Introduction:

Modern social activists through media present Islam’s view about women as a stature whose subjugation is only associated to her femininity through so-called liberalism; her coercion is mostly symbolized by obsessive anxiety with women’s bodies, “the veil,” and female isolation. While on factual grounds such mind set and groups have oppressed women by judging their worth as persons based on corporealcharisma. Such modern trends and feministic approaches have turned the image of woman as a tool of entertainment and attraction. Those who are convinced by such modern values regard woman‘sstatus in Islam inferior on the basis of several issues including; guardianship in marriage, polygamy, divorce right. Among thehighlighted issues are equal rights of men and women, or the strict separation of the rights for men and women. Such social activists and feministic approaches put seriousallegations on veil instructions of Islam and insisting upon its elimination toencourage women for their full participation in public life. The height of   the liberation of women is shown through model girls in uniform walking and running through the streets, ladies showing off their body features in public beauty contests where the female candidates are evaluated and marked by the judges as value livestock at a flaxen. In such a modern civilization a woman’s definition of honor and respect is to the level she would be able to in perform the functions of a man while at the same time give her utmost beauty and attraction to the public. For this reason idea of equal rightsof men and women is accepted and flourished in contemporary environment of all over the world especially in western societies.[1]

If we take any advertisement for electronic or social media, the woman is sickeningly, inexpensively and delicately dragged cheaply as tool of sexual arousal even if add deals with men wear or useable products. It is unfortunate this awful threat has influenced Muslims youth under the guise of cultural progress and social freedom.Even Muslim societies are raising such thoughts and ideologies which are promoting women liberation and freedom as key for social, economic, and political development of community. Such trends are violating pious integrity and honor given by Islam. Many Muslim societies are changing their social set up and cultural behavior accordingly. The moral concepts adopted by the Western world and also by liberal Muslim social activists are resulting in the disruption of family life. The fanatical center of attention is polygamy as humiliating women hypocritical for when infidelity, sequential remarriage, and out-of-matrimony births to men who do not take protective responsibility are unrestrained in the civilized Western societies. The naked and vulgar trends are promoted through the name of Art and Culture which is marking them in the, Bikini, Jeans and the birthday suit, should shock nobody as they are the common sensual outcome of the liberal movements commenced for the rights and liberation of woman. But unfortunately, such Western norms are not giving freedom in allowing unrestricted sexual liberty; hence fail to protect women from male exploitation. Broken marriages, neglected wives, for sake children, mistresses etc. are common features of these liberal societies.[2]

Some Muslim activists and liberal groups in Islamic societies are also following western slogan of women freedom so blindly that even raises question marks on the integral Islamic family law and their wisdom that in Islamic family law. However, In contrast to the western approachIslam has protected Muslim women by assigning responsibility of breadwinning husbands who provide adequately and consistently for their dependents, a category that includes wives and children. A Muslim husband is the decisive authority within his home but does not act in a tyrannical approach in decision-making, and it is his greater rationality that prevents the family from the easy dissolution that would occur if women were given uncontrolled freedom and liberty in family life and social behavior. Islam is the only religion that truly cares about the well-being of women in such a respectable way that no other system or religion can guarantee it. It dignifies their character and honors them with a reference that illustrates all their rights as well as obligations since the inseparability of both is logical and also clear in Islamic teachings. This ideal representation of Muslim family life cannot be equal compared fairly to the most horrible abuses found in liberal Western society.[3]

Feminism and Women’s right:

Feminism is the most liberal movement known for Women’s Liberation in present era, which has challenged the social structure and is altering the entire basis of human relationships.  Feministic approach is not a unique product of the contemporary age. Historically throughout the ages people have attempted to challenge the family structure. In American history, Feminism is the consequence of the lobby group for the eradication of slavery. Successful results of such movements made it easy for women who were part of these movements to raise voice for political power of women. Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 was the historical landmark of the Feminist movement, which in its policy demands the women’s rights of overall control of wealth, earnings and family matters. Such claims resulted in prevention of workplace discrimination and equal pay of males and females. As this campaign grew at large in American society, more female rights were raised by women in America even resulted the 19^th amendments in American constitution in 1920 which gave the right of vote to women. Gradually women activists and public assumed that with female franchise is the only way to obtained women’s rights. After this, the Feminist pressure group laid down for more than fifty years.[4] After December 14, 1961, When President John F. Kennedy signed an Executive law to establish a Commission on the status of women which is aimed to examine and recommend legislation to fight against customs and norms which are obstacles for women’s rights. Such commissions and legislations were beginnings of feminist participation in industry. After that young girls of colleges and universities started participating in feministic activities.

