From: lhermi@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Lotfi Hermi)
Subject: Women in Islam
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 02:35:25 GMT

Dear Deniz,  

I will try to answer some of the issue you brought up, or at least try 
tp put them in prospective.  First, the role of the women is not to be 
'sustained' but she works with her man to build a family.  So, they -both 
of them - work to build the social unit which is the family.  In Islam it 
is the reponsability of the man to provide, and not that of the woman.  Now,
it happens that in these days,  the Muslim society has grown or developped 
along models alien to its culture and particular circumstances.  This in turn
produced a whole mess.  You will be amazed that in Saudia Arabia - although
I am no fun or promoter of their system or culture, about 40% of the wealth 
( if you do not count that of the ruling family) is in the hands or owned by
women although women do not work in that region of the world (Source: Night
line).  Even in this country they do not have such percentage.  

Islamic law is not a static entity but a very dynamic one ( or so it used to
be).  It was so dynamic that it grew to a point that people could no longer 
handle the variety nad had to put provisions on those claiming to bring about
new ijtihads (about 13th century) and from that point on people became static
and Muslim did not produce much in terms of legal or jurisprudence matters 
although the political grip of Muslim people was strong and firm).  

In traditional as well as in modern schools you can find a wide range of opi-
nions.  The most important thing is that these opinions by the way laws are
derived in Islam are not and should not drift from following Quran and Sunnah.

Let me explain.  Some traditional scholars see that by way of Islamic law women
can hold all positions in government -all except the great wilaya as they put 
it, i.e. the position of Caliph-.  A famous one of this school is -if my memory
serves me- is Tabari.

Others see that the only thing a woman can
do is stay at home and serve her husband along the stereotype: the woman has 
only to sorties in her life, one to her husband's house and one to her grave.
And there are people in between.

In modern schools, you also find both extremes, a liberal wing which says that
the women have been denied their rights that Islam provided for them by Islam
in the name of Islam, mainly because of the dominance of males in our culture.
Some of the main promoters of this school are people like Turabi and Ghannou-
shi.  Others, like Madudi - who is liberal in his political thinking -, have
taken positions to the other side like for example that the women should stay
at home because in his analysis her main role is to build a stron family and
children that will serve the cause of Islam.  

One can not say that Islam has loopholes that have to be fixed for him/her to
follow, but rather should go and dig and find out.  Then, otherwise what does
it mean for us we are Muslims and we follow what was revealed.

Secular law is about revision and change.  In Islam there are things which
are clear and cannot be changed to satisfy somebody's desire.  There are
other things for which there was no injuction, and which we can deal by our-
selves as long as they do not violate the principles of Islam.  

Personally, I think if I was in charge of assigning people to go abroad and 
study -i.e. come from Muslim countries- I  will only send married people with
their wifes.  That way I can saveguard them in this society.  Of course I will
not do it before I make it easy for young couples to get married early -say 
20's- and until they are above the 30's and everything is messed up. Of course
this way I will sanction  myself from coming here.  I remember in the colonial
times - for example in Egypt - a pre-condition to send people abroad on gover-
ment scholarships is that they are non-married - as was reported by Taha Hu-
sain-.