More reverberations over the Muslim woman who led prayers in New York last Friday. "Anger over NY woman 'imam,'" from the Calcutta Telegraph, with thanks to Nicolei:
She is being called the "shock Imam", having stunned Muslim clergy across continents. In India, the shade of opinion over a Muslim woman leading namaz ranges from anger to flippancy to allegations of an American conspiracy.On March 18, Amina Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led Friday prayers in New York, where about half of the estimated 100 people were men. Clad in a hijab (veil), she also read out the Khutba (the holy sermon).
This has triggered a controversy as traditionally, women are not even allowed to offer namaz inside mosques. In exceptional cases, women pray in a separate room or behind a partition.
Muslim religious leaders in India have been dismissive about Amina, claiming that the event was aimed at hogging media attention.
"It's a matter of modesty that prevents a Muslim woman from leading prayers," said Lucknow-based Shia leader Maulana Kalbe-Jawwad. He pointed out that when Muslims pray, they form ruler-straight lines. Resting on their knees, they lean forward until their foreheads touch the floor. Both the worshippers and the prayer leader face west towards Mecca.
What's that go to do with anything? I've got a newsflash for you, buddy, women have seen men's rear ends before. So what?
Peer Sayeed Mian, the rector of Bhopal-based Taj-ul-Masajid, said the event was "un-Islamic" as women are not supposed to lead prayers. "It is not a question of gender equality," he said, questioning the need for it.
What is it a question of, then?
"In Islam, the role of duties of men and women are clearly defined. There is no such thing as aping men," he said, terming it another "conspiracy" to create differences on gender lines.
Well, well, if it isn't another conspiracy. I suppose the Zionists are whispering in Amina Wadud's ear, eh?
Maulana Mohammad Saleem, a preacher in Bhopal, said offering namaz was an act between a person and God. "It is not that one who leads would go to heaven and those following would get a lesser reward."
Meaning, women don't have to worry their pretty little heads about big, weighty matters like leading prayers. They get to go to heaven anyway...maybe.
Kamal Farooqui, a member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, said Islam has consciously-defined gender roles. "Women have been bestowed the greatest honour of giving birth to children. Does that mean that men start complaining about it?" he asked.
So since you don't see many men complaining about not being able to have children, (except maybe "Stan" in Life of Brian) well, that means women shouldn't complain about things like your everyday, average and very Islamic "sexual slavery" marriages. These things are ordained by Allah, you silly girls!
Amina countered that Prophet Mohammed had granted permission to a woman called Umm Warraq to lead her family in prayers.
That's it? That's the entire argument you're putting up against Centuries of Islamic Law and Tradition? Good Luck, Amina, good luck. You'll need it:
Scholars at Darul-Uloom, Deoband, and Nadwa-tul-ulema, Lucknow, said what Amina had failed to mention is that Umm Warraq led the people of her house in a prayer at one occasion only.Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifa, famed commentators of Islam, considered it an exception....
Wouldn't you know it.
This business about 'the roles of men and women being clearly defined' reminds me of the Southern Baptists and other Christians who will not have female clergy. They also wrap their socio-religious programme up in this facile 'different but equal' apologetic.
To be honest I appreciate the candor when some Buddhist monk or some such simply says straight out that women are innately impure or what not. They may be misgynists, but at least they don't insult me further trying to sell me slavery whilst telling me its freedom.
Could it have something to do with the part of the qur'an that says that a prayer is canceled if a dog or woman or an ass walks in front of a praying man?
Why do all of the male Muslim 'religious' leaders sound as hysterical as flaming cartoon lampoon drag queens, screeching in thin-skinned silliness over the fact that the center and origin of all human life on Earth, that half of the species WITH the womb, simply wants to have a say in the interpretations of Islam?
Are all Muslim men such cowards that they can't allow their ladies to have a say in anything?
I call to all Muslim women:
-come out of the closet of Koranic craziness and join the people in the free world who like their women to be surprising, scintillating, scientific, sexy, sublime, and not simple sura-stunted serfs.
Women of Islam, unite! You have nothing to lose but your pains! (in the ass)
I found the quote, but it was a monkey instead of an ass.
