The current debate about the eligibility of women to assume judicial positions reveals an ugly aspect of a society that has an appalling hatred of women and a phobia of everything feminine. This society publicly speaks of the woman as a hidden jewel and a chaste pearl to be safeguarded, but in reality it sees her as fuel for the fire, defective in both her mind and her faith. According to this view, demons follow her every footstep. The moment she applies perfume or leaves the house without permission, she becomes a whore. If she claims she is tired during moments of intimacy with her husband, her soul is damned. During her life, she remains hidden in the house, and when she passes away, she is hidden in her grave. Like a dog or a donkey, her touch alone can invalidate the efficacy of prayer. Many people are unwilling to recognize that these phenomena are a product of our time and circumstances, and instead insist that such views are timeless. In doing so, they are actualizing a hidden desire to bury the modern woman alive, just as they did in pre-Islamic times. I received a letter from a reader who tried to convince me that all my talk about the rights and freedom of women was nothing but idle chatter. According to him, the woman is by her very nature damned, not only in the religious texts, but also in the Arabic language, which is holy by virtue of it being the language of the Quran. Of course his examples demonstrate a mentality that scoffs at the idea of feminism and is opposed to her involvement in public life. I will not comment on the letter but I will reprint it for your examination so that you can join me in analyzing and understanding these views. The letter says: First: If a man is still alive it is said that he is living, but if a woman is still alive it is said that she is a snake (the feminine word for “living” in Arabic by coincidence also means snake). Second: If a man is injured it is said that he is stricken, but if a women is struck in the course of her deeds or actions it is said that she is a disaster or a calamity (the feminine word for “stricken” in Arabic can also mean disaster). Third: If a man assumes a judicial position it said that he is a judge, but if a woman does the same it is said that she is a harbinger of death, the affliction that descends upon someone and thereby snuffs the life out of them (the feminine word for “judge” in Arabic can also mean such an affliction). Fourth: If a man becomes a member of parliament it is said that he is a deputy, but if a women assumes the same position it is said that she is a misfortune, which as you all know is the sister of disaster (the feminine word for “deputy” in Arabic can also mean misfortune). Fifth: If a man has a hobby that he enjoys but does not make it a profession, he is considered a hobbyist, but if a women has a hobby she takes on one of the names of hell (the feminine word for “hobbyist” in Arabic can also mean abyss or hell). Take refuge in God! Translated from the Arabic Edition.
