Calling all women! Today is International Women’s Day, a day where we celebrate women and their achievements, both from the past and the present. It is a day where women, of all backgrounds, from all over the world, come together to advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. In our opinion, everyday should be women’s day, but hey, we’ll take it.
This year’s theme for the IWD campaign is Generation Equality or #EachforEqual, which inspires people to come together collectively to have a larger impact on society and bring about real change for women.
As stated on the International Women’s Day website, “We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.” Ideally, a gender equal world consists of equality in all aspects of society including in media coverage, workplaces, sports coverage, health, wealth, boardrooms, and the government.
But which stereotypes and biases exactly are being fought in the movement towards women’s equality? The notion of “collective individualism” that inspired the theme suggests that “we are all parts of a whole” and that the actions, behaviors, conversations, and mindsets we have individually impact society at large. That may be true, but we definitely don’t each have an equal piece of the pie.
Women are divided by their race, beliefs, and appearances and are are not all equally judged, treated, or respected because of the very real discrimination and racism that exists in America, and elsewhere for that matter. As a result, female minorities usually get the smaller pieces of the pie. Even on the International Women’s Day website, not one visibly Muslim woman was included in the “diverse” photographs showing women striking the #EachforEqualPose. That says a lot about the importance of including Muslim women in the discussion of women’s rights and equality. Is it because they don’t think Muslimahs are essential to helping economies and businesses thrive? Do we not play a part in the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women? These are just a few of the questions we have for why an entire group of women weren’t represented in a movement claiming to be for all women. In reality, any progress that is made in the efforts towards greater female empowerment is not spread evenly or “collectively” to all parts of the whole, even if it is a joint effort in making those achievements possible.
but it’s not Islam in and of itself that is causing that oppression. The patriarchal Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures and the stereotypes we are subjected to every day are what really subjugate and oppress us.
With the increase in Islamophobia, Muslim women, especially those that wear the hijab, are constantly judged, criticized, targeted, and seen as the “other.” We deal with stereotypes on the daily, which only widen the divide between us and other women. Most commonly, Muslim women are disregarded as “oppressed manservants” who are not allowed to work, have an education, drive a car, etc. Yes, that may be the case for some, but it’s not Islam in and of itself that is causing that oppression. The patriarchal Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures, and the stereotypes we are subjected to every day are what really subjugate and oppress us. Many American Muslim women are either outrightly denied positions due to their hijab or are told they need to remove their hijab in order to work.
A Muslim woman should not be presumed incapable, weak, vulnerable or oppressed simply because of her faith or because she wears the veil. Wearing the hijab is an empowering milestone for Muslim women, and something we should feel proud of, not afraid of. Yet, that religious right is being taken away from us by the ignorance and hatred of others. This places immense burdens and pressures on Muslim women to withdraw from parts of their faith and religious practices in order to avoid being rejected or worse, attacked. It infringes on our rights as American citizens to live freely and openly express ourselves in the way we want.
As a Muslim community, it is our job to educate others and shed light on our truth. Islam was the first religion to give women rights, starting in the time of Khadijah (RAH). The Prophet’s first wife was a very successful businesswoman that traded goods from Mecca to Syria and Yemen. She stood her ground in a male-dominated space in a time when girls were buried alive for the simple “crime” of being born. She was breaking the glass ceiling before the glass ceiling even existed.
Khadijah (RAH) was brave, resilient and hard-working. She was one of few who believed in the Prophet (SAW) and stood by his side as he fought to spread the message of Islam. She even did the unthinkable, something that is still very rarely done to this day–she asked the prophet to marry her after she employed him in her trade business. She turned down many marriage proposals from wealthy, well-known men when marriages were seen more or less as business transactions and just a means of survival. So, for her to marry her employee, and a man she had fallen in love with, was unheard of and went against every standard and norm at the time. This shows just how strong women are supposed to be in Islam. Khadijah’s (RAH) story is meant to be one of inspiration and love.
Khadijah (RAH) and Aisha (RAH) are role models for us and our daughters who prove women can be leaders and do not need to shrink themselves for a man.
At last Friday’s prayer, the sheikh mentioned a story about Aisha (RAH), the third wife of the Prophet (SAW). Aisha (RUH) had jokingly asked the Prophet (SAW) why he always spoke so highly of Khadijah (RAH) in front of her and others. He took a moment to collect his emotions, and calmly responded that she stood by him when nobody else would. The Prophet (SAW) of our religion revered his first wife for believing in him and giving him the strength to spread Islam. Aisha (RAH) also helped Prophet Muhammad (SAW) lead society in both religious and political matters since she was the closest witness of the revelations the he received. Their stories teach generations about the true value of women and encourage men to see women not as a challenge or a threat, but as a source of strength. Khadijah (RAH) and Aisha (RAH) are role models for us and our daughters, who prove women can be leaders and do not need to shrink themselves for a man.
