
There is no doubt that Islam—the noble religion—has given all people their rights, legislated their laws, and clarified what is good and what is harmful for all human beings, male and female, and what benefits them and what does not… even if enemies deny this.
It is therefore natural that the religion of God, Blessed and Exalted, has given women their rights. There is no need to repeat this phrase that we hear so often, every single day.
But the danger that must be pointed out is this:
Some among us imitate the West in its concepts, methods, and slogans—often without even realizing it. Or perhaps they seek a platform to stand on, or a title to carry… and they find “women’s rights” a convenient banner.
1. **You have the right, O sister, to be surprised when they demand the right to education for women.**
Tell them: When was knowledge ever forbidden to women so that we must demand it?
When knowledge was once restricted in Western countries and even fought against, it was not forbidden to women alone but to both women and men. And what do we have to do with them that we should be judged by their actions?
Even if we assume that knowledge was “prevented” or there were restrictions among Muslims in their own lands, that was not opposition to knowledge itself, but rather to the method, style, or content—if it violated the boundaries of Islamic law.
This has been, still is, and will remain the case as long as the law of God exists. What believer would dare oppose that—God forbid—no matter what the title or slogan may be?
2. **You also have the right, O sister, to question their demand for women’s right to work.**
Tell them: When was the right to work ever forbidden to women?
Who prevented her from working?
Does not our history testify that women have worked whenever they wished and whenever they chose? We see this in our past and our present.
If the issue concerns methods or types of work, then change has affected both men and women—and all humanity. The concept of “work,” its forms, and its developments have changed. What does that have to do with being male or female?
If others prevented women from working, should we be blamed for their actions?
And if “restriction” sometimes occurred in order to preserve a woman’s dignity, honor, humanity, and modesty—then that is precisely part of women’s rights, and it is what is required.
As for discrimination in salary, health insurance, and authority between men and women—this is purely a Western approach. It has no place in Islam and no basis in it.
So who honored women more: Islam, or Western “civilization”?
3. **You also have the right, O sister, to smile in astonishment when they demand a woman’s right to control her own wealth.**
A woman is free to dispose of her wealth, property, inheritance, gifts, and salary. No one has the right to prevent her from doing so or force her into something she does not want—whether husband or anyone else.
She owns her own will regarding spending, giving gifts, charity, and donations. Restricting a woman’s wealth is a practice foreign to our religion and our history.
If a man tries to take away a woman’s freedom to control her wealth, his ruling is the same as if another woman attempted to do so—it is injustice and aggression, regardless of gender.
What does Islam have to do with this? Is there even a single fatwa that forbids a woman from managing her own money? Where is it?
4. **You also have the right, O sister, to be surprised when they speak about forcing a girl to marry a specific man—someone she only sees on the wedding night, whom she does not know—along with other stories and anecdotes.**
Which jurist in history deprived a woman of her right to choose her husband, to say yes or no, or allowed a marriage contract to occur without her consent?
If such things occur among some tribes, clans, or families, they are pre‑Islamic customs. It is strange that Islam is blamed for them, when it came precisely to abolish them.
5. **Sometimes they defend women’s rights by saying that a husband beats his wife.**
Glory be to God—what does religion have to do with that? This happens in countries of “civilization and progress” even more than it does in our societies.
Is it not true that the United States has one of the highest rates of wife‑beating in the world, despite being a country of “civilization” and the “new world order”? Does this not occur in greater numbers—and often with greater brutality—in Germany, Russia, and other countries?
So why is blame always directed at the “Eastern society,” the “Eastern woman,” and the “Eastern man”?
Perhaps this is an indirect attack on the religion, history, and heritage of this society—by crusaders and those who harbor resentment.
“Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is greater.”
(Qur’an, Aal‑Imran 3:118)
O sister…
What is raised under the title of “women’s rights,” such as the matters mentioned above and others, should not lead you to surrender and imitate others—even at the expense of religion.
Rather, these matters should be presented to the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him). Whatever they accept, we accept with pride; whatever they reject, we reject with dignity.
We accept no religion other than the religion of God, the Almighty.
O sister…
Dear sister, if there are deviations in society, or injustice and corruption, then we must all cooperate to correct, deter, and resist them.
This is our duty. Islam has defended human beings, honored them, elevated them, and given them responsibility—without dividing society into the “camp of women” and the “camp of men.”
Oppression against society is oppression against everyone. Evil is not committed by one group against another alone. What women suffer in our society is not separate from what men suffer. Both share in the rights that are violated or diminished due to the direct and indirect control of enemies over our affairs and those who govern us.
Therefore, all **people of truth**, men and women alike, must confront all **people of falsehood**, men and women alike.
God, Glorious and Exalted, made the people of truth enemies of falsehood—not women enemies of men.
If misconduct or abuse occurs, it results from weakness of faith and commitment. The solution lies in calling people to Islam and encouraging them toward it.
Islam has never known in its history a “separate women’s issue” in the sense promoted by Western fragmentation. Islam deals with women as human beings—responsible and accountable. It does not differentiate between them and men in obligations and duties, nor does it treat them as isolated beings.
Women’s rights in Islam are part of the rights of all creation—whether women, men, boys, or girls.
O sister…
Enough debate over issues hidden behind the slogan of “women’s rights.” Enough debate—not only out of concern for the Muslim woman, whom God has honored and protected, but also out of fairness to Islam, which has suffered much slander, false accusation, and injustice—often indirectly, because its opponents cannot attack it directly.
How often have we heard that a “liberated” woman is one who does not marry early, does not have many children, whose husband cannot control her, who leaves her home whenever she wishes, and who frees herself from the authority of her husband because she is not a servant in the house!
Through such claims they aim to attack Islam—along with many accusations and illusions from which Islam is as innocent as the wolf was from the blood of Joseph’s brother.
O sister…
Something puzzles me and remains unanswered in my mind:
Why do those who claim to advocate for “women’s rights,” if they are sincere, not even wage a media campaign against beauty pageants of all kinds, with their vulgarity and exploitation?
Why do they not confront the cheap physical exploitation of women in media, obscene images, immoral “artistic” gatherings, widespread corruption, and increasing indecency—even escalating insults?
If these things are not part of “women’s rights,” then why do you remain silent? Indeed, there are signs that you support them—sometimes even participate in them.
The media and reality bear witness against you.
But if these matters are truly part of “women’s rights,” then please say so openly—and then we will discuss the matter accordingly.
*From the book “O Sister” by Sayyid Sami Khadra.*
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If you want, I can also:
– make a **shorter summarized translation**, or
– produce a **more academic / neutral translation** suitable for research or publication.
