Interesting Responses...

I want to thank the two posters who commented on the previous post! I originally thought of deleting the anonymous comments, but then thought, "Why? They represent a point of view that is incredibly prevalent in Western culture." So thank you, anonymous. You felt that what I had to say warranted the time to make a response, whether it is one I agree with or not, I do appreciate it.

It is strange though that there is this notion that Islam treats women as if they are subservient. It is an unfortunate preconceived notion that I held as well before my reversion. But in reading the Qu'ran I have found that in some instances more allowances are made for women. For centuries in European countries a woman could not inherit or own property. Anything that was given to her by her family became her husband's property, not her own. If she brought property into a marriage her husband could sell it and keep all the profits with or without her permission. Essentially she and everything she owned belonged to her husband or her nearest male relative. In the Qu'ran men are instructed that women are to be given their inheritance, that her property is her own to sell or keep, and that if she chooses to share it with her husband, that it is her choice. This is only one example. There are many more throughout the Qu'ran. Women who are menstruating or who are pregnant or nursing are relieved of their obligatory five times daily prayer. The reason for this? One is because generally in those circumstances a woman is in a state of perpetual discomfort, or in the case of a woman nursing, it is difficult to predict when an infant will become hungry. It is meant to be a respite and relief for the woman.

It's also interesting that the previous commenter would mention education. If you ask most Muslims they will tell you that we are absolutely obligated to continuously educate ourselves. That does not just mean men, but women also. We are to educate ourselves about our beliefs, about history, about the world around us, about medicine, and science, and literature, and art, and culture. We are never to stop learning. Else how will we find the evidence necessary to support what we believe? How will we become better and more credible people. No one takes someone who is ignorant seriously. If we suppress information, and do not educate ourselves, we will only represent ourselves to be a collection of fools who say meaningless things, and do meaningless things.

What we have the misfortune of seeing in this country is much media coverage on "Islamic Governments" (which if you read the Qu'ran should not exist because there is supposed to be a separation between religion and government) that try to dictate to their populations what they should wear, what they should believe, what to do in the bedroom, what to read, and what to think. This is absolutely wrong. No government has a right to dictate any of those things to their population, no matter what set of values they are trying to push. This is the difference between governments and a religious belief.

Islam teaches choice, and rewards and consequences for those choices. Governments make mandates and impose penalties for not obeying them. If you remove a believers choice to practice what they believe, then how can God reward them? God looks closely at the intentions in our hearts. If we practice what we believe God wants us to do out of fear of the law, instead of out of a desire to please Him, then it is not being done for the correct reasons. How can they receive a reward for acting out of fear, doing something that means nothing to them other than preserving their lives? It is wrong for governments to take those choices away from their citizens.

One thing that also strikes me, is that we see pictures coming out of Afghanistan and Iraq where in some cases these dictatorial regimes have been toppled, but there are still women choosing to wear the hijab, or in some cases the full Burqa. Why is that do you suppose? It isn't because they are told they have to. Perhaps it is something that they also value.

If I am judged or ridiculed for wearing the hijab in America, so be it. It just goes to show that we as a society are not so much more civilized as we thought, as we still struggle with the racism and bigotry that we condemn in other parts of the world.