Now the situation is entirely in the favor of feminist’s representatives not in America but all over the world. Women can deny any inherited geneticpeculiarity between men and women on the origin of gender. Women rights under the feminists approach are equal to men in all family and social matters including marriage, divorce, inheritance, job, salary, promotion, enjoyment, and even in sports as well. Upbringing of children is a public responsibility under this approach. Feminism demands women’s complete right over their reproductive lives even  the devices for reproduction  can be publically advertised and available everywhere without prescription of a doctor. Under this movement restriction were removed on regulation of abortion at any stage and age. Girls were highly encouraged by feminists’ group toparticipate in all physical activities and sports with boys. Single parent families and unmarried mothers should be encouraged and highlighted even in children’s books as well. The worst extreme of feminism is legalization of lesbianism which is female homosexuality considered as a road to get rid of oppression by men. The feminists approach holder groups also encouraged lesbianism by raising sympathies for them. For feminists lesbians are integral individual human entity of the society rather than a special group and must be treated by law or social agencies as a human entity for availing and enjoying all legal and social rights even for the sexual behavior as well because it is their private matter which should not be a taken as a public concern.[5]

Now the view of feminism and it’s so called moral and social justice is clear to understand the type of mind set feminists do have. But most unfortunate thing is Muslim feminists who are actively working for such lobbies to claim the same rights for Muslim women as well. If we assume such situation for Muslim society it is even impossible to think about an ideal society with productive progress of women integrity. One can easily understand impulses of immoral act and unstructured values as a course of social code of ethics which has been takenpurposely in accordance with its expected consequences in comparison with the values and social code of ethics given by Islamic teachings. Muslim women should not deny the richness of Islamic domain of social and family ideology and set up the ordinary sexual constituent in all relationships.

If feminism is an institution in America and mostly European countries then this institution can destroy traditional family system with many horrible drawbacks. Though in Muslim countries this is not the situation but as a result of western culture through media and other ways, veil or and decent dressing of women is graduallyvanishing through a liberal and moderation trends are promoted against their conventional integral and prestigious roles.[6]

Islam and Feminism:

The above mentioned description opens a new perspective that Islam and feminism are twologicalextremes which have influenced the lives of Muslim women in contemporary world. Both have brought changes in life of women but with different approaches and objectives with different consequences. Women in Islam have more progressive role in comparison with other sacred or social systems and Muslim women can be better social entity with an integral status served by teachings of Islam than the drastic freedoms and liberty entitled by Western culture and feminism.

No doubt after the arrival of Islam gender injustice and cruelty have been discouraged and replaced by women integrity, dignity and freedom as mother, sister, daughter, and wife. So it can be said that Islam has brought women liberation with integrity and freedom with respect of her own role and responsibilities in society. According to this narrative women’s spiritual equality has already been accepted by Quran fourteen hundred years ago. So feministic approach is not a new approach based on spiritual needs but has already been accepted and encouraged by Islam. Regarding social equality of women, it is a clear fact and teaching of Islam that men and women must be credited as an entity and their social role in society. Roles and responsibilities of both genders must be acknowledged and facilitated through social code of ethics which provides them social security and rights under Islamic Shariah laws.There are some Muslim feminists who are trying to give a harmonious approach between Islam and feminism and tried to relate few interpretative things of Islam with feminism. Such things usually happen when religious responsibilities of Islam are taken for granted. Though they may pose themselves as Muslim feminists but unable to build a simple combination between Islamic teachings and feministic approach. No doubt gender struggle has always been  existed in Muslim society but those who are struggling for Islamic teachings of gender rights cannot raise challenge of convergence of Islamic teachings of gender rights and feministic approach of women liberation because both are totally different from each other.

Such female scholars have feministic approach and take Islam for granted e.g.Kecia Ali, Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Leila Ahmed and Fatima Mernissi claim to be Muslim feminists but they have nothing to do with the teachings of Islamic rights for feminism rather promoting western ideology of women liberation under the flag of Muslim feminism.'[7]' There are two main features of both approaches which make them different to each other, one feminism as an ideological opposite to Islam and secondly feminism is an extreme counterpoint to Muslim ethno cultural traditionalism. Additionally accountability to Allah Almighty must be the basis of Muslim women’s empowerment through the Islamization of knowledge. In terms of family women ought to be submissive and passive and in society women should be inactive. The Islamic approach, of women’s right is not only opposed to feminism, but also to ethno cultural traditionalism. Feminism here is not uniquely opposed to authentic Islam even Muslim practices may be oppositional to Islam.

