The first woman was created from the rib of a man. She was not made from his head to top him, nor from his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal to him. – Anonymous
For far too many years, America has grappled with the injustice of inequality burdened upon generation after generation of young women. Surprisingly, it has only been 91 years since women gained the right to vote and only 46 years since legislation was enacted guaranteeing that the same rights, freedoms and liberties bestowed upon American males would be equally accessible to women. We now have powerful, well deserving women in every branch of government, at every level from federal to county, throughout our community and culture, and hopefully soon, even in the White House. Alas, though we have made monumental gains in a relatively short period of time, all is not well, for though we as a country continue to strive to make the American dream accessible for more Americans, there is a coming entity (some call it political, while others refer to it as religious) in the community that seeks to undermine our gains and return women to a role of subservience and second class citizenry. It’s called Sharia law.
Many of you heard only fleeting snippets about Sharia law during the portions of the trial concerning the building of a mosque, which will openly teach Sharia, a basic tenet of many sects of Islam. A lot of what was discussed focused on international and security concerns, so for this discussion, we will focus only on Sharia as it applies to gender issues. When U.S. Rep. Howard Smith proposed adding sex discrimination to the Civil Rights legislation being proposed by President Johnson in 1964, many in the House chambers laughed out loud. As ludicrous as discussing rights for African Americans seemed to be at the time, they were now being asked to extend those same protections to women as well. Today, though not nirvana, we as a community and as a country have achieved tremendous strides in the field of equality. Therefore, it stands to reason why many would be alarmed by the sudden emerging discussion of Sharia law, which by most accounts restricts the role of women in the home, in the workplace and in society. How, you may ask, does Sharia law accomplish this?
Remember the name Amina Lawal. Ms. Lawal was sentenced to death by a Sharia Court in Northern Nigeria. In accordance with her sentence, within weeks she is scheduled to be buried up to her neck and then stoned to death. Her crime? She became pregnant out of wedlock. Under Sharia, this type of sentence is common. (Her boyfriend was never prosecuted or arrested.) Other Sharia laws (which may vary by location): a woman cannot drive an automobile; she may not walk down the street unaccompanied, and when she does walk with a male, she must walk three paces behind the male; during the sweltering days of August, women are required to cover themselves from head to toe, with only their eyes and bridge of nose visible.
At the proposed mosque, the topic of so much recent controversy, women will be segregated from men during prayer services. During their monthly menstrual cycles, women are prohibitively barred from mosque grounds, the cemetery and from participating in any burial rituals or attending any services, as they are now at the current mosque on Samsonite Boulevard. In other words, if a Muslim woman dies, her daughter, if she is in her menstrual cycle, cannot attend her own mother’s burial and cannot assist in the washing of the body, a sacred rite of burial in Muslim culture, because she is considered “unclean.” In Sharia courts, a testimony from a man is equal to the testimony of four women. Consider this for a moment: if a woman is raped, she must have four male witnesses testify to the alleged rape or the woman, under Sharia, will receive 80 lashes with the whip.
Even Muslim groups are concerned with the severity of Sharia law. According to Zainah Anwar of Malaysian advocacy group Sisters in Islam, this law was intended originally to protect a woman’s reputation against slander, but it is being distorted.
“What was particularly outrageous in the law was that a woman who reports she has been raped will be charged for slanderous accusation and flogged 80 lashes if she is unable to prove the rape,” she says.
The list of treatment differences of women under Sharia is quite extensive, but by now you probably get the picture; women are treated significantly different and quite unfairly.
If it were Christian Identity, a white supremacist group with very radical racist views, wanting to build a sanctuary and compound on Bradyville Pike, many in the community would—hopefully in a loud voice—proclaim that this group and their racist views are not tolerated, wanted or welcome in this community; yet we stand eerily silent as this entity, regardless of whether it’s political, religious or secular in nature, with a known history and ideology that denigrates women, is welcomed with little discussion of their practices or consideration of whether or not their inclusion into local culture could irreparably turn back the historical clock on the monumental achievements made by women in recent years. Future generations of Rutherford Countians, both men and women, cry out that we begin this discussion now, and in earnest about the preservation of the rights, liberties and freedoms of all humankind in this great land we call America.
Kevin Fisher
kevinfishertennessee@yahoo.com
Consider the source of this article and do your own research. Is it really true that all Muslims believe the way that prison guard Kevin Fisher says they do?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgQNOg5PpiA
Comment January 8, 2011 @ 4:24 pm
As a Muslim woman, I’m always pleased to learn from non-Muslims all the ways I am being oppressed without even knowing it. It’s very eye-opening to learn about all these things I have NEVER EXPERIENCED. Tell me, Mr. Fisher, have you ever checked any non-fiction sources for information about Islam?
Comment January 8, 2011 @ 4:37 pm
Dear Mr. Fisher,
There are two different points at issue here. One is women’s rights and the other is freedom of religion.
Concerning women’s rights, yes, even the Muslim community is concerned with this issue, and yes, women’s rights in this country are still relatively new and an ongoing battle. It is not just the Qu’ran that restricts women’s rights. The Bible and Jewish law also place women under the control of men. The difference is that, culturally, most Americans have changed their views of the equality between men and women. The passages in the Bible have not changed, nor have Jewish scriptures changed. WE have changed, and with these changes we have CHOSEN to place more emphasis on the scriptures that emphasize respect for women, rather than focusing on the ones that subjugate them. The Qu’ran has many verses that emphasize respect for women, as well as verses that subjugate them. Islamic communities are just now beginning to struggle with the same shift in gender values that we have been struggling with for more than two centuries. This is one issue.
