Hosai Mojaddidi – Women in Islam Myths Versus Reality

Hosai Mojaddidi
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The speakers discuss the importance of presenting relevant and politicized topics for college students and their families, including the need for men to have their own voice and represent their represented values. They emphasize the challenges faced by Muslim women in the US, including discrimination, lack of access to education, and cultural practices. They stress the importance of empowering women and prioritizing their family systems, and caution against going too far into negative narrative. They also discuss the importance of prioritizing one's family systems and their obligations, and the need for men to defend their positions.

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			This is really, this is something
I've put together for, you know,
		
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			for college students really, but I
do feel that everything that I'm
		
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			about to present is so relevant
given all that was discussed that
		
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			we're living in such contentious
times, times where these topics
		
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			are so politicized, and I've
worked with youth, I hear all
		
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			about it all the time from sisters
and young girls that I work with.
		
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			They're very curious and confused
about what Islam has to say about
		
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			a lot of topics that relate to
women, but also just gender, this
		
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			concept of gender. So whatever
conversations we can have around
		
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			this topic are so relevant, I want
to really again, thank you, Mr.
		
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			Muhammad for being so thoughtful
and you know, having the foresight
		
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			to put together such a wonderful
presentation and then bringing it
		
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			to us. So may Allah bless you and
of course, your beloved father.
		
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			And may Allah return you to our
community again and again. And
		
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			again. This is just the beginning
and shot love it.
		
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			humbler so with that said, this
has worked for me too. Yeah, it
		
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			does. Okay, great. Thank you.
Alright, so Bismillah let's
		
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			start do oh, do I do down? Okay.
Oh, no, sorry. Okay. No,
		
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			no, you're, you're right, you were
right. It's down tomorrow, I think
		
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			when I hit down at work. Okay. So
the first thing I wanted to share
		
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			is actually a quote that was
posted in The Daily Beast. And
		
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			this is just for us to really
understand why we have to talk
		
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			about Women and Islam and really
have be in control of the
		
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			narrative because this is the
reality that we're up against,
		
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			right? Muslim women have been
wrongly painted for decades in our
		
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			country, as universally oppressed,
and silent. Partly that's because
		
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			of the outrageous Real Life
policies of Muslim nations, like
		
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			Saudi Arabia, but also it's due to
Hollywood feeding us a diet of
		
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			Muslim women depicted in movies
and TV shows, as fearful, timid,
		
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			and covered in a burqa whose only
sound is all the leading, you
		
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			know, this is the sound that women
from different Arab countries make
		
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			when they're, you know,
celebrating.
		
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			I'm sorry.
		
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			Yes, I'm not familiar with Okay,
I'm gonna thank you for that. Yes.
		
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			So, you know, they themselves
recognize that, you know, Muslim
		
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			women have been depicted wrongly
for so long. And it's important
		
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			again, to depict or to, to help us
to discern what what is true and
		
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			what isn't, and, and to address
those myths. So let's first start
		
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			off with the facts, what we should
know about Muslim women and this
		
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			is, across the board, men should
know this women should know this
		
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			young girls should know this boys
should knows we should have no
		
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			difference of opinion on these
matters that Alhamdulillah Muslim
		
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			women absolutely have many rights
in Islam. The fact that I'm
		
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			sitting up here is a proof of that
the fact that there are so many
		
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			beautiful sisters here, sitting
here all came with their own
		
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			agency, their own, you know, they
were able to come here, it's a
		
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			proof of that. But there are many
other proofs. Another fact is that
		
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			many Muslim women's rights are
actually violated across the
		
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			world. And we have to be honest,
we have to have honest
		
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			conversations around this, we
can't just gloss over the
		
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			realities that our mothers, our
grandmothers, and even women
		
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			today, of course, are dealing with
in terms of the oppressive nature
		
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			of certain cultural beliefs,
right, that perpetuate
		
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			misogynistic rules, customs, or
unjust laws and policies, all of
		
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			which directly conflict with
Islamic principles about women's
		
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			inherent values and rights. So we
have to be clear that that's a
		
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			that's a truth. And then, and that
Muslim women disproportionately
		
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			suffer more consequence
consequences from Islamophobia
		
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			than Muslim men. And that's
because we're more visibly most
		
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			Muslim right? People can see us so
a man can has that privilege of
		
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			being able to move through society
and nobody would know whether he's
		
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			Muslim or not. Because now for
example, the beard is trending
		
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			right? There's a whole other it's
what is it? The the, what is it
		
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			called? I forgotten now, but
there's a whole movement, right?
		
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			Where that the hipster the hipster
movement, right?
		