Comparison between feminism and Women in Islam:

Now the point of discussion is the place of feminism in Islam and whether the rights given by Islam to the women are same which are claimed by the western approach of feminism. The idea of Muslim women portrayed in the media and social activists group is so much drastic that a person who is not well aware about the teachings of Quran and Hadith would take the idea of Islam’s status of women as oppressive and neglected. However the fact is that most of social and traditional disrespect and disabilities given to women in different times and different societies have nothing to do with the teachings of Quran and Hadith rather they are the result of customary social behavior of that specific community and society.

Additionally in response to the gender equality slogan by western feminists it is a clear fact that Islam accepts the spiritual equality of both the genders.

قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ[8]

The Arabs of the desert say: "We believe." Tell them: "You do not believe. Better say: ´We submit´; for belief has not yet penetrated your hearts." If you begin to obey God and His Apostle, He will not withhold the least (of the recompense) of your labour. Verily God is forgiving and kind."

Unlike other religious approaches about women, Eve or Hawwa the sacred mother of all three revealed religions cannot be blamed for testing the fruit of heaven rather both Adam and Eve are accountable for mistake done by them.

فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ [9]

“But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and we said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time.”

Muslim women according to the teachings of Quran can enjoy her share in the property of her husband, father, brother and son without having no liability of spending on them.

For this concept Muslim women are required to cover these areas in order to protect their beauty parts from evil intentions and eyes of men. But she is not obligated to cover those body parts in the presence of her mehram including her father, brother, son, husband and father of her husband of Hijab or veil is basically to cover beauty parts of women e.g. hair, neck, and chest .

وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ[10]

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.”

Unlike liberal feministic approach of West, the Muslim women cannot have physical contact of chatting, dining, sittingand loving with the men who are not her mahram by Law.

View of Women liberation and Modernity in West:

During recent decades, there are many issues raised by liberal lobby about women rights in Islam. Even the entire Islamic system of faith is under the subject offrenzied debate across the world. Among all other lobby group working against the teachings of Islam theleading enabled cause in this continue  war is media propaganda and hype.Muslims are labeled as rigid and backward in mostly media discussion, talk shows and even in dramas, and movies as well. Even Muslim feminists encourage such propaganda of media such as an Egyptian feminist Dr. Nawal Saadawi has mentioned in her statement that he most conservative rudiments regarding women can be set up first by Jews then in Christianity and then in the Islam, "all religions are rigid and conservative because they stanch from identical rigidity based societies. Additionally according to feminists wearing head scarf by women or veil is not only an Islamic observance but a prehistoric cultural tradition in other theologies and religions".[11] Such feminists are giving their personal interpretation about Islam especially on the negative view of Islam especially regarding the women whose rights are highly regarded and respected in Islam.

Upon view of such so called Muslim liberal feminists, it is sufficient to state the legal restriction of wearing head scarf and veil for Muslim girls and women in school, colleges and universities by the Minister of Education in France. One such young Muslim girl in a school wearing a head scarf denied this order of taking off the hijab based on the fact that taking education is her right in France; if it is not her right then a Christian student with a cross or a Jewish student with a skullcap should also be expelled on the same reason. Both examples are two sides of one coin to liberty of women for the use of entertainment and sexual desires.  The poor Muslim girl received no help from any channel even failed to have little sympathy from any social activists’ group either inside or outside France.[12]

Liberation of women in west indicates the same rights of men and women free of gender and physical capacity. For liberal communities woman gender all over the world in enslaved and must be liberated from social, religious, political, and traditional restrictions. Different calls and attempts have been made for raising voice for the freedom, liberation and equal rights of women all over the world, and many catchphrases have been collected for the marches. If such movements and attempts for freedom and liberty of women spread all over the world with exceed limit, will lead to destructive, indecent, uncivilized and criminal picture of the world in future.[13]

Women in historical oppression of civilizations:

Historical facts identify that woman in all stages of human history except Islam has a miserable and degraded status in society. Women gender had been treated like chattels to be sold in markets deprived of all the rights of ownership, inheritance even in some cases right of life as well. Woman is regarded as a personification of sin andcalamity in family and society.

