The Tragedy of Western Women
In today"s Westernized societies, where women are not protected by Islamic laws, we find that the woman suffers immense misery and untold hardship all in the name of "Freedom, Equality and Liberation".
The poor woman in the West is hoodwinked and thinks that the male-dominated syndicate has eventually relented and compromised by allowing her certain artificial freedoms of movement and speech and thereby giving her so-called "Liberation".
The cunning male is no longer obliged to treat her kindly for she has now unwittingly chosen equal status to man. So now the male treats her as his competitor and in this scheme of things there is now no special consideration, concession or protection.
Since the so-called emancipation of women in the West, women are actually suffering more mental and nervous breakdowns. There are more rapes, murders, illegitimacies, abortions, and divorces... than ever before.
Now women are treated without respect or dignity and even common courtesies in buses and trains are fast disappearing.
It is a well-known fact that women are constantly harassed at work, schools, universities and other public places. They are subtly manipulated to appear in vulgar poses to sell merchandise for the benefit of the greedy man.
Women are also enslaved into taking part in degrading acts. Men only use them, abuse them, exchange them and eventually discard them.
The children too are now suffering even more for them does either aborted or forced into orphanages and foster homes - never know the joys of a home or family-life.
These are the realities of today, whether we like them or not. The only alternative for women, the only protection and safeguard, the only blessing, mercy and salvation for women lies in Islam - The way of Allah.
Almighty Allah knew that women would suffer and be ill-treated. Therefore, there are laws in the Qur"an and Hadith protecting her rights. The Qur"an says:
"Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded... "(4:34)
The rights of women are sacred. See that women are maintained in the rights attributed to them. The woman"s role in Islam is to be the mother, wife, educated and the builder of a good and righteous family in a happy and loving home. That responsibility is alone so noble, dignified and time-consuming that it is inconceivable for a woman to keep still a steady job outside her home. Is it any wonder than that because the majority of women in Western societies work, children and home are neglected and juvenile delinquency is on the increase and women are suffering nervous breakdowns and are relying heavily on drugs and alcohol?
Women will have to choose: either a Westernized way of life with all the trappings, or an Islamic way of life which offers: peace, dignity, nobility, true equality and protects their economic, political, social, moral spiritual and legal rights and promises them a life of true happiness, prosperity and bliss and guarantees them liberation from slavery, degradation and injustice.
Again the Qur"an says:
"And that this is My path, the right one, therefore follow it, follow not (other) way, for they will lead you away from His way; this He has enjoined you with that you may guard (against evil)" (6:153)
By Abdullah Osman
