Asra Nomani, the unmarried mother who wants to pray among men!
Written by Haitham Sabbah on 10. June 2005, 2034hrs // Part of Haitham Sabbah's adventure in Failures, Good News, Human Rights, USA // Other posts by Haitham Sabbah
Isra (intentional typo) Nomani helped organize the first time in centuries mixed-gender prayer service, led by Amina Wadud. She is advocating the Muslim woman’s rights to lead and give the khutba , or sermon, to men at mosques.
Nomani led mixed-gender prayers Brandeis University outside Boston. Two weeks later, in Tuscany, a woman applied to be the first female imam of her mosque.
So, who is Nomani, and why is she hated/supported by different groups?
Quoted from The Washington Post, please meet, Asra Nomani, Muslim, frustrated, unwed mother!
Nomani says. Dinner parties became segregated affairs, with the men hanging out in comfortable lounges and the women confined to cramped studio apartments.
She wasn’t allowed to date or go to high school dances. But she ran cross-country, and in school she was encouraged by her teachers to think and to speak out.
Staying at home, at her parents’ request, to study at West Virginia University and then leaving home to pursue a graduate degree at American University. When she was 27, she left her longtime love, an American who offered to convert to Islam, to marry a Pakistani who lived in Washington. They wed in a traditional Muslim ceremony that took place over days in Pakistan. The marriage lasted three months. It was shortly after her divorce, in 1993, that she met Danny Pearl.
Indeed, she says, she started her crusade because of Pearl.
In January 2002, Pearl was investigating links to al Qaeda in Pakistan, where Nomani was covering the war on terror for Salon. There, she’d fallen in love with a young Pakistani man. Pearl came to visit Nomani at her rented house in Karachi, bringing along his pregnant wife, Mariane. They hung out, listening to music and talking into the wee hours. The next day, Pearl left for an interview. He never came back.
Three weeks after his disappearance, Nomani discovered she was pregnant. Her beau had already abandoned her. So there she was, single and pregnant. Shortly afterward, she found out that Pearl had been murdered by terrorists, forced to declare “I am a Jew” on videotape before he was beheaded.
She returned home to her parents’ embrace. On Oct. 16, 2002, nine months after Pearl’s disappearance, she gave birth to her son. She named him Shibli Daneel Nomani.
Nomani is not wearing a head scarf today, something she says irritates the powers that be here. (It should be noted that she is wearing a delicate white head scarf on the cover of her latest book, “Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam.”) She does, however, cover her head by yanking her fuchsia hoodie over her hair, as she does whenever she enters the mosque.
She’ll get kicked out of a mosque in Seattle. An older woman will grab her by the arm and try to drag her out of a Los Angeles mosque. She’ll be escorted out of a mosque in New York. She’ll kneel outside, on the sidewalk.
“I feel like I’m doing my heart’s work,” Nomani says. “I think it’s incumbent on Muslims with intellect, hope and love in our hearts . . . to go into the houses of worship and really try to transform the Muslim house from within. We have to take on this machine of extremism that’s trying to take over the world.”
It was two days after she appeared on “Nightline” talking about her fight to change her mosque that the death threats began. The first call came on her cell phone. The caller left a message, in Urdu: “If you want to stay alive, keep your mouth shut.” Otherwise, he said, he would “slaughter” her.
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June 10th, 2005 at 2:46 pm
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June 13th, 2005 at 10:01 pm
This lady doesnt care about women’s rights. What is interesting is that most of the material I have seen about her in the American papers say that she is a loner and has little or no support amoungst the women in the local community.
She doesnt want to “reform” Islam, it would seem she wants to change it all together. One of the points she tacked onto a door at a mosque was that Muslim women should have the right to freely express their sexuality. Sure, I agree, within the confines of marriage. The fact that she has had a child out of wedlock yet sees nothing wrong with that means that she will never be taken serious by the wider Muslim community. People like her, and Irshad Manjani, dont seek to reform anything, they seek to remake it into something new. I have nothing against reform, but I am completely against changing the religion. Acceptance of sex outside of marriage(Manjani and Nomani) and acceptance of homosexuality(Manjani) are beyond the bounds of Islam not to mention Judaism and traditional Christianity.
I have issues with some practices that are taking hold today. I pray at two different mosques local. In one the women pray in a second floor room away from the men. The Imam and Khateeb are seen on a TV screen. I have a couple of issues with this. First, the second story room is not accessable to handicapped people, hence my handicapped mother cannot attend prayers. Second the room seems not to be taken care of well. There are complaints of the odor of the place ect. I, personally, do not see a need for women to have to pray in a seperate room.
The second mosque women pray behind the men seperated only by a small, three foot high latice barrier. I like this better. There are gives and takes either way. I like the community better at the first one. At the end of the day I can choose to pray at either one. If I want to make changes I can lobby the committies at both for such changes. These committees are elected by the people. It is democracy at its finest.
It Nomani or Manjani do not like the way things are going at their local mosque, I suggest they put together their own mosque. The success or failure will ride directly upon the support amoungst the local community for such changes(innovations). I would think they will have little luck.
June 13th, 2005 at 10:39 pm
I agree with you. But my take is over “my mosque” concept. Unlike the west, mosques in the Islamic world and in the Arab world in particular are mostly taken care directly by the government. This keeps some uniformity in the way things are managed some way or the other.
However, wherever I read about mosques in the west, the “my mosque” concept floats on the top and sounds like “my church.” Of course I have no take on the churches and how they are run, they are free to handle it the way they see, but when it comes to mosques, although they all are “houses of god”, they are managed as a “closed share holding company.” This the difference between mosques in Arab world and the west.
So, looking back on the western side of the story, and keeping in mind the diversity of people attending prayers in these place, it is impossible to satisfy everyone. That’s why you see and feel the difference.
In most of the mosques I entered through out my life, the woman section is in a form of a balcony were they can see and hear just like men in the ground floor.
Back to Nomani, as I said before, she is no more than a propaganda tool.
June 20th, 2005 at 10:10 am
Haitham,
I agree with you, and with Abu Sinan.
The diversity in the west gives the chance for weired people, with different agendas to raise strange ideas !!
I see she has a problem.
June 26th, 2005 at 2:03 am
I agree partly with Abu Sinan. But wasn’t the idea for the head scarf for protecting the woman’s dignity as to prevent men becoming aroused by the presence of a beautiful woman? Aren’t we past the ability to control our base nature’s, so shouldn’t the headscarf be abolished? Besides the segregation of women and men was meant for the same reason and to allow men and women to pray without any distractions. I mean who ever heard of becoming aroused in a holy scantuary like a mosque??!!
June 26th, 2005 at 10:13 am
Look out for my new post about Hijab (The veil).
June 27th, 2005 at 5:12 pm
Asra Nomani is no Muslim. She seeks nothing more than publicity. She has a child out of wedlock, and instead of realisign the mistake, she decides she wants to change the religion to make out of marriage sex okay. This is how the world works today. Dont change your morals for the better. Dont change your bad behavior, just work on making your awful actions okay.
June 27th, 2005 at 5:17 pm
From her website: “My search for Tantra, sex, and love began with a gnarly foot wash in a forest of pine trees in the Canadian countryside.