A prayer is annulled by a passing woman, dog and a monkey...( Shahih Bukhari 1.9.490)
I/m sorry, but I think that the Amina Wadud case is highly irrelevent to the problem of global jihad.
Of course the Deobandis and Salafists oppose the Amina Wadud business. But I'd almost be ready to bet money that if you mentioned Amina Wadudd's stunt to one of the Yemeni immigrants who helped finger the Lackawanna Six or some Uighur who has stood up for persecuted Christians in central China, such a person might also throw up his hands and say "blasphemy!"
Also, last time I was Stateside, some of the fiercest feminists I knew were ready to accept the hijab should Muslims take offence at their uncovered hair (that's how great their hatred of Bush is). It seems that these fearsome feminists are tigresses before gentlemanly Christians who simply deny them ordination (never mind that the same Christian fundamentalists see them as joint-heirs of salvation, worthy of equal pay for equal work, properly allowed to vote, and despise a wife-batterer; but let a Muslim demand they cover up or come at them with a finger-thick stick, they roll over and play dead. Germaine Greer also ended up writing some books in praise of traditional extended families as observed in parts of the Muslim world (North Africa, I believe). This has convinced me that feminism is a weak reed to lean on in facing militant Islamofascism.
Perhaps the important task is to bring on board against the crazies those traditionalist Muslims who don't want war rather than trying to foist 1970's-vintage gender feminism on them.
Daniel Pipe's website notes that Amina Wadud not only lked prayers, but also tried to use non-gendered language (feminine and neuter pronouns--something like that, since I'm no Arabic grammarian) for God. This strikes me as another reason why she got so little response. After all, even Muslims who don't like terrorism probably still prefer a religion that's something more than the plaything of its malcontents.
I've heard as well that there's something of a movement towards home prayer and smaller group happening among those American Muslims who feel that the Islamofascists have "stolen" their mosques.
Daniel Pipes' site mentions that Amina Wadud also used feminine and neuter pronouns for God, as if she were trying to "de-gender" him (I'm no Arabic grammarian; but I do note that the English translations of the Qur'an use "he" and "him").
This leads me to suspect that maybe one further reason why she attracted so few Muslim moderates and so much media attention is that even the non-terrorist Muslims aren't going to be attracted to a religion whose god is simply the mental plaything of a few malcontents.
Those comments on the subject which the Bleedin' Biased Corporation thought fit to publish;
Have your say - Should women lead Muslim prayers?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4369681.stm
Recently we held an "interfaith" meeting on a Friday evening at my local synagogue: muslims and Jews opening up to each other. I was incensed to hear that a decision had been made not to use wine at Kiddush - grape-juice was the order of the day. This in order to offend muslim sensitivities. I wrote to my Rabbi and suggested that if we are going to trim our customs in order to suit muslim views, no meeting should be held with muslims on Jewish holy days. We can meet during the week.
He wrote back to inform me that the matter will be discussed at the next Rabbis conference. Then I am informed that there has also been difficulty with the idea that women have on occasion addressed mixed Jewish-muslim meetings. As we are akin to the US Reform movement, I 'll be interested to see what the outcome of the May conference is. If the Rabbis engage in any form of dhimmitude, I fully intend to go public with the press.
Recently we held an "interfaith" meeting on a Friday evening at my local synagogue: muslims and Jews opening up to each other. I was incensed to hear that a decision had been made not to use wine at Kiddush - grape-juice was the order of the day. This in order not to offend muslim sensitivities. I wrote to my Rabbi and suggested that if we are going to trim our customs in order to suit muslim views, no meeting should be held with muslims on Jewish holy days. We can meet during the week.
He wrote back to inform me that the matter will be discussed at the next Rabbis conference. Then I am informed that there has also been difficulty with the idea that women have on occasion addressed mixed Jewish-muslim meetings. As we are akin to the US Reform movement, I 'll be interested to see what the outcome of the May conference is. If the Rabbis engage in any form of dhimmitude, I fully intend to go public with the press.
Having witnessed the ludicrous way Muslims prostrate themselves in prayer, when some Toronto cabbie used the sidewalk to fulfil his religious duties one early morning, I find it hard to understand why they don't find the offense to modesty in the posture itself and not in the gender of the supplicant. But I guess that's the whole point of Islam: absolute submission to the point of praying with your face buried in the sand.