A second, and completely separate, issue is that of religious freedom. Yes, there would be protest and discussion of a white supremacist church being built in the community, but there would NEVER have been a court case trying to stop them from building their church. As long as they did not behave in ways that threatened the community, they would be allowed to gather and talk about whatever they believe in. In fact, they DO gather and rally and have marches. When I was a kid, those marches used to be televised, cross burnings and all. They haven’t been outlawed. It’s just that fewer people give such groups any credibility – in part because they were allowed to openly show their true beliefs.
You express concern that there has been little discussion about the beliefs of the Islamic community. This is a concern that we both share. There has been much focus on certain passages in the Qu’ran and complete silence on others. There has been much focus on the behavior of extremist Islamic cultures OUTSIDE of the U.S. and little focus on the behavior of the Islamic community IN MURFREESBORO. Words are not beliefs until they are put into practice. Has there been a single honor killing within the Islamic community in Murfreesboro in the 30 years they have lived here? No.Do they bar their daughters from getting education, including college education? No. I have taught countless Islamic young women from Murfreesboro who are going to college and getting and education. I have talked to their husbands and fathers and brothers who are staunch supporters of their education and want my advice on how to help the women in their families be successful.
You’re right, there has not been nearly enough DISCUSSION about the Islamic reality in AMERICA – only accusations and examples from OTHER countries. Keep in mind, the Muslims who came here, came here to GET AWAY from those very practices you accuse them of believing in. WHen asked why they chose to come to America, they always say “freedom” as their first response and the “education for all of my children” second.
Should we be concerned about extremist Islamic groups because of their treatment of women? Yes. But the same can be said of certain fundamentalist Christian groups, too. THAT is a human rights issue, not a religious freedom issue. Let’s not confuse the two issues – we stand to lose far too much if we do.
Comment January 8, 2011 @ 5:10 pm
Dear Mr Fisher,
I remember Amina Lawal’s case as it was going on many years ago, and you will be happy to know that she won her appeals and was set free! She will NOT be stoned to death in the upcoming weeks.
http://articles.cnn.com/2003-09-25/world/nigeria.stoning_1_amina-lawal-hauwa-ibrahim-shariah-law?_s=PM%3AWORLD
Furthermore, you should know that there is a slight difference between Shariah and Shariah Law. Shariah is a set of principals and protections derived from the Qur’an which include the rights to protect life, mental health, freedom of religion (including the freedom not to believe) and the family. Shariah Law is a combining of Sharia and human’s interpretation of it, and unfortunately humans don’t always interpret things very well. Stonings and other oppressive laws were already in place in societies where Islam moved in, and were written into Shariah Law despite the fact that they aren’t actually Shariah compliant. Saying that an existing Shariah Law isn’t Shariah compliant is EXACTLY the same as saying that an existing American Law is un-Constitutional. In the movie about the comprehensive Gallup Poll of Muslims world wide, Dalia Mogahed does an excellent job of explaining how Muslim women are using Shariah to get the bad Shariah Laws thrown out. They are saying to the courts, “We want our laws to be Shariah compliant” rather than saying, “We don’t want Shariah Laws.” Muslim women are USING Shariah to gain their rights. I highly recommend that you watch the movie, here is the link.
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/inside_islam_what_a_billion_muslims_really_think/
Thank you,
Amy Stewart
Comment January 8, 2011 @ 7:56 pm
“During their monthly menstrual cycles, women are prohibitively barred from mosque grounds, the cemetery and from participating in any burial rituals or attending any services, as they are now at the current mosque on Samsonite Boulevard. In other words, if a Muslim woman dies, her daughter, if she is in her menstrual cycle, cannot attend her own mother’s burial and cannot assist in the washing of the body, a sacred rite of burial in Muslim culture, because she is considered “unclean.””
This belief is not exclusive to Muslims. Orthodox Jews and some Native American religions also don’t allow menstruating women into Temple or other sacred places, in fact this is a religious and cultural tradition that pre-dates the religion of Islam by several thousand years and spans many cultures.
Comment January 8, 2011 @ 10:23 pm
I would question how much of Mr. Fisher’s “concern” about Muslim women has to do with the fact that his ex-wife converted to Islam.
What is really driving you, Fisher?
Comment January 9, 2011 @ 4:03 pm
The bigger question is WHAT IS REALLY DRIVING YOU, Eric Bell? For someone who talks about being no biased you sure do like to stir things up.
Comment January 10, 2011 @ 9:31 am
Please get your facts straight before spreading lies about Islam. Go do some research before giving your made-up information.
Comment January 12, 2011 @ 8:58 am
Eric Allen Bell has an agenda from his new age perspective and a money perspective to sell a documentary – he is all encompassing of all religions except Christianity- he has New age web sitehttp://www.globalone.tv and writes anti Christian articles and claims to be all embracing. Now he resorts to name calling and being narrow minded the same judgment he claims to fight
Comment January 13, 2011 @ 9:44 am
This might explain why Eric Bell dislikes Christians so much – by his own account he became born again at Age 14.
http://enlightenmentdotcom.ning.com/profiles/blogs/i-am-the-resurrection
So with that, he is apparently angry with God and so he takes it out on Christians.
Comment January 13, 2011 @ 10:13 am
In response to the above post – I most certainly do not dislike Christians. There are many paths to God.
Comment January 24, 2011 @ 12:52 pm
I was surprised to see a black man was intolerant of the Mosque. In saying that, my friend said I was racist. why would me being surprised, since prejudice was, even in the 70’s in the south so prevalent. I have no problem with him protesting but really am I the only one to think it was odd to see a black man?
Comment March 28, 2011 @ 2:46 pm