I washed the scaly feet of a lanky stranger, cloaking them with soft soap suds and warm water. We sat on the porch outside a sprawling log house, the sun draping itself over us like the gentle touch of a velvet glove. The scent of home cooking wafted toward us from the kitchen inside and mingled with the lavender smell of the soap that I caressed on the bottom of this stranger’s feet. I massaged each toe separately, stretching them under my fingers, pressing my thumb into the small dip where his ankle began. As I slid my hands underneath, he flinched. My touch tickled him. He giggled. I smiled politely and averted my gaze.”
http://asranomani.com/tantrika/
I guess this wouldnt be so bad if she was married to the guy. Fact is, this woman openly and proudly proclaims that she has sex out side of marriage.
June 27th, 2005 at 5:21 pm
More from her book: “I had been looking for love in all the wrong places, first my failed marriage, then a string of bad relationships. Now, in humiliation, I was finally letting go of this latest boyfriend when I escaped to a new apartment across the Brooklyn Bridge.”
June 27th, 2005 at 5:22 pm
“I’d earned an informal reputation on the tenth floor among my fellow reporters as the Journal ’s sex reporter, the rising incidence of “Mile High Club” sexual misconduct on airplanes among my page-one stories.”
Yes, sure, she is going to be the “great” Muslim reformer.
July 19th, 2005 at 4:37 pm
salaam,,,,
i think asra nomani …did zana and tht keeps her out of islam…second thng she is goin way above the limits….mens and women are given some rights..which nobody can take frm thm … well today we will stop asra nomani tommorow someone else will strike…..cause DOOMSDAY is not far …if u look into hadees …its says tht ” MEN WILL BE LIKE WOMEN, AND, WOMEN WILL BE LIKE MEN” ….so thn the doomsday is near..no doubt abt it.. whether its asra nomani, or anyone else. no-one can change the verses of QURAN ..which subhan alla wa tala gave us…. may allah bless BLESS ALL MUSLIMS …Ameen
July 20th, 2005 at 6:33 am
laisa baada al koufri ayou zanib
July 30th, 2005 at 9:34 am
when it comes to issues like this every muslim man acts the same no matter how intelligent and civilized he is. none of you men out there know how it is like to be a muslim woman. you know how it is? in short: IT SUCKS!! you are told when to leave when to be back , who to hang with , what to wear, and it dectates everything else in your life.. Islam has given men so much freedom and left the women out. hmmmmm. let’s see, maybe it’s all about the so-called prophet mohammed. he did everything he wanted in the name of islam and the sad thing is that all these muslims actually believe his bullshit. i dont wanna say more, but i said a bit of what’s in my heart.
September 5th, 2005 at 12:30 pm
I just find it upsetting that these woman are complaining about having no rights. If they have men in their lives that are dominating do not blame the religion. There are limits for each of us in every aspect of our lives. and those limits are set by God for us for our protection. Islam is a beautiful religion. I have never been mistreated, spoken to in a bad way by anyone, not from family members, friends (muslim or non-muslim)or religouse people. I have always acted with respect, the way i was taught by the teachings of islam. PS. Noora your ending comment shows you are not a women of any type of respect or dignity. I don’t even care if you are a non-believer disrespect all goes back to the person not the religion. Because I am respectable human being I would never disrespect another persons religion.
Noora Says:let’s see, maybe it’s all about the so-called prophet mohammed. he did everything he wanted in the name of islam and the sad thing is that all these muslims actually believe his bullshit. i dont wanna say more, but i said a bit of what’s in my heart.
Your heart?!?!
September 8th, 2005 at 10:47 pm
I don’t have much background into this discussion, however I think its important we examine and address the point the sister is raising in a constructive manner (without being reactionary and/or defensive). Muslims should never turn their back on other muslims (and non-muslims) for we are all part of the same family… the children of Adam and Hawa. The blood that runs in all our veins is the same, and specifically for muslims, the love we have in our hearts for Allah (s.w.t.) is the same.
Let us start by agreeing that this should be more than just a debate over whether or not women/men should pray side-by-side together. The core principle here is the establishment of equality in the masjid. Essentially, that all people should have just as much opportunity to enter, pray, and learn at a masjid as everyone else (in this discussion specifically focusing on the impact of gender differences).
Why focus on the masjid? Because it is (or at least was once upon a time) the heart of the muslim community. It was more than just a place of worship - it was a school, a library, a forum for open discussion, a place where the needy could find shelter and food… and much more! Hence establishing equality in the masjid will be the foundation to establishing equality outside of the masjid. A key initial element of this equality is to make the masjid an inclusionary place.
We shouldn’t turn away anyone from the masjid (unless of course they pose a direct physical threat etc.). I remember even reading about how the Prophet (s.a.w.) let a group a travelling christians pray at the masjid because there was no church in Medina. I believe such an inclusionary mentality would have greatly helped propel Islam’s growth in its initial stages. Today, there are many muslims who simply just don’t feel comfortable going to a masjid. They are worried they will be judged and critized for the petiest of things (i.e. Your clothes are too bright! Your hair is showing! How dare you walk into this section! etc etc). And furthermore they just don’t feel welcome… where are the smiling people exchanging greetings of peace like they used to in the time of the Prophet (s.a.w.)?
That said, I don’t believe having men and women pray side-by-side is necessarily the solution to this issue. Personally, when praying I would want to be concentrating on the prayer itself - and not on trying to stop myself thinking about how gorgeous or sweet smelling the sister praying next to me is. I hope one day I would reach a level of mental strength that such trivial thoughts wouldn’t cloud my concentration, however for now I am realistic about my limitations… and the limitations of other people (both male and female) who would attend the masjid.
However what we can do (perhaps with future masjid construction) is incorporate some simple rules (*these are just ideas I’m bouncing around to stimulate thought*):
1) Women’s prayer area should be as big as men’s prayer area. We should assume and make allowances for large amounts of women to attend as they proportionally represent ~50% of the population in most communities. No more overcrowded mini-rooms at the back.
2) Women and men should both enter through the same friendly welcoming doorway. It would serve no purpose to segregate in any non-prayer areas anyway since we are always so close to each other outside the masjid (public transport, crowded streets etc.). Furthermore doing so will completely destroy the sense of community the masjid should be trying to create.
3) Women should have just as much access to facilities (books, lectures, etc) as the men. Hence women’s prayer area shouldn’t be completely removed/detached from the men’s. They should be able to clearly hear the prayers and any lectures etc.
4) Women should have representation at senior levels in the masjid and be empowered to make positive contributions (even leading religious discussions/lectures if the relevant qualifications are present). Aside from benefiting all with their knowledge, these strong sisters will act as inspirational role-models to other young females attending the masjid, knowing that they too have value and purpose in the community.
5) If there is a difference in quality between male and female prayer areas, then let the females have the better option. It is the honourable thing to do since as men we would wish greater comfort on our sisters than ourselves.
6) The imam should regularily (perhaps every Friday prayer) remind the congregation of the aim in transforming the masjid into a place of community. Hence families should be encouraged to come as a whole (not just fathers) and people should be reminded to smile and give greetings to one another.
Anyway thats my input on this discussion… happy masjid experience to you all!
September 9th, 2005 at 4:59 am
Excellent points Muslim bro.
There is a very large Mosque in LA’s Koreatown of all places. It’s comprised of muslims from all over the world. I am pretty sure that women have equal access, I will check though. As a man, although I respect the rights of women, I’m not always keenly aware of inequalities.
