Posted on 02/06/2003 4:22:21 PM PST by chance33_98
Open letter to West & Westerners
By Dr. Ibtissam Al-Bassam
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a Muslim woman from Saudi Arabia. I practice Islam, a religion of peace, goodwill and good faith. Islam teaches its followers to respect Virgin Mary, peace be upon her, to believe in the Torah and in the Bible and to respect Jesus and Moses, peace be upon them, and to believe in the messages they brought to the world. My religion teaches me to believe in all the prophets that came before Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. God’s revelation as a whole throughout the ages is the Book. The Law of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus are portions of the Book. The Qur’an completes the revelation and is the Book of God. God’s revelations being continuous, all people are invited (not forced) to accept its completion in Islam. My religion teaches me that killing one person is the same as killing all humanity and saving one life is the same as saving all humanity. It tells me that God created us as nations and tribes so that we could learn to know each other, that men and women are equal before Almighty Allah (Allah is Arabic for the same God that Muslims, Christians and Jews worship). It tells me to be kind and generous to my neighbors, to protect and assist them, regardless of their race, faith or nationality. Islam has taught me to respect you, to be your friend, to work with you, to eat with you, to help you when you need help, to respect your faith, your values and your culture. And that is precisely what I have been doing and will continue to do, in keeping with the tenets of Islam.
I know your Western culture and I respect it. I lived in some of your countries. I studied in your schools and colleges and earned postgraduate degrees in your universities. I have visited your places of worship. I send you greetings and best wishes on your holidays. I celebrate with you your happy occasions. I pray for you when you are sick and I mourn with you when you are bereaved. I have a pool of Muslim and non-Muslim friends (Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist) whom I cherish. Many of my friendships have lasted more than two decades.
I have worked and taught at women’s colleges in Saudi Arabia. I headed a large, successful Saudi educational institution in England where 60 percent of the staff were Western Christians and 40 percent Muslim Arabs. The staff worked together in total harmony, enjoyed friendships based on mutual trust and understanding and taught the students to be proud of their Muslim identity and to respect all faiths and all cultures. They were taught to appreciate and celebrate cultural diversity. I am now an international civil servant. I serve the international community, working and interacting with colleagues of many faiths and cultures.
I am shocked at the present vicious attempts to break up friendships between Arabs and the West and between Muslims and non-Muslims. I am heartbroken at the relentless efforts to plant hatred, discord and suspicion among otherwise peace-loving, friendly peoples. I am hurt by the false accusations leveled at my culture, my people and my religion. I am equally hurt by the ongoing attempts to depict all Muslim men as terrorists and to present most Muslim women (and Saudis in particular) as illiterate, ignorant, helpless creatures, the victims of humiliation, suppression and oppression at the hands of ruthless Muslim men, especially their fathers, brothers and their husbands.
There is a false — yet prevalent — belief in the West that Islam discriminates against women and makes them second-class citizens. This belief blames the high rate of illiteracy among Muslim women on Islamic teachings. A close examination of the Qur’an and Hadith will quickly refute that idea. Islam values knowledge, exalts those who know and orders Muslim men and women to think, reflect, seek education and pursue learning the length of their lives. Islam clearly states that men and women “are each other’s garments”; they are for mutual support, mutual comfort and mutual protection. Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, said that men and women are “siblings”. He compared women to fragile glass and instructed men to treat them with care and kindness. Islam also teaches us that ingratitude to parents is a grave sin. It accords very high status to mothers. Our Prophet, pbuh, told us that respect, gratitude, obedience and assisting mothers will lead to heaven.
Illiteracy among Muslim women was indeed very high in the first half of the 20th century. In the second half of the century, female education grew by leaps and bounds. For example Saudi Arabia, where the first official school for girls did not open until 1966, has made significant strides in wiping out female illiteracy. It has opened schools for girls in all cities and towns. It has established institutes of higher education for women. The fields of teaching and medicine were the first to accept women. More fields are now open to women. Women are an important element in the workforce in most Muslim countries. It is unfair to underestimate the achievements of Muslim women or deny their contributions to society. Any discussion of female illiteracy and Muslim women’s participation in business must be objective, based on accurate data and conducted in the light of the progress made in the last four decades.
