Reasons Why Muslim Men Should Admire, Appreciate & Respect Muslim Women

[sally]

It's hard being a Muslim woman. You besta recka-nize.

Thanks.

1, 2, 3..LIST!

[Jaysh]

I found this really beautiful quote from the Prophet [s] yesterday on this topic, but I can't find it right now! Argh...where did I see it? Hmmm......

Aha! Found it. Here it is:

A Companion said: ‘God’s Messenger forbade us to speak evil of women.’ (Ibn Hisham)

One other interesting tidbit: at least one of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's teachers was a female scholar.

[sumi]

hijabis are probably the most easily identifiable as muslims, and have to put up with a lot of the negative that comes with the territory. they're often seen as the face of islam and judged not only by non-muslims, but, sadly, by muslims as well.


its much easier to find modest clothing for muslim men than it is to find modest clothing for muslim women. we have to resort to ridiculous hijabification methods to be able to walk out of the house in something presentable.

[ssalmanj]

They are the backbone of our families and they raise our children. A proper environment at home makes it possible to affect and change society on a greater scale. Reminds me of the saying that if you educate a man, you've educated one person; if you educate a woman, you've educated a nation.

[sumi]

having to balance career ambitions with cultural expectations, especially with respect to marriage and family.


dealing with everyone and their mother's opinion about your hijab. everything from whether its modest enough, whether its too extreme, whether its the right color, whether its the right shape, whether there's too many sparklies, whether you have the right to wear it at all, and whether you have the right not to wear it, whether you can get a job while wearing it, whether you'll get attacked for wearing it while living in hicktown, USA, whether you can wear it to your wedding... anything and everything under the sun.

[sally]

-If your parents aren't down with letting you live on your own, you can't go away to an awesome school even if you get in. Can't intern at awesomely spectacular places either.

-You have to ask your parents for permission for everything.

-If you're out too late, you better have a valid reason

-If you have to walk in the dark for some reason, you need to find a freakin' life guard to walk you

-It sucks having to explain to people that no, you're not oppressed blah blah no matter what they heard on TV

[ssalmanj]

Yes, hijab tends to render women more identifiable as Muslim than beards do with men, but I think these "hijabis have it hard" discussions are incredibly lopsided. Bearded men too face prejudice, lessened job prospects, unwanted negative attention, criticisms, jealously, and so forth and so on. I'm not suggesting that the two situations are equal, I'm simply stating that the plight of men (if you will) is more times than not put on the back burner.

EDIT -- My apologies. Just realized how my post has the potential to derail the thread. Please ignore it!

[ChotooMotoo]

Being the only woman in your math class of socially stunted nerd boys, and also being the only Muslim woman, means expectations are that much higher. Right or wrong, you set the example by which every Muslim woman to follow will be judged.

[Jaysh]

ssalmanj said

Yes, hijab tends to render women more identifiable as Muslim than beards do with men, but I think these "hijabis have it hard" discussions are incredibly lopsided. Bearded men too face prejudice, lessened job prospects, unwanted negative attention, criticisms, jealously, and so forth and so on. I'm not suggesting that the two situations are equal, I'm simply stating that the plight of men (if you will) is more times than not put on the back burner.

"Heavily bearded" men have it tougher than hijabis for sure. But a lot of guys take a lenient view on the beard, whereas there is no difference of opinion on hijab, which means that a lot more girls are representin' than guys.

On another note though, niqabis have it way harder than bearded men, so women win again.

[sally]

ssalmanj said

Yes, hijab tends to render women more identifiable as Muslim than beards do with men, but I think these "hijabis have it hard" discussions are incredibly lopsided. Bearded men too face prejudice, lessened job prospects, unwanted negative attention, criticisms, jealously, and so forth and so on. I'm not suggesting that the two situations are equal, I'm simply stating that the plight of men (if you will) is more times than not put on the back burner.

Agreed 100%

[sumi]

sally said

-It sucks having to explain to people that no, you're not oppressed blah blah no matter what they heard on TV

this one freakin blows. i spent an entire freaking semester trying to do that in one of my classes. sigh.


on a related note, i sit in the back in all my classes. getting called on means it is guaranteed that about 95% of the class will turn around and stare at me, first because of the foreign sounding name, then continue to stare because i'm speaking english without an accent, and then stare a little longer because i know the answer.


on a related-er note, being the only practicing and identifiable muslim in your entire school, thus being left out of all social events because they're always at bars. and then everyone thinks youre a prude and weird or something and doesn't talk to you.

[sally]

Oh, it freakin sucks being the only visible Muslim trying to speak on a political issue in your class. You want to make your point, but you don't want to be the only visibly Muslim person trying to make a counterargument over and over again, or it looks weird.

BLAH.

[sumi]

oh and, you can't be a hijabi tv news reporter person, at least not in this country. i know someone who tried but had to take it off to be accepted for any positions worth anything.

[ChotooMotoo]

sally said

Oh, it freakin sucks being the only visible Muslim trying to speak on a political issue in your class. You want to make your point, but you don't want to be the only visibly Muslim person trying to make a counterargument over and over again, or it looks weird.

BLAH.

it sucks worse when you have to do it in your foreign language class... in the foreign language

Worse than that is when the campus newspaper always asks YOU to comment on EVERYTHING that happens in Muslim countries even when you are not from and have no connection to those countries, and then they mess up quoting you, forcing you to then send angry e-mails to the newspaper (they issue corrections) and embarrassing e-mails to the MSA.

Even when you say things like "I really can't comment on that" they STILL manage to mess it up.

me: "I'm not from Pakistan so I really can't tell you"
them: "one lady we talked to had her house destroyed in the earthquake"

campus newspapers FTL

[Jaysh]

sumiyia said

oh and, you can't be a hijabi tv news reporter person, at least not in this country. i know someone who tried but had to take it off to be accepted for any positions worth anything.

*opens mouth to speak, but then chooses not to out of fear of Sumiyia's wrath*