The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-08-28
MosLEM WOMEN.
Their Property Rights and Freedom
tn CnrrY nm RuaineAs

Their Property Rights and Freedom
to Garry Business.
The prevalent notion that Moham-
medan women are very materially re-
stricted in their property relations
that, in fact, they are little better
than slaves. possessed of few rights
which man is bound to resps cts
quite erroneous. In general terms.
'womans rights" in respect to prop
erty and material possessions of pc
cuniary value exist In the largest sense
among Mohammedan people and have
so prevailed for many centuries. In
fact, Mohammedan women, whether
sin2Ie or married, are absolutely free
in respect to property relations. They
may Inherit buy and sell and acquire
by all the methods of legitimate bust
ness the same as men, and they may
carry on any trade or profession and
manage their business affairs without
the participation of husbands, parents,
brothers or other persons than those
designated by themselves, should they
prefer not to act personally, as their
| agents or representatives.
The "wakil." or business attorney of
woman, is very frequent parsonage
In all business affairs, and he is often
called into court to answer for his ad-
ministration, cited by the woman pro-
prietor. who Is not required, If she be
| of full age. to have the consent of her
| husband or guardian, as In Europe, to
sue and be sued and perform all the
acts Incident to her estate. Property
| rights, 1t will be noted, are entirely
| Independent of sex or marital relation.
The only disability attending these
women's property relations is in ac-
| quirement by inheritance. Their sex
and social condition throw about them
certain restraints, but solely as to sue
| cession and Inheritance. There are no
| restrictions as to purchase and sale
| and general administration. In the
sale of land the husband remains an
| entire stranger; he does not join In the
| deed of conveyance or participate In
| the price But In respect of inheritance
| the rights of women are relatively In
| ferior to those of men.
| Sons Inherit one-half, daughters one
| quarter, wives only one-eighth, but If
the wife has no children she takes one
quarter. Where there is more than
| one wife land the Mohammedan law
| allows four the eighth or quarter, as
the case may be, must be distributed
pro rata among them all. The wife is
allowed but one eighth when there are
children, because the mother will share
to degree in the minor child's Inherit
| ance, and, again, children are bound,
as soon as capable, to contribute to
the support of the mother. Further
more, there is Invariably dowry pro-
vided by the husband at the time of
marriage, which remains inviolate to
the wife, and if it has not all been paid
over to her in advance or If it has
been used by the husband even for
family necessities it remains debt
against the estate and must be paid
before distribution to the other heirs.
The wife is not obliged to contribute
from her separate estate for the main
tenance of the family, and if the hus-
band has used any part of the wife's
property for such purpose she may
maintain a suit against him for its
restitution As for the daughters, it is
presumed that they require less than
the sons, and they may remain under
the protection of the male members
of the family even after the breaking
up of the home. Furthermore, should
they marry (and marriage is universal
there are no "old maids'O they re-
ceive dowry from their husband
Judge Batcheller in North American
| Review