September 12th, 2005 at 9:54 pm
Great comments “Muslim Bro”!
September 13th, 2005 at 7:21 am
The comments here by privileged Muslim males are absolutely astounding, but not at all surprising. Muslims males can screw around all they want and they do so with impunity worldwide, but their women can’t even pray in the same room beside their men because Muslim men can’t keep their minds on their religion if they see a woman’s backside.
Why is it that Muslim males have this need to cling to a 7th century cult that gives them “superiority” over their women and fantasy superiority over the rest of the world, even though Muslims have nothing to prove their claimed superiority?
Why not pray on opposite sides of the same room?
If you Muslim “gentlemen” would just get off your generous Islamic backsides and do a bit of work in this life, instead of sitting about in your indolent, nihilism, waiting for Muhammad’s fantasy, decadent Islamic paradise with its rivers of wine, servant boys like pearls where you will service 72 virgins on gold and jewel encrusted couches through eternity with eternal erections, the Islamic ummah might contribute to the world instead of just taking from it.
Islamic Paradise sounds like sheer Hell to any normal person.
Why is it that everything supposedly not permitted in this world will be given by this Allah to Muslim males in the next? How pathetic that under Islam, women are not even equal in heaven. How telling that the houris are still there to cater to Muslim males’ adolescent, sexual fantasies.
Since 1492, when Islam was booted out of Spain (where it did not belong) virtually nothing has happened in Islam to move it forward, toward a true Reformation and a resultant Renaissance. Islam has produced virtually nothing that has benefited mankind in the last 500 to 1000 years. The growing numbers of Islamic adherents worldwide are from the ranks of the world’s poor, disenfranchised and uneducated, those who have no place in the modern world. In the West, Islam is growing by leaps and bounds among criminals in prisons.
What has the Islamic ummah accomplished in the last 1000 years to benefit humanity? How many Nobel Prizes can Muslims point to? I’ll tell you, a mere 6 and only 2 of those are in the hard sciences. Arafat’s “peace” prize hardly counts.
With the ideals of jihad, dhimmitude and jizya, Islam is nothing more than a parasitic cult, rendering Muslims leeches who live off the labors of the civilized world and have done so since the inception of Islam 1400 years ago!
All over the world men and women labor, play and worship side by side without incident. Rape is considered a crime where the perpetrator is punished, rather than the victim like in Islamic societies. For some reason, the Islamic world can’t get over its twisted, adolescent male notions and fantasies about women.
Just what is WRONG with Muslim men that they can’t keep themselves under control, but rather behave like savage barbarians when they see more than a woman’s eyes or hands? Why is it that you must treat women like property, like brood mares instead of equals—50% of the human race?
It is not for Muslim males to “give” women their rights. God already did that. Muhammad, unfortunately took those rights away in the 7th century. NOWHERE in the Islamic world, whether in an Islamic state or in the civilized world do Muslim women have their God given equal rights with Muslim men.
Have any of you “superior” males ever considered what sort of a world it would be if Islam got its wish for an imperialistic, hegemonic Islamic state; if indeed Islam subjugated the whole world under its boot as the Qur’an demands?
The whole world would be living in the 7th century!
September 14th, 2005 at 3:54 am
Infidelia … You may think you have all the history in order. But it is Crystal Clear you know absolutely nothing about the religion and more so nothing about the true muslims and their lifestyle. Muslim Men and Women who live lives devoted to the right path, living life in equality and respect. But from a person who clearly has no knowledge of the religion you wouldn’t know that. Women are not property, their rights were never taken away by Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him)
The Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), warned us that the body of a woman is highly respected and not an object of desire to be admired or appreciated, as is so commonplace in the West. Until marriage takes place, neither of us are responsible to or for each other. That is a right that comes only in marriage, where your rights can be upheld as long as you are aware of them. This is as being human can sometimes take the upper hand over one’s deen (religion).
Every Man, Woman, Child, Animal, plant on this earth has rights and given the utmost respect. It is expressed many times in the Quran and in Hadeeth, the teachings of the Prophet which Muslims follow. Muslim men have no problem in controlling themselves while they pray, However out of modesty and respect to women there position in prayer is behind men only to avoid humiliation because of the kneeling position. The devil is around in every place we go to lure us into sin. The winners are the non-weak. The ones who pray to God for his guidance and help. So to defeat his evil ways, we have to limit his abilities to lure us into sin. If having women in back is a way. Why should we say no. It is all for our protection.If women have God givin rights in certain countries taken away from them by men, they need to fight for change. But overall the religion is most equal and pure.
The Qur’an tells women to dress modestly so that we may be recognized as believers, not only so that we may not be sexually harassed and assaulted. Modesty as a behavior—being humble, unpretentious, being noticed for the kind things one does as opposed to one’s appearance
If you need to complain about something, why don’t you go to where real problems exist. Rather then fighting a religion who condoles modesty and respect. Fight the places that religion is not even followed. Freedom is what ‘they’ think is Great. Well the freedom they have, isn’t protecting their women, domestic violence, drunk driving, deaths by DWI, prostitution, drugs, molestation, babies thrown in garbage cans, AIDS, STD’s the list goes on and on….. you will not find these problems in Muslims. And where did you get that the growing numbers of Islamic adherents worldwide are fromthe ranks of the world’s poor, disenfranchised and uneducated . Islam is all about education.If you want to know what Islam is then read about it. it has education more then you can imagine. The word Quran means to Read Now. Islam is Submission. There is more to this religion then what you’ve see on TV.
September 14th, 2005 at 4:09 am
This answer was kindly provided by Sister Yasmin member of Ask About Islam Editorial Staff.
The question cam from Sarah:On March 18, 2005 Amina Wadud led the first female-led Jumu`ah Prayer. On that day, women took a huge step towards being more like men. But, did we come closer to actualizing our God-given liberation?
Salam, Sarah.
Thank you for your inspiring question!
Well, answering your question, I can say that I don’t think so.
What we so often forget is that God has honored women by giving them value in relation to God—not in relation to men. But as Western feminism erases God from the scene, there is no standard left but men. As a result, the Western feminist is forced to find her value in relation to a man. And in so doing, she has accepted a faulty assumption. She has accepted that man is the standard, and thus a woman can never be a full human being until she becomes just like a man—the standard.
When a man cut his hair short, she wanted to cut her hair short. When a man joined the army, she wanted to join the army, and so on. She wanted these things for no other reason than because the “standard” had it.
What she didn’t recognize was that God dignifies both men and women in their distinctiveness, not their sameness. And on March 18, Muslim women made the very same mistake.
For 1,400 years, there has been a consensus of scholars that men are to lead Prayer. As a Muslim woman, why does this matter? The one who leads Prayer is not spiritually superior in any way. Something is not better just because a man does it. And leading Prayer is not better just because it is leading. Had it been the role of women or had it been more divine, why wouldn’t the Prophet have asked Lady `A’ishah or Lady Khadijah, or Lady Fatimah—the greatest women of all time—to lead? These women were promised heaven and yet they never led Prayer.
But now, for the first time in 1,400 years, we look at a man leading Prayer and we think, “That’s not fair.” We think so, although God has given no special privilege to the one who leads. The imam is no higher in the eyes of God than the one who prays behind. On the other hand, only a woman can be a mother. And the Creator has given special privilege to a mother. The Prophet taught us that heaven lies at the feet of mothers. But no matter what a man does, he can never be a mother. So why is that not unfair?