Another important moment in Islamic history is when Nusayba, a follower of Islam, asked Prophet Muhammad (SAW) “Why does God only address men (in the Quran)?” Soon after this exchange, the Prophet received a revelation in Chapter 33, Verse 35 that mentions women can attain every quality to which men have access. The verse also conclusively settled that women stand on the same spiritual level as men.
But yet, somehow, with time, the culture of the Middle East seeped its way back and wore the mask of religion. A patriarchal society took away women’s education, her ambition for a career, and instead taught future generations that a woman is meant solely for child bearing and household chores. By not having access to education, women could not read the Quran to see that Islam specifically highlights their rights, and ability to work, drive, be educated, and live their lives to their fullest God-given capacity.
Because of these cultural manefestations-turned-stereotypes Muslim women have had to constantly prove themselves–as worthy, capable, strong, smart, and free. But they’ve done more than just prove themselves. Women like Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first U.S. athlete to compete in the Olympics in a hijab; Nura Afia, the first veiled CoverGirl ambassador; Noor Tagouri, the first woman in hijab to be featured in Playboy; Halima Aden, the first contestant to wear a hijab and burkini in the Miss Minnesota USA competition, and the first visibly Muslim woman to be futured on the covers of Allure, British Vogue, and Vogue Arabia; and Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim women to be elected into Congress, they’ve made history, and will continue to make history and break more barriers than anyone thinks possible.
But why? Why does their religious affiliation automatically deem them threatening and incapable of representing their countries and working positively towards the nation’s betterment.
These achievments should be celebrated for the positive impact they are having in society by uplifting the voices of Muslim women and increasing their represenation in areas they were a part of before. However, it seems like every achievement is met with some sort of backlash, criticism, or negative remarks to taint the achievement because having Muslim women live and be represented as equals is somehow threatening to society. We end up having to prove ourselves even more and rebreak the barriers that have already been shattered by leading women before us, like Khadijah and Nusayba, along with the modern day history makers we listed earlier.
For example, in 2018, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar were elected to Congress as the first ever Muslim American women to serve. This sent ripples throughout the country. But why? Why does their religious affiliation automatically deem them threatening and incapable of representing their countries and working positively towards the nation’s betterment. Whereas other women in Congress like Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren or even Hilary Clinton in her running for president haven’t received nearly as much backlash for even acts of corruption. However, Omar and Tlaib were subject to calls for impeachment for statements that were taken out of context, and their intentions are under constant question because of their religion.
As soon as these women were elected to the House, the internet was flooded with a variety of negative messages directed at these women from comments about how they would never be allowed to have a voice in their own country to tweets dubbing them as terrorists and jihadists trying to impose Islamic law in America. During a session, Rashida Tlaib read a death threat she received, tearfully to her colleagues, “A good muslim is a dead one.” Ironically, this comment, as Tlaib said, should fall under domestic terrorism since she is being targeted specifically for her faith. On the other hand, Ilhan Omar faced serious backlash for being “anti-semetic” for remarks she made that unintentionally perpetuated the stereotypes of Jews. So, let’s face it, the real issue is with who is speaking and not with what is being said.
We need to be each other’s cheerleaders and make noise with each and every victory so that our voices are unmistakably heard and our faces undeniably seen. Collectively, we can break through barriers and unapologetically fill the spaces we are so often ignored and underrepresented in.
Women as a whole can and should not be bystanders to such outright ostracization and discrimination. We need to make sure female minorities, especially veiled Muslim women, are being considered fairly for job positions like their white female counterparts. We have to make sure they are sharing stages, and are being seen, heard, and properly represented in the news, in media, entertainment, and in all fields, institutions, and aspects of our society. We must support and promote equality for women of all races and backgrounds.
Let’s start first with the community of Muslim women. We cannot expect others to support us if we cannot support each other. We should be allies to one another and lift each other up regardless of if or how the hijab is worn, regardless of which culture or sect we are a part of. We need to hold the ladder up for one another instead of knocking each other down in a race to the top. We need to be each other’s cheerleaders and make noise with each and every victory so that our voices are unmistakably heard and our faces undeniably seen. Collectively, we can break through barriers and unapologetically fill the spaces we are so often ignored and underrepresented in.
Only when we challenge our stereotypes, fight our bias, broaden our perceptions, improve our situations and celebrate our achievements and right to exist as equals to any other woman in society can we cooperatively work towards the broader effort of attaining gender equality.
We are strong, capable, and just as worthy as any other woman. Let’s continue to flex our strength and be just as resilient and empowered as ever in our movement for #MuslimahsforEquals and #FemaleMinoritiesforEquals.
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