The Greek mythology has entitledwoman as source of human tribulations and misfortunes with an imaginary woman called Pandora which is same like the Eve of Jewish mythology. In Romancivilization almost similar to Greeks has a devilish notion about women. In Roman’s civilization and social traditions man was recognized as the rulerand lawmaker entity of the family unit.So man as father, husband, and son must possessed complete influence and power over all members of his family that if he is not satisfied with his wife by any means he could take her life. Family policy and rules of marriage and divorce were even worse for women in Roman society. Women in Roman society used to take several husbands one after the other. When the public and social morality became scrawny, the flood of sexual violence, nakedness and promiscuity rupture upon Roman so much that and prostitution became so widespread and popular as a social institution that Caesar Tiberius (14 A.D. - 37 A.D.) had to put into effect a law segregation of  women from the Roman graciousness in adopting prostitution.[14]

In Christianity the status of women is even worse than Greeks and Roman. According to the basic doctrine followed by Christians today woman is the symbol of transgression and personification of all evil. According to the view of Tertullian (A.D. 150) who was an early Father of the Christian Church woman opens the door to satanic temptations which can lead man to sin such as Adam was led to forbidden tree and broke the law of God. The view of Christian doctrine did not onlycollapsed the status of woman from morality but also from social integral status as well. Their views were not different from Greeks and Romans as degraded entity of society. In Hindu civilization women have no right of life after her husband’s death. In some cases wife had been burnt along with her husband.[15]

Historical facts testify that when communities tremble off barbarism and proceed towards the civilization, its womenfollow social status accordingly. From Greek to Christian civilization the status of women were not more than cattle, tool of physical entertainment and a useless entity in family and society.Now the question is from where women can get their respectable statue and rights? Answer to this question is only teachings of Islam and Islamic social system which protects women integrity in such a way that gives her a complete noble status in society.

Gender Justice in Quran and Islam:

Islam is the only social system which provides equitable rights and choices for both men and women as an entity of society in every walk of life. Islam not only emphasizes on the value of individual human rights of both genders, but also on their firm duties as well.

Within the social domain other than five religious beliefs and worships, social rights and roles are grounded on mutual respect and cooperation of both men and women’s role and responsibilities. Both parties mustcare for others rights and roles with decorum and admiration especially in family unit where husband and wife are key components; both have their own roles and responsibilities.[16]

Quran as fundamental source of Islam clearly demonstrates equal treatment of men and women in creation, beliefs, practices, reward and punishment. Following are the examples from the Quran which refer to the people irrespective of male and female.

يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ[17]

“O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female, and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلًا خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ فَلَمَّا أَثْقَلَتْ دَعَوَا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ آتَيْتَنَا صَالِحًا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ [18]

“It is He who created you from a single person and made his mate of like nature in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are united she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed). When she grows heavy they both pray to Allah their Lord (saying): If you give us a goodly child we vow we shall (ever) be grateful."

وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا[19]

“Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he/she male or female: you are members of one another …. If anyone do (sic) deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them)”

لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ نَصِيبًا مَفْرُوضًا[20]

“From what is left by parents and those nearest related, there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large – a determinate share)”

According to Qur’an it is clear that the “sole basis for superiority of any person over another is piety and righteousness, not gender, color, or nationality”.[21]

Interestingly basic human life right which has already acknowledged and recommended by Islam 1,400 years ago, is reverberated by Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948-1998), this article states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.[22] All mentioned points stated in the Qur’an clarify the whole discussion of the paper that the family institution is the foundational stone of any social life, so it must be protected, preserved, and honored. Islamic system of social life men and women are two different pillars having their own roles and rights within prescribed domain of Islamic Shariah which facilitates the both genders in order to protect social system from calamities and moral corruption. [23]

Findings:

Keeping in view the whole discussion following are the findings of research.

·        Modern social activists through media present Islam’s view about woman

as a figure whose oppression is only linked to her sexuality through so-called liberalism. Those who are convinced by such modern values regard woman‘s status in Islam as inferior on the basis of several issues including; guardianship in marriage, polygamy, divorce right but among them the highlighted issues are liberation of women and their equal rights like men.

·        The most liberal movement in current times which has challenged the social structure and altering the total foundations of human relationships is Feminism, known for Women’s Liberation. 

·        Feminism was the consequence of the movement for the eradication of slavery. Successful results of such movements made it easy for women who were part of these movements to raise voice for political power of women.