When asked who is most deserving of our kind treatment? The Prophet replied “your mother” three times before saying “your father” only once. Isn’t that sexist? No matter what a man does, he will never be able to have the status of a mother.
And yet even when God honors us with something uniquely feminine, we are too busy trying to find our worth in reference to men, to value it or even notice it. We too have accepted men as the standard; so anything uniquely feminine is, by definition, inferior. Being sensitive is an insult, becoming a mother is a degradation. In the battle between stoic rationality (considered masculine) and selfless compassion (considered feminine), rationality reigns supreme.
As soon as we accept that everything a man has and does is better, all that follows is just a knee jerk reaction: if men have it, we want it too. If men pray in the front rows, we assume this is better, so we want to pray in the front rows too. If men lead Prayer, we assume the imam is closer to God, so we want to lead Prayer too. Somewhere along the line, we’ve accepted the notion that having a position of worldly leadership is some indication of one’s position with God.
A Muslim woman does not need to degrade herself in this way. She has God as a standard. She has God to give her value; she doesn’t need a man here.
In fact, in our crusade to follow men, we, as women, never even stopped to examine the possibility that what we have is better for us. In some cases, we even gave up what was higher only to be like men.
Fifty years ago, we saw men leaving the home to work in factories. We were mothers. And yet, we saw men doing it, so we wanted to do it too. Somehow, we considered it women’s liberation to abandon the raising of another human being in order to work on a machine. We accepted that working in a factory was superior to raising the foundation of society—just because a man did it.
Then after working, we were expected to be superhuman—the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect homemaker, and have the perfect career. And while there is nothing wrong, by definition, with a woman having a career, we soon came to realize what we had sacrificed by blindly mimicking men. We watched as our children became strangers, and soon recognized the privilege we’d given up.
And so only now—given the choice—women in the West are choosing to stay home to raise their children. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, only 31 percent of mothers with babies, and 18 percent of mothers with two or more children, are working fulltime. And of those working mothers, a survey conducted by Parenting Magazine in 2000, found that 93 percent of them say they would rather be home with their kids, but are compelled to work due to “financial obligations.” These “obligations” are imposed on women by the gender sameness of the modern West and removed from women by the gender distinctiveness of Islam.
It took women in the West almost a century of experimentation to realize a privilege given to Muslim women 1,400 years ago. Given my privilege as a woman, I only degrade myself by trying to be something I’m not, and in all honesty, don’t want to be—a man. As women, we will never reach true liberation until we stop trying to mimic men and value the beauty in our own God given distinctiveness.
If given a choice between stoic justice and compassion, I choose compassion. And if given a choice between worldly leadership and heaven at my feet, I choose heaven.
I hope my words answer your question. In case you have any comment or you need more about the topic, please don’t hesitate to contact us again. Thank you and please keep in touch.
Salam.
September 14th, 2005 at 10:27 am
I never imagined that this post will open a door for such an interesting religious debate.
Although I don’t agree with most of what was said by Infidelia, however I wish we keep the discussion objective and clear from attacks on any personal or religious figures of all religions.
Well said everyone!
October 8th, 2005 at 8:42 pm
Selam everyone!
I think Infedelia’s idea of praying on opposite sides of the same room is a great one (essentially the middle ground between both views of complete seperation and complete integration). If I’m not mistaken this is similar to how it was done in the Prophet’s time when the masjid was just one big open compound. I also saw this at a Bosnian masjid I went to recently and thought it worked very well. After prayers everyone interacted and I felt a real sense of community amongst them. Just to clarify this position is strictly for a western masjid context - other parts of the world with differing cultures will need to be examined seperately (in the spirit of the universal nature of Islam).
Regarding his/her other comments, I think as muslims, we shouldn’t take this negatively. A person’s opinions are reflective of what they have seen with their eyes and heard with their ears. These comments should help revitalize us in our lifelong quest at being great muslims. We as muslims were once at the forefront of science, philosophical thinking, social enterprise, civil rights, trade&travel, literature, and the arts. When we return back to this position, views like Infidelia’s (however valid or invalid), will completely disappear and be replaced instead with affinity and admiration of islam.
One only needs to look at how Christianity is perceived outside of the Christian-world to see an example of this - in Singapore, amongst its converts, it is associated with being progressive, modern, and sophisticated. They see the wealth and development of majority Christian countries (though these countries have long seperated Church & State) and make positive associations with the religion itself even before they have studied it! As rational the argument that Islam (the religion) and Muslims (its adherents) are two seperate entities not to mixed in judgement, bottom line is this: a religion is marketed through the actions of its followers.
Infidelia, know that right now there are many muslims making great contributions to humanity… unfortunately the negative elements seem to be taking all the media spotlight! And know that there are plenty more muslims, with love of all God’s creation, and pure intentions in their hearts to advance the lives of all Earth’s people… exactly as our religion commands of us.
Happy and blessed Ramadan to everyone!
October 11th, 2005 at 2:32 pm
Muslim Bro- what exceptional diplomacy you practiced in answering Infidelia’s comments. Well done.
Warda, don’t forget that conservative Christian moms didn’t jump on the out-of-the-home-to-prove-myself band wagon as the rest of secular Western culture did. And we retain strong gender empowerment. I would never dream of expositing the scriptures in mixed company.
Also, I don’t know where you live, but I see all those vices you mentioned practiced by Muslims in Jordan.
May 7th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
It is bizarre to see so called mulim women complaining about what some men do wrong. what has this got to do with islam? if they can’t differenciate between some silly men’s action and the beautiful religion of islam than why are they doing porfessing this faith?
Islam is an amazing faith, the sincere geniune muslim men and women are essentially good, kind, moral, sincere and incredibly generous people whether male or female. Though sometime different traditions and cultures come in the way, it is extraordinary that at the end of the day we alwasy find a kind heart and serious predisposition amongst muslims everywhere in this big wide world.
I think when we are good Allah put good people in our path, and when have good intentions we meet good people, even good decent christians have been good me because I am moral, honest, serious, ethical and true to my islamic principles. There is a lots of love in the world, between us muslims, between all of us decent moral humans and between us humans and the whole beautiful creation, I love nature, I love animals, I love the poor and disanfranchised for whom I volunteer… Romantic love is just a tiny bit of it (often corrupted by perverts anyway).
I feel sorry for these women with so many issues and such furtive quest, start loving yourselves and the world around you perhaps than you will become lovable and find someone to love you, in the true wholesome lofty divine like love (not mere animal ephemeral lust). The problem is not always in other people often it is within us
Wishing you all the best.
May 8th, 2006 at 1:27 am
What I do not get, is if Islam is such a great religion why are there so many bad Muslims, who are bent on oppressing others including women?
Why are so many Muslims in the world killing one another? (With out the help of the western world)?
And please don’t respond by saying how there are so my Christians killing each other either….because they only claim to be Christians when they obviously have no clue what it means to be one.
And as for Islam being a great religion…well that may be, but looking at the majority of Muslims around the world, and if I did not know any better I would say that Islam is a religion built on fear and oppression.
Yes I do believe that there are good Muslims, but please don’t tell me that most of the Muslims in the world are beautiful people, since I can see that is not the truth with my own eyes.