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			Like you. My name is Catherine. So
there you go. So yeah, he could
		
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			get away with pretending to be
just another hipster, millennial,
		
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			you know, Latino, getting, you
know, following a trend, we don't
		
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			have that luxury work unless you
know me certain sure you can style
		
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			your hijab differently. But most
of the time people understand that
		
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			you are a Muslim, and that's your
faith. So
		
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			and then the, you know, the other
things that we also have to be
		
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			mindful of is again, the rights
that the women have world, you
		
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			know, in Islam are not always
given and they are violated, as we
		
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			mentioned. But let's talk about
other things that, in my
		
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			experience, just hearing from
women from hearing from young
		
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			girls, that they also feel is
missing as a missing piece of the
		
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			conversation that we openly
address that yes, there are, for
		
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			example, double standards, right.
So there's a mistreatment that a
		
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			lot of young girls and women
experienced due to the gender
		
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			disparity. So in households, you
know, boys will for example,
		
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			will be given preferential
treatment, they'll have more
		
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			opportunities, they'll be able to
have more social mobility, less
		
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			household chores, right? Raise
your hands, am I talking to two of
		
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			the girls? Right? All of this is a
real, a lot of us experiences
		
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			growing up. And I could, you know,
spend a lot of time telling you
		
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			about my chore list versus my
brothers, which there was not
		
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			basically. But delayed curfews.
Right, and then girls are also
		
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			held to a stricter code of
conduct. So that's true, that's
		
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			just a real experience that a lot
of Muslim women have. There has,
		
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			in some cases denied access to
education, Islamic and or secular,
		
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			I've lived that reality. And I
know others have as well. forced
		
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			marriages without their consent
and prevention from divorce, lack
		
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			of employment opportunities, and
or financial abuse from family
		
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			members, or spouse, or forced
labor without compensation, lack
		
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			of basic civil liberties, or the
right to participate in public or
		
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			social life force, cultural
practices related to female
		
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			sexuality, like FGM, forced to jab
or in a club, physical, mental,
		
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			emotional, or spiritual abuse from
relatives, including parents,
		
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			siblings, spouses, extended
relatives would go on and on.
		
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			These are the lived experiences of
women. And this isn't, you know,
		
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			exclusive to Muslim women, but we
have to be real, that these things
		
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			absolutely do occur. Now, with
that said, we also have to
		
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			understand that Muslim women in
the US are experiencing
		
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			unprecedented challenges, right?
So when we look at the research
		
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			here, for example, 57, the
majority of Muslim women versus
		
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			43% of men, Muslim men say that
it's become more difficult to be
		
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			Muslim in the US in recent years,
because we are bearing the burden,
		
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			right, we are the ones that are
attacked. And I mean, I've had
		
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			I've written if you follow me on
social media, plenty of Facebook
		
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			posts over the years about the
different, you know, either micro
		
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			aggressions or actual attacks are
perceived, you know, very, very, I
		
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			mean, clearly examples of
Islamophobia towards myself, that
		
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			I've had to deal with, but I know
many others who have had very
		
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			similar experiences. So that's one
thing. And then 83% of Muslim
		
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			women versus 68%. Look at the
numbers, look at the difference,
		
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			said that there was a lot of
discrimination against Muslims,
		
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			because they're on the receiving
end of that. And then 55% of
		
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			Muslim women versus 42% of men say
that they've experienced at least
		
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			one of several specific types of
anti Muslim discrimination. So
		
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			these are, again, we have to
familiarize ourselves with this,
		
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			because we need to empathize. And
also just have, again, honest
		
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			conversations around the
experiences of Muslim women in the
		
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			world, and you're at home. Now,
		
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			to the real stuff, because this is
what we have to do, we are again,
		
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			living in times where there's a
lot of people want to speak on our
		
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			behalf. But it is so important for
Muslim women to be empowered to
		
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			have their own voice and to
basically take back the narrative,
		
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			right, so that we don't have
people just using us, which is
		
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			what they're doing. In many cases,
they use our, you know, our, our
		
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			status, right, as a marginalized
community or as a member of
		
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			society that is often and in many
cases, as we just read, sometimes
		
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			mistreated, so they will use that
to their advantage. But it is it's
		
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			very important for us to have our
own narrative and to assert our
		
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			own truth. So this is where you
know, Marshall, again, in my mind,
		
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			this presentation was so
comprehensive, but it's so
		
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			important for us to address what
it means to be a woman not from
		
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			the lens of modernity and
politics. But to go back to the
		
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			ultimate source, which is the
Quran, and Allah subhanaw That
		
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			tells us right, what I said.
		
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			And the male is not like the
female. And I think that wording
		
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			is so beautiful, right? Because,
you know, just I mean, of course,
		
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			Allah knows, in his own wisdom,
the way that it was phrased what
		
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			the implicit implication is, but I
do think that there's something
		
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			beautiful about it, that says that
there are unique traits, right,
		
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			which again, you
		
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			mentioned that we have to honor
and to, you know, fall into this,
		
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			you know, idea that we should all
just be the same and to negate
		
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			those beautiful differences is
again, against what we are taught.
		