·        The worst extreme of feminism is legalization of lesbianism which is female homosexuality considered as a road to freedom from oppression by men.

·        Islam and feminism are two different intellectual way of life that impact the lives of women especially in Muslim societies of the contemporary world. Both have brought changes in life of women but with different approaches and objectives with different consequences.

·        Islam is the only religion that truly cares about the well-being of women in such a respectable way that no other system or religion can guarantee it. It dignifies their character and honors them with a reference that illustrates all their rights as well as obligations since the inseparability of both genders.

·        Islam is the only social system which provides equitable rights and choices for both men and women as an entity of society in every walk of life. Islam not only emphasizes on the value of individual human rights of both genders, but also on their firm duties as well.

Conclusion:

As human being living in a materialistic world we all are gradually headed away from the Way of Nature towards unnatural paths that are inevitably leading to the annihilation of the human race and civilization. The liberal and enlightened social model proposed and promoted by the feminists with no cultural or social distinction between the men and women, a society without marriage, home and family has no value, where modesty, chastity and motherhood are vanished, cannot give a progressed or liberal  but degraded and uncivilized social structure at its worst.[24]

Within the Islamic domain of social structure, Islam has protected Muslim women by assigning responsibility of breadwinning husbands who provide adequately and consistently for their dependents, a category that includes wives and children. A Muslim husband is the decisive authority within his home but does not act in a tyrannical approach in decision-making, and it is his greater rationality that prevents the family from the easy dissolution that would occur if women were given uncontrolled freedom and liberty in family life and social behavior. Islam is the only religion that truly cares about the well-being of women in such a respectable way that no other system or religion can guarantee it. It dignifies their character and honors them with a reference that illustrates all their rights as well as obligations since the inseparability of both is logical and also clear in Islamic teachings. This ideal representation of Muslim family life cannot be equal compared fairly to the most horrible abuses found in liberal Western society Therefore Islam acknowledges, preserves and protects the rights and roles of both men women for a peaceful family environment and productive, progressive and conflict free society.

References

1.       Barnard & Goody, “Research Practices in the Study of Kinship”. London, 1984.

2.       Engineer. Asghar Ali, “Islam, Women and Gender Justice”. Pakistan (2000).

3.       Lokhandwala, S. T. 1987. Position of women under Islam. Delhi: n.p.Maqdisi,

Allama. n.d. Kitabul- Mughni.

4.       Judith Hole and Ellen Levine, The Rebirth of Feminism, The New York Times, New York, 1971, pp. 228.

5.       Joanne Cooke and Charlotte Bunch-Weeks, The New Woman: A Motive Anthology on Women’s Liberation, edited by, New York, 1970. pp. 79-81.

6.       C. Mohanty, “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourse,” Feminist Review 39, no. Autumn (1988): 61–88; M. Lazreg, The Eloquence of Silence: Algerian Women in Question (New York: Routledge, 1994).

7.       A. Wadud, Qur’an and Woman; A. Wadud, Inside the Gender Jihad: Women’s Reform in Islam, (Oxford: One world, 2006).

8.       Qur'an 49:14

9.       Qur'an 2:36

10.    Qur'an 24:31

11.    Mernissi, Fatima. 1991. Women in Islam—A Historical and Theological inquiry. Translated by Mary Jo Lakeland. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd.

12.    Toronto Star issue of July 3, 1990 an article titled "Islam is not alone in patriarchal doctrines", by Gwynne Dyer.

13.    Humm, Maggie, “Dictionary of Feminist Theories”, California University Press, 2002.

14.    Howard, Roy J. „Three Faces of Hermeneutics: An Introduction to Current Theories of Understanding“. University of California Press,Ltd., Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1982

15.    Ibid

16.    Al-Qaradawi, Yusuf. 1994. The lawful and prohibited in Islam. Plainfield, American Trust Publication.

17.    Al-Quran,49:13

18.    Al-Quran, 7:189.

19.    Al-Quran, 4:124.

20.    Al-Qur’an, 4:7

21.    Badawi, J. (1995). Gender equity in Islam: Basic principles. Plainfield, IN: American Trust Publications.

22.    Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (1948-1998). Retrieved May 2nd, 2005, from http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html.

23.    Al-Aqqad, Abbas Mahmud. 1959. Women in the Quran. Cairo: Darul Halal.

24.    Mernissi, Fatima, „Women and Islam: A Historical and Theological Enquiry “London: Blackwell; Oxford, 1991