Lastly, getting back to the subject of this post, well if a woman who is speaking out against oppression, I would not simply dismiss her. She has the right to do so and more women should be speaking out against oppression. Whether a Muslim or what ever she believes in. and as I said in the past if you do not question your religion then how will you know if it is the truth or simply the words of some men who had their own agendas.
May 26th, 2006 at 6:45 am
I have been considering a conversion for two years. I am the son of an evangelical minister and I can assure you all that many conservative Christian families and Christian women are “oppressed”…I never saw one classmate of mine (female)in anything but a dress. One graduate had a baby just after graduation and all of were expected not to talk to her. Was my school a Muslim sschool? no…Baptist!
I fell in love with Muslims by getting to know many followers. While I (as a person with a rebellious nature) find some of the issues concerning women disheartning, let me share a couple of thoughts.
There is nothing more distracting than going to a contempory church, trying to worship, and BAM- some hot woman in a tank top reaches across the pew to welcome you to the service.
The second thought- as I have made this journey to find God’s truth, seeking if Islam is the light- there is nothing, nothing more beautiful than a young woman who is covered, all you can see is the light of her eyes, and you are forced, FORCED to look at her with respect and say softly, “sister, how are you?”
Men, any help with what to pray? any muslims in South Carolina?
May 29th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
Aslam a lacum
Peace be upon you
Although I may not agree with the lifestyle of Nomani. I have to agree that women are not treated with the same dignity as men in mosques in America. I am aware of many women who have been discouraged or even asked to leave the mosque. Islam may have given many rights to women, but it is Muslim men who are taking them back.
Also, I have been to mosques where even children not encouraged to be present. The mosque I attent has a sign stating “no children in the main prayer hall”.
Never during the time of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was there any wall separating men women or children. So were are we getting these concepts from?
June 23rd, 2006 at 11:12 pm
under the user name Beetlejuice who has lived in Saudi Arabia for the past 11 years. Beetlejuice asked Jacqueline where she got her information from and Jacqueline replied that she got it from Asra Nomani’s book. Disregarding the fact that Nomani isrejected
June 28th, 2006 at 2:49 am
Mr. Sabbah,
Publish this on top. Everybody will like it.
I have final word and a better Title for Asra Nomani?s book that might increase her sales:
Standing Alone in Mecca
But Oh! Sleeping Together in Karachi.
If there is one thing that Muslims can take due pride in is their (relatively) most modest and chaste womenfolk. There is least incidence of fornication, illegitimate children, or spread of HIV infection (a fact internationally recognized and paid tribute to). And the fact that Muslims are proud of these virtues, Ms. Nomani has an uphill task in front of her to break down those citadels which is her cherished goal in her own model of Islam, with all the shameless and remorseless talk of her sexual involvements out of the wedlock. Those who are studying at West Virginia University in Morgantown hear her stories even now.
Her own parents tried to stop her from her morally deviant choices.
The Muslim women generally shun her.
A vile wish of wrapping the religion around her little finger will not be fulfilled.
When one non-sectarian open minded Muslim dared her to go and try to talk to Women in our community in Charleston, West Virginia and see how many of our modest and honorable women will attend her address. She said ?What will that prove?? She was told in response to her ?It will prove everything !?.
She has urged Muslims to be non-judgmental. But is it not that in daily life we are all being judgmental all the time in innumerable ways - dealing with others, by being influenced by advertisements, buying articles or others’ ideas, offerings, services etc. Why should anyone NOT be judgmental in areas of Ms. Nomani’s morality and ethics? Whosoever she deals with has a right to be judgmental and deal/ not deal with her by choice. This is a free country to choose, as she chose her ways, solicit casual run-away lovers and discusses her sexual choices openly.
Forgiveness is not one thing she ever seems to have asked even God to grant. Any remorse expressed by her to humans is even farther a cry. Social rejection of outrageous behaviors is the only way human society promotes and preserves its time-tested values. If Muslim women and men by their reaction of not touching her with a ten foot pole are showing their resolve to protect their values and guard their future generations from going down the drain and are rejecting Ms. Nomani’s cherished experiences, then it is their own choice and judgment. They are entitled to it.
It is a shameless act on her part to claim she has picked from virtues of noble women like Hajirah, Khadeejah, Fatimah and Ayesha and leads a tiny group of her ilk calling it ?Hagar?s Daughters? to clumsily hide her mentality. This is another mischievous profanity she hurls at Islam. We know that none of those pious women had her kind of a cherished sexual past.
Ironically she draws applause from Islam hater (mostly) Christians during her Book Promotion talks ? the Christians who give praise to Holy Mary for being pure, virgin, not giving birth as a result of sleeping around, contrary to Asra Nomani.
Yes, we do have problems with Muslims and Islam, but Nomani?s agenda is not among them. Muslim men do need to learn to be considerate regarding women among whom one was their mothers too.
ADMITTEDLY:
· We have been lazy, never questioning our clergy to discuss openly for broader impact on issues like:
· Why take women (widows of the vanquished adversary) taken from their homes as booty of the battlefield ?
· Why Prophet would marry a six year old at 50 years of age (The Arab literature gives us a lot of reasons ? a political marriage; justified on the basis of the fabled sexual adequacy of the Prophet to equally deal with then in the same night; etc). But is it not a question of human rights ? an adult woman to agree to her marriage)? What kind of lesson/ conduct are we to learn from it?
· Impractical conditions of requiring four eyewitnesses to a case of fornication (One cannot imagine to fulfill that condition even in America where one million women give birth to illegitimate (out of wedlock) babies, (just like one by Asra Nomani?s who considers her illegitimate child as a miracle as if it were Jesus Christ !)
· Islam allowing sex with captivated women servants, contradicting with the imperative of chastity it teaches.
· Allowing temporary marriages (ordained by Quraan, but supposedly forbidden by Umar, a Khaifah, not even a Prophet.
· Instituting conformance by fear.
· Contradictions in the scripture.
FINALLY, we see that Nomani and her accomplices are pulling the issues more and more away from their morality to Western democratic norms. She should pose to be the very champion of democratic rights, more discussed entrances and conditions of prayer halls, delivering sermons etc. Jumping with both feet into the foray seem to be some non-Muslims too, ?fighting? for equality of sexes.
Let us dispel the stupidity of it (the idiosyncrasy of Equality):
Many years ago, I was put in a position to solve this question for a young woman of the Equality fanaticism:
I asked her to answer the following questions without mischief:
1. ?Suppose there are two marriage propositions for you. Everything else being equally satisfactory, one young man is taller than you while the other shorter than you. Who would you go for?? Her answer ?The taller one !?
2. I reworded the question: ?Suppose there are two marriage propositions for you. Everything else being equally satisfactory, one young man is stronger than you while the other weaker than you. Who would you go for?? Her answer ?The stronger one !?
3. I again reworded the question: ?Suppose there are two marriage propositions for you. Everything else being equally satisfactory, one young man is more intelligent than you while the other less intelligent than you. Who would you go for?? Her answer ?The more intelligent one !?
I could not help taunting her ?If your biology and psychology wants the same thing that a religion gives you, why don?t you take it gracefully??
The girl was silenced once for all.
Use these questions for a woman of any culture, not only Muslim, if her hormonal balance is on the feminine side, the answers will be the same. Let us allay this damn verbal arrogance for good!!!
