From: ys3359@sarah.albany.edu (Yazmasterj)
Subject: Re: 'burqa and muslim women'
Organization: State University of New York at Albany
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 92 14:18:15 GMT

In article <92094.04542432JMVQG@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> Mahfooz Ahmed Jafry <32JMVQG@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> writes:
>Salam Alaikum :     Burqa and muslim women
>Maula Madoodi wrote very nice things 

[lotsa stuff deleted]

>      Many people are writing on this issue, but now I would write the pardah a
>nd men and putting men in the house.  If we read thoroughly (particularly sura
>nisa, ahzab, noor in detials and with tafseer ) then we could find out that Hol
>y Quran sets equal limitations on men also.  

Assalamoalaikum

	I just couldn't stay silent here.  I recently picked up Maulana
Maudoodi's book entitled *Purdah and the Status of Women*.  One of the
first things which struck me was that most of the book was his opinion
without many relevent verses from the Quran.  Another was that the 
Hadith he referenced were mostly from sources other than Sahih Bukhari
and Muslim.  The verses in the Quran that he did reference (the ones
I recognized) did not match the translations (specifically the Pickthall
translation) I am familiar with.  
	The biggest thing which bugged me was his analysis of women and
nature.  He went into a detailed account of how women were in fact
in capable of working outside of the home due to their menstrual
period.  He declared that women during their menstrual period were
actually in a period of sickness which completely affected their
judgment and strength to a non-functional point.  He also declared that
women were not in control of themselves either physically or emotionally
during their menstrual period.
	Now this is really news to me.  Being a woman who has also been
going to school all her life and working for many years now, I am amazed
that I have done so well since I am rendered emotionally and physically
disabled for a week per month.  Maulana Maudoodi makes a lot of
assumptions about women.  He declares that women are soft and 
unaggressive.  He says they are passive and emotionally tender and
sensitive.  He says they are not complete without having children.
Why is a man deciding all of these things?  I have also read his
book entitled *Birth Control*.  He declares that women are here
for the sole purpose of procreation, therefore birth control renders
them without purpose.  Again a decision by a man.  I have never read
a passage in the Quran which declared women to be solely for
procreation.  Certainly Khadija (raa), the wife of the Prophet was not
solely a procreative force in her husband's life.  
	The needs of Arabia in the 7th century with their tribal way
of life and their attitudes towards women which justified infanticide
of female children in their minds required a different attitude than
is required today.  The Prophet preached for 23 years which is a very
short time to transform a culture completely.  The fact that he
accomplished as much as he did is evidence of his strength and the
guidance from Allah.  The tribal culture was very much alive and
remembered when he passed away however.  They were used to keeping
their women suppressed.  The Quran gave unprecedented rights to 
women which were later ignored.  Consent in marriage, rights to 
inheritance, control of their earnings have all been curtailed by
men.  These are rights which have been specifically granted to women
in the Quran.  It is the height of chauvanism and biased behavior that
requires women to be fully covered except for their eyes and hands
(because Maulana Maudoodi mandates the veil also) and men to cover
only from their navel to their knees.  A comparable area for women
would be from their shoulders to their knees.  I don't know about
other women but a bare chested man is quite attractive.  Shouldn't
that be covered?  What about sexy arms and nice shoulders?  Shouldn't
that be covered?  What if a man loves a mystery woman?  Then a burqa
would be a complete turn-on for him?  I am being sarcastic and silly
to prove a point.  One cannot be responsible for the sexual attraction
of every single other person around.  There is a big difference between
an image of modesty and a complete cover.  
	Lastly, will someone please tell me where exactly in the Quran
are the areas of satar specified?  Also, all the hadith Maulana Maudoodi
mentioned on the subject of satar for women did not reference any
Bukhari or Muslim.  Anyone know of this being specified in the Bukhari
or Muslim collections of hadith?  

Khudahafiz

Yasmin

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*                                   *                                    *
*  Yasmin Sohrawardy                *  "Only Nixon can go to China"      *
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*  Internet:  ys3359@csc.albany.edu *            - Ancient Vulcan        *
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