Muslim women have hopes, aspirations and ambitions. Because they are born and brought up in a deep-rooted Islamic culture, their ambitions and aspirations are not identical to those of Western women. They are always grateful to anyone who seeks to empower them, to raise their status and to increase their participation and visibility. Yet they are often surprised and upset when a so-called “liberated Muslim woman” living in the West expresses opinions that are not necessarily theirs and also claims that these opinions are shared by “the oppressed, silent majority in the Muslim world.” Muslim women fail to understand why journalists from non-Muslim countries, with no understanding of Muslim culture and of the needs and priorities of Muslim women, condemn their traditions, their way of life and even their dress!
The process of empowering Muslim women should neither be imported nor imposed. It should begin by moves from Muslim women for Muslim women with the support of Muslim men. Any process which ignores the Muslim family structure, seeks to uproot deeply established Islamic values, or attempts to breed discontent, resentment, arrogance and disrespect for Islamic traditions among Muslim women will fail. It will also fail if it ignores the rights that Islam gives to women. For example, we must not forget that Muslim men have no legal claim on the wealth and earnings of their female relatives, whether wives or daughters. Muslim women retain their own names after marriage. Muslim husbands are the breadwinners. They are fully responsible for supporting their families. Many Muslim wives share their financial burdens and they do so out of love and devotion, not because of law or social obligation.
Initiatives to empower and advance women in Muslim countries should focus on removing the veil from the minds of prejudiced men and women, instead of focusing on the veil that covers the hair and bodies of modest Muslim women. The initiatives should target the media that presents Muslim women to the West as slaves mired in the mud of ignorance. It is sad, yet true, that Muslim women who live, study or work outside their countries often experience injustice and discrimination at the hands of prejudiced supervisors and colleagues who believe all they read and see about a world that is geographically and culturally far away.
My dear friends, today’s international, social and political environment is polluted by hostility, suspicion, hatred and a lack of trust. It has been poisoned by ignorance of each other’s culture and religion. There is genuine fear and real danger that the days to come will result in tears and pools of blood. There is fear that the so-called “clash of civilizations,” with all the horrendous consequences, may become reality and engulf the entire world. Many peace lovers — you and I — look at this dismal picture with utter bewilderment, consternation, horror and a sense of helplessness. But are we really helpless?
We are in the third year of the 21st century. We should know enough by now to put an end to needless and senseless violence and bloodshed. Can we not sympathize, empathize and help each other on the basis of common humanity, regardless of sex, race, color or religion? Can we not promote international love, friendship and understanding? Can we not learn to respect and appreciate cultural diversity? Can we not condemn the assassination of cultural identities and declare “cultural cloning” a hideous crime? Men and women across the globe, the time has come for us to join hands and work together for peace and prosperity.
***
Dr. Ibtissam Al-Bassam is academic adviser to assistant director-general for education, UNESCO (Paris). She was formerly the dean of College of Education for Women in Riyadh and King Fahd Academy in London. The views contained in this article are those of Ms. Al-Bassam and do not necessarily represent those of UNESCO
Replace muslim with Christian and it sounds like the leftists in this country.
Well, I could only get to the third sentence of this, before I saw a lie...
Why bother to read further???
FReegards,
Yeah right. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Take a stroll down a street in Saudi Arabia with a crucifix displayed and see how much peace will be upon you. Or better yet, try to bring a Bible into the country. They will be a piece upon you--chambered in 9mm.
Spot on observation.
And the attack on the WTC was a response to what? The crusades occurred in an age one step removed from tribalism. You compare that to modern Islam?
I need to see some Mullahs and Imams renounce Jihad and turn in some of their "FLOCK" because they have information that they are plotting genocide against the innocent civilians of their "host" nations.
Actions speak louder than words.
The problem is you don't see the problem, lady. Where's your moral outrage at what your people have done in the name of Islam? Don't bother preaching to us about how much you love Jesus and respect all people. Tell us what you plan to do about the real problem that you have wraught upon the world.
I bet this is the point where you reveal your real heart and start screaming about alledged atrocities of the West against Islam. They are nothing more than the lies your government forces you to believe in order to mask the true cause of your sufferings: YOURSELVES!
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