June 28th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Mohammad Ashraf,
You say: “She has urged Muslims to be non-judgmental. But is it not that in daily life we are all being judgmental all the time in innumerable ways - dealing with others, by being influenced by advertisements, buying articles or others? ideas, offerings, services etc. Why should anyone NOT be judgmental in areas of Ms. Nomani?s morality and ethics? Whosoever she deals with has a right to be judgmental and deal/ not deal with her by choice. This is a free country to choose, as she chose her ways, solicit casual run-away lovers and discusses her sexual choices openly.”
It sounds like you are enjoying the relative freedom you experience in the USA, but clearly, you are still having trouble with the concept of personal freedom.
Unless you keep your judgements of others to yourself then you are actively trying to violate their personal freedom. It is as simple as that. Vocally judging others and condemning what they say or do is the exact opposite of respect for their personal freedom to make their own choices.
Deciding whether you find something desirable or undesirable FOR YOU is part of YOUR internal evaluation and decision making about YOUR options. You have the freedom to decide for yourself, but you do not have the freedom to force your decision onto others.
You can decide whether you agree or disagree with the opinions of somebody, but you should NOT be judgemental and condemn anybody even if you THINK or KNOW that you have better morals and ethics than them. If you THINK that you are in a better position to judge what is right or wrong than somebody else, then you are arrogant, intolerant, and self-righteous and you are being disrespectful of others and their right to personal freedom. If you KNOW that your morals and ethics are better, then you should see a doctor about you psychotic delusions, because if you have a God complex then you are incapable of respecting the concept of personal freedom (IF I thought there is such a thing as God, THEN I would warn you about going to Hell for ‘impersonating a deity’ and your vanity!)
I don’t believe that vanity (pride) is a deadly sin for the simple reason that sin is a religious concept, but I do think that vanity is a mental disorder which is undesirable and a threat to the principle of personal freedom.
I am not really interested in what this Asra Nomani is saying, but I do agree with her that Muslims (and everybody else) should be non-judgemental and instead respect the personal freedom of everybody. In essense, non-judgemental is a synonym for tolerance and I think tolerance is desireable while vanity is not - I wish that everybody would agree.
This is my opinion and I voice it because I disagree with your opinion and hope that you will choose to agree with some of my ideas. Deciding whether you or Ms. Nomani are good or bad persons is not my decision to make!
Go for the ball, not the man (woman)!!!!
June 28th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
From the Danish newspaper Politiken, Jun 27 (quick translation of main parts):
All defendants found guilty in honor killing
The nine defendants in the honor killing case from Slagelse [Danish town] have been found guilty in ?tre Landsret [the highest court].
On September 23rd last year, the 18-year-old Ghazala was shot and killed by her brother on the square in front of the railroads in Slagelse. Her husband, Emal, was wounded.
Together, they were on the run from Ghazala’s family, because it did not accept that she was in love with Emal.
Newly-weds on the run
In their last days together the couple got married, but they did not have time to share their happiness for long. This was prevented by Ghazalas family and friends of the family.
Nine people have been charged in the case and a judgement has fallen in ?tre Landsret. Today, the jury found all nine defendants guilty.
It will later be decided whether the sentencing will be handed out today or latest tomorrow.
“It was not my intention to kill”
During the court hearings, Ghazalas brother has told that he did not intend to kill his sister or to wound her husband with his newly acquired Smith & Wesson revolver.
“In movies one sees, that when one aims at the heart or the head then they die. But I did not aim at the heart or the head”, he explained to the court.
This did not impress the jury or the court today, when all nine defendants were found guilty for, each in their own way, to have been involved in the murder. They will be sentenced later.
Facts:
Ghazala’s father: Guilty
Owner of a small taxi company in Copenhagen. Held one or more ‘family councils’. Search for the young couple at several of the residences of people who had had the couple in hiding. The instigator. Ordered the murder on Ghazala and her husband, Emal Khan.
Ghazala’s brother: Guilty
Taxi driver and father of two. Fired six shots with a revolver. To bullets hit and killed Ghazala, two hit Emal and wounded him in a life-threathening manner.
Ghazalas aunt: Guilty
Risk expulsion from Denmark. Married to Ghazalas mother’s brother, who is also involved. Mother of four. The bait. Held contact with Ghazala and Emal and arranged a meeting to make up. Kept the rest of the family informed in order for them to find the couple.
Ghazala’s mother’s brother: Guilty
Earlier married to his wife’s sister. Went with Ghazala’s father to visit several of the people who had helped the young couple hide. Was kept informed by his wife. Went to Ringsted [close to Slagelse] at the time of the make up meeting and followed the meeting on his mobile phone.
Friend of Ghazala’s mother’s brother: Guilty
Taxi driver with his own car. Went with Ghazala’s father to visit several of the people who had helped the young couple hide. Followed the aunt to the make up meeting in Ringsted. Repeatedly in telephone contact with the other defendants waiting in Ringsted.
Ghazala’s father’s brother: Guilty
Taxi driver with his own car. Went with Ghazala’s father to visit several of the people who had helped the young couple hide. Went to Ringsted at the time of the make up meeting.
Friend of the family: Guilty
Taxi driver with work in Ghazala’s father’s company. Drove the brother to Ringsted and Slagelse in his taxi.
Cousin of Ghazala and her brother: Guilty
Risks expulsion. Went in the car with the brother to Ringsted and Slagelse. Bragged about the family actions in the days following the murder.
Friend of Ghazala’s brother: Guilty
Risks expulsion. Went in the car with the brother to Ringsted and Slagelse. Contacted a girl friend to tell her about the hunt for Ghazala.
……….
Mohammad Ashraf,
“…we see that Nomani and her accomplices are pulling the issues more and more away from their morality to Western democratic norms.”
If Asra Nomani is a nasty example of Western norms and values, is the above an example of Muslim norms and values about respect for women?!?
In general, I think it is wrong to generalize with a broad brush!
June 28th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
Update:
Ghazala’s executioners have been sentenced.
Ghazala?s father: Life
Ghazala?s brother: 16 Years
Ghazalas aunt: 14 years, expulsion
Ghazala?s mother?s brother: 16 years
Friend of Ghazala?s mother?s brother: 14, expulsion
Ghazala?s father?s brother: 16 years
Friend of the family: 10 years
Cousin of Ghazala and her brother: 8 years, but no expulsion
Friend of Ghazala?s brother: 10 years, but no expulsion
Everybody, except the friend of the brother (I guess he doesn’t want to risk expulsion) have appealed their sentences (they were convicted and sentenced in the highest court, so they can only appeal their sentences).
June 29th, 2006 at 1:07 am
Thomas, a Dane,
Asra Nomani’s person was not important, and not the subject. She is a journalist, and in America, journalist evenwith New York Times have been found professionally dishonest. Let us not put her up on an unreachable pedestal.
She has sought me out, met me, touched me (my hand. I am still washing it with soap and water), talked to me for a few hours, we had controversy on radio and on her book promotion talks.
You sitting in Europe, what would you know about her and America.
The cultural norm and law here is that even a 51 percent majority is GENERALIZED and it rules the rest and that 51 percent majority defines the actions of a country in the world.
As I say, Asra Nomani’s choices were hers, nobody including her parents could stop her. We did not obstruct her cherished activities.
But she talks about her personal choices publically. But she is transforming it into a political agenda based on her personal choices that are rejected by others including most of Muslim women in our communities. We are simply criticizing her own admitted choices and that she is portraying them as Islamic, and starting a mission disguised as freedom and equality for Muslim women. We are opposing the intent and content of the treacherous moves. She has been offered a challenge to prove her popularity in our community.
Believe me, in America we recognize her free will, but not at our expense.
And obviously, you agree with most of what I explained, including my criticism of Muslims and Islam.
Finally the case you have mentiond about Ghazala, the guilty must be punished. Still you are talking about people of low level education, merely taxi drivers etc. Do you mean to interpret what the culprits did was Islamic?
If that seems to you Islamic, then the following might seem to you as Christian:
Here in America, a native white grown up man abducted a 6 years old child right from in front of her home, alluring the innocent soul to find a puppie. Next day the poor child was found sexually attacked and dead, her body lay flayed by the highway a few miles away.
Regards,
Mohammad Ashraf
July 3rd, 2006 at 4:51 pm
ULTIMATE NOTE:
I had a strong feeling that my rendition of facts and logic will put an end to silly bickering and pseudo-intellectual noise. It really seems to be the case.
What I have done is nothing but following the supremely wise edict of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan “Let us look at this issue WITHOUT PREJUDICE
July 4th, 2006 at 12:14 am
Post-Ultimate Note:
Mohammad Shraf,
I am not going to address you self-righteous know-all ultimatum as it is too ridiculous to deserve an answer.
Let me just point out, that I did not mention the Ghazala case in order to start a competition about who can dig up the most horrendous crimes committed by somebody from another culture. The point was to show you how stupid, bigoted, and prejudiced your comment about ‘Western culture’ was and to let you know that no matter how much white-washing you do in your self-righteous ivory tower then your shit stinks too.
I guess you are not just prejudiced against ‘Westerners’ but Muslim taxi drivers are unworthy of your self-righteous world as well.
Ghazala’s father was smart enough to build up his own taxi company and he does see himself and his murder as Islamic. Apparently you see yourself as a religious judge of others, but I do not want to judge him about his faith. He broke the law, got busted, and will be punished and so will everybody else who breaks the law - regardless of whether their act is part of Islam or excused with Islam.
Unless you are a judge and base your judgements within your jurisdiction on local law, then your judgements of others are nothing but prejudice no matter which veil of hypocricy you hide behind!
July 8th, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Mr. Thomas, a Dane
It is quite pathetic that it behooves you to chatter so much about what you know very little of. It is time to ?consider the source?, as we say in America.
We live in West Virginia. Our community children attend the university that Ms. Nomani used in her heydays for her free style living, not that of a regular Muslim. We have heard her Book Promotion presentations etc. etc. You don?t have any of such advantages. But this is the dark side of Internet age that faceless characters can poke their nose into anything without a hitch.
Her farce started from an extremist stupidity of an Arab leader of prayers (not even a religiously educated Imam) ? about separate entrances in Morgantown mosque mostly attended by students (that too mostly extremely busy medical students who don?t have time even to scratch their heads). To capitalize on and propagate her escapades, she made fully mischievous use of her connections with media given to sensationalism to begin with and the time she had with a pen in her hand because of her ?profession? but nobody to counteract the issue got out of hands of the local Muslim population. She came to Charleston mosque too to foment a similar issue, but our virtuous Muslim women had already taken care of the matter without her ?leadership? role. Indeed she has not had the cheek to come seeking to address our women on any of her cherished topics. I even challenged her to come and her response was ?What will that prove? to which my answer was ?That will prove everything?.
Is it not a sinister character for (usually Christian audience) who applaud her for what she is proud of (a child out of wedlock) as if Christ is born again, calling it a miracle ? the same people who worship Holy Mary for her chastity, purity and virginity? It is surprising why can?t you stomach our overwhelmingly chaste Muslim womenfolk. We think they are precious pearls. Our women are carrying forward the tradition of Chastity and Virginity of Holy Mary. Why is it so bad? Why is it an anathema??? Head cover! Even your churches have Mary?s portraits with head cover like many of our women!!!
Only people like you must hear this what an American convert Muslim said to us here not long ago with a sigh ?You guys are lucky, Man. You have got good women. Here the ones we find, a hundred men have gone through them before?.
As bearers of monotheistic religion, we consider you (the Christians and Jews) our only comrades in the universe. We feel sorry at your plight. Your loss is our loss. We wish for you mothers like ours whom nobody has touched with a penis before marriage to their husbands. This is our prayer, not a curse for your culture. But you brought it on yourselves by whatever pretext, democracy, enlightenment, etc. We wish you to come out of the moral morass, if you consider it to be a morass indeed.
But in growing numbers, Muslims are discussing that there ought to be reforms in Islam without shredding its blessings.
Yet, without prejudice, fear or favor, I usually express my appreciation to the white race for highest level of organization, technological advancement, beautifying the land and homes, fearless investigation, many beneficial man-made laws, traffic and systems to human life.
No more stupidity, please.
July 10th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Mr. A Dane,
It will be a good riddance to terminate this lonely dialogue. Not many people seem to be looking up material on Asra Nomani. Her sexual shine is wearing off.
We are thankful for our womenfolks. For me your or your wife’s status has never been of interest. You are happy (or not) is your business ALONE.
Appropriately mentioning one million women in the US alone having sex, bearing illegitimate children and making me pay taxes to support their expenses while they continue having more sex and more children from different men is NO DAMN BUSINESS OF THEIR OWN. I become a supporting uncle to about 500,000 new additional children each coming year. And your intelligence can’t see the connection!
Serious sociologists here in US consider “illegitimacy a serious threat to the society and the country”. My simple and most pointed question to Asra Nomani was “Why one from you will make it any better?”. For the first time she was out of her wisecrackers.
I never imagined that some Christian would find Jesus and penis so rhyming to put it together on one line. Eric Swarz is the kind of buggers to be such perverts.
In spite of many a crudenesses, Muslims are taught to respect ALL PROPHETS EQUALLY. We the thinkers among Muslim must feel obliged to learned critics such as Dr. Bernard Lewis (Author of WHAT WENT WRONG; HOW A CIVILIZATION DECLINED) and others with some credentials, not those with convoluted civility evident from your “scholarly” writings - shooting from hip from thosands of miles away. I only can imagine your level of education.
Solong, Sleep Tight, Mr. The Dane
August 16th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
With due respect I am not against Women rights in Isalm Or in the world but we are not one to decied what rights women should have this is what is given to us by ALLAH and is written in the HOLY QURAN.
August 24th, 2006 at 7:30 am
Fact that is important and is not mentioned in this blog is that she housed and befriended both Pearl and his pregnant wife. Throughout Mariane Pearl’s book she constantly touches on the love and support that Asra gives her while she went through the sheer horror of her husband’s kidnapping and murder. This should not be ignored even in light of where you might not agree with Asra’s stand in life.
August 25th, 2006 at 7:24 am
Dear Mr Haitham
Although as a journalist living in Europe and specialising in Islamophobia, I try to keep abreast of various international developments, it is often difficult to follow the debates taking place on US web sites, especially concerning Islam.
That is why it was with great interest that I watched a programme on Danish TV – “Me and my Mosque”. This was about a brave Pakistani/Canadian woman’s quest to find out why Muslim women were either being locked out of their rightful place in God’s house or given a secluded corner there – away from husbands, fathers, brothers and sons.
Zara Nawaz’s documentary was refreshing, insightful and very illuminating. It dawned on me that while in Europe, Islam is being treated as second class religion, in USA and Canada there are many powerful voices who were trying to built bridges – not only between Muslim communities and the local societies but also among Muslims themselves.
Another thing which struck me deeply was that many devout Muslim women – both young and elderly – who were challenging old customs and outdated norms still being practised among their own circles. Among the women interviewed was Asra Nomani. I have read about her in American media but I did not know that she had become an object of hate among many men of her own faith who feel threatened by her outspokenness and search for gender equality.
So I went and typed her name on goggle and there were 45000 entries, among these was your web site. Hence this mail. Please forgive me for this lengthy mail.
I read with great interest all those who have commented on Miss Nomani’s ideas and her wish to be accepted in the Masjid.
So here are my questions to those who are opposed to the idea of Muslim women coming to Mosques and pray together with men.
1. If women’s nearness in a mosque causes laps in men’s concentration, who is to blame for that. I have seen men and women sitting close to each other in Churches, Temples and even in Synagogues without any problem or mental anguish. Why are Muslim men so feeble minded that they can not even pray or connect with their creator, without being sexually disturbed?
2. Since God has created male and female as equal, why only men have taken upon themselves to interpret religious guidelines, sit in boards in mosques and lead prayers. There is not a single field of knowledge where women have not shown their mastery, except religion. Is it because we men still are afraid to loose power and act like cave men when, we are challenged?
3. Why are so many Muslim male contributors to this blog attacking Ms Nomani as a bad Muslim, calling her life style as free living and labelling her as propagandist for her distorted views. I thought that in Islam, it is Shirk to question another Muslim’s faith. Any good or bad deed would have its own merit on the day of judgement. All I hear from young and intelligent Muslim women in Europe and around the world, asking for their rights which were granted to them 1400 years ago. Is it not ironic that instead of moving forward, we Muslim men are going backward in our interpretation of Islamic dogmas?
4. Lastly, I would request my Muslim brothers that instead of blaming those who dare to question manchauvinism and calling their efforts as confusion and uncertainty, please be yourself, a model of an enlightened, progressive Muslim. Take your faith seriously and do not ignore 51% of the world population, which are women. After all, we are living in 2006.
Kind regards
Bashy Quraishy
President - ENAR ( European Network Against Racism) - Belgium
Chief Editor - Media Watch - Copnehagen. Denmark
Member Board of Trustees - Centro de Estudos Multiculturais - Portugal
Mobile: 0045 - 40 15 47 71 Home phone and Fax: 0045-38 88 19 77
http://www.bashy.dk
September 11th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
i totaly agreed wid Mohammad Ashraf. Great work Mohammad Ashraf to clearify the matter love your thoughts and way of adressing and convincing others about fact the fact is
Islam Is Great
Muhammad (PBU) IS GREAT
Muhammad’S (PBU)Teaching is great
Quaran is only the source from which we can take guidence because its the last words for whole humanity and creatures from allah (swt)
then who is Asra Naumani and other bluffers
May Allah Bless To all the peoples and guide them and show then the right path
April 17th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
I am very impressed by Asra Nomani. She has really been
courageous and brave to take on the Wahabis. She is on the
right path of Ijtehad. May Allah help and guide her.
I read the book accidentally thanks to a friend who pointed
it out to me in a Mumbai bookshop. I wish there were more
Muslim women like Asra Nomani to reform Islam and take on
those who are coming in the way of our most tolerant and liberal
religion. I am sure Asra has read Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and
is inspired by him as we all liberal Indian Muslims are.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:18 am
i find it weird that women can not pray in the same room as men in America but they DO in ALgeria , And Most Mosques in MOrocco Both are Muslims countries where i have lived for many years . so those who are not familiar with islam on this site, do not think it is the case in al mosques . women can pray with men , but on the back but in the same room and they enter the mosque from the front using the same door.
whoever is forbidding women to pray with men in the US are very wrong i wont be surprised if they were Wahabis from saudi arabia .
April 21st, 2007 at 10:52 am
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I said last time this was my last comment but now this is my last comment. It\\\\\\\’s incredible you aholes get all worked up about this thread but not about the threads concerning HUMANS DYING, WTF??????????????????????????????????????????? Are you people all there????
Yeah brilliant the prophet prayed and did whatever NEARLY TWO F…… THOUSAND YEARS AGO, but NOW people are dying and YOU are WORRIED about who prays with who, what idiots. Haitham you are a bigger idiot for even bothering with shit like this and commending these idiots.
April 21st, 2007 at 10:36 pm
First, thank you!
Second, please try putting content into context. If you notice that this post is two years old. During that period (and until now) Muslims and Islam are at the top of the hit list by the media and “war against terrorism.”
One of the main problem that we have here is resistance to paradigm shift. Best example is your comment which separates the case of this lady from the propaganda against Islam and Arab from one side and the war and killing of innocents from other side.
This lady supposed to be representing Islam and Muslims in the West. That time and until now, people like her are made to headlines to dehumanize Muslims and discredit Islam and followers from their culture and history and future. Therefore, try to look at the big picture and how things are connected. It’s not about this lady, it is about the whole thing all together.
On the other hand, I don’t think that you will find any blogger from this part of the world who talked and still talk about war and justice like this blog. So, please stop playing the superwomen game.
April 22nd, 2007 at 8:09 am
I find some comments on Asra Nomani quite distasteful and intolerant.
Prophet Mohammad’s message is of peace and tolerance. His life is an
example of tolerance and peace. A woman in Mecca use to throw dirt on him when he passed near her house. The Prophet tolerated it and never
even scolded her. One day when no dirt was thrown at him; he stopped and inquired about her. He was told that she was unwell. The Prophet
called on her and wished her well. We all should follow such examples of the Prophet.
By writing nasty comments on Asra Nomani, one can only harm the cause
of Islam. Certainly one can differ with her and even argue with her but
keeping view the message of the Prophet — Peace and Tolerance.
In my view what Asra Nomani is doing is enhancing the image of Islam.
She is a brave and courageous woman.
Irfan Khan
irfan05@mac.com
November 20th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Please do not use bad language on this thread. Useing bad language only reflects your own personality. I would like every one to notice that basicaly all the non belivers used curseing.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
For the record WOMEN ARE EQUAL TO MEN. If I am not mistakeing, Islam was the first religion to declare that women are equal.Even in colonial times women were view as property. This is a sharp contrast to what the muslims believe. People objected to prophet Mohamad when he caried this message at first. Also nobody here is saying that women should pray in lesser facilties then the men. All we are saying is that there should be seperation between them. I will say it again in true Islam WOMEN ARE JUST AS GOOD AS MEN. IN FACT THERE WAS A FEMALE PRESIDENT IN A ISLAMIC NATION.
January 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
We do not want to interfere in the affairs of other people, but this is a serions matter. If asra nomani is actually an unmarried mother, it makes her a ZAANEE (adulterer) and perhaps you all know the punishment of zana in Islam. How can the comment of such a woman be an advice to muslims and who gaver her right to do such acts which are no less than a fatwa?
May 1st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Both Asra Nomani and her conservative detractors are idiots and nothing else.
Islam like all religions has a patriarchal undertone and Muhammad (pbuh) established patriarchy.
That he was not the 21st century crusader for women’s rights doesn’t make him less of a man and a historical figure nor does it stop us from standing for women’s rights.