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			And then again, everything we've
created pairs that you may
		
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			remember the Grace of Allah
meaning another powerful voice,
		
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			verse that reminds us that there
is a binary, right, and we are
		
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			living in a time where this idea
of a binary is completely being
		
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			erased. And you know, something
that should comes a mentioned,
		
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			which I think is really we have to
keep in mind that when you affirm
		
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			this idea that everything is
fluid, and that there's no you
		
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			know, that there is no binary and
that you allow for that. Who is
		
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			the only non binary?
		
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			Right, who's the only non binary?
Allah subhanaw taala. So we have
		
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			to be very careful to fall into
that same language, right? We
		
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			believe in a binary this is
absolutely fact. We believe in
		
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			that. And the idea that someone
can be non binary or that we don't
		
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			need to, we need to reject these
notions is again, akin to allowing
		
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			for people
		
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			To define themselves on the same
level or as as though they are
		
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			like godlike. And that is not our
worldview, right? We reject that.
		
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			And so there, Islam, again, the
framing around men and women is
		
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			complimentary, it's not
contentious, but we're living in a
		
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			time where it's, we're being
pushed into that direction to just
		
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			see each other as enemies. There's
this constant power grab between
		
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			us, that we should feel threatened
as women, by men and men should
		
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			feel threatened by women. And
that's why we have all these
		
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			movements. Now we have in cells
and red pill, then we have
		
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			feminists and others that are, you
know, going in the direction
		
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			where, you know, again, it's just
constant infighting and looking at
		
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			each other as enemies. And that is
the complete opposite message of
		
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			our faith, which is we are a
complement to each other. And we
		
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			don't need to fight because of him
that everything is already defined
		
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			for us as again, Imam Muhammad
mentioned, you know, we
		
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			definitions are important. And
when you live in a world or in a
		
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			time, where you know, everything's
trying is being forcibly
		
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			redefined, or deconstructed, then
that's when you get all this
		
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			chaos. But our definitions are
very clear around these things. So
		
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			we have to restore that gender
balance. And so we go back to, you
		
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			know, are the Quran and the
Hadith, our sacred texts to look
		
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			at what how do we restore the
balance? Well, here, almost father
		
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			reminds us right, that we are
honored by Him, He is the one
		
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			who's honoring us, never will I
allow the loss, the loss of the
		
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			work of any worker amongst you,
male or female, you are of one
		
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			another. So he is, you know,
giving us, you know, precedent. I
		
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			mean, he's mentioning both of us
in this verse to say that your the
		
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			value of what you bring is the
same. There's no difference,
		
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			right? That one is not preferred
over the other. And then and for
		
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			women are rights over men similar
to those of men or women, this is
		
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			real equity. This is the equity
that we should look to, right. So
		
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			we're not we shouldn't look to lip
service equity, we should look to
		
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			a real equity This is it. Surely
the men who submitted the women
		
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			who submit and the fact that I
mean this verse, and this is the
		
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			verse that I thought you were
asking about with OMA Salama,
		
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			initially, this verse also right,
this idea of
		
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			you know, the men and the women
being being
		
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			mentioned in the same context
repeatedly repeatedly, it's an
		
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			honor for us as women and we
should note that because others
		
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			are noting it and here at the
bottom, I just have a little fun
		
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			fact that might again, just
inshallah warm your heart to see
		
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			that Allah's father is always
trying to remind us right that
		
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			there's no competition here,
Rachel and Almara, both which mean
		
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			men and women are mentioned each
24 times in the Quran, something
		
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			that you know, again, little
factoid. Yeah, this is from Dr.
		
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			Celine Ibrahim in her book, the
women in gender in the Quran. So,
		
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			Marshall ended, there are 34 eyes
in the Quran, where women are
		
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			speaking directly. I mean, there's
just so many other beautiful, you
		
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			know, facts and says truths, that,
that prove that we are in fact
		
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			honored by God. And if you have
always found that your Creator
		
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			honoring you, you don't need to
look to anyone else for
		
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			validation, or definitions about
who you are. And so this fact that
		
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			the women are prioritized and
given this honor, what is known
		
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			noted by people like Leslie
Hazleton, who actually observed
		
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			that the Bible is exclusively and
again, Dr. Alley can speak more to
		
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			this, addressing men are using the
second and third person masculine,
		
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			but the Quran actually includes
women. And this is a distinction
		
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			that we have to know so that when
we're in any way, you know, put in
		
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			a position where we feel like
we're on the defensive, these are
		
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			the types of responses that you
can just immediately shut down
		
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			anybody who comes and, you know,
tries to make a case that women
		
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			are don't have rights in Islam.
No, we absolutely do. And, you
		
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			know, the problem is, like I said,
I'm right, honored by the prophet
		
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			was and he said, What and for all
of the parents in here, right,
		
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54
			that what a what an incredible I
mean, I look at what I think of
		
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			this, I have two sons. So but I
still I'm my father, Elijah, who
		
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			he had three daughters. So
inshallah I always look to this
		
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			hadith as inshallah hope that it
hopefully that we, you know, we do
		
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			our part to, to serve Him and to
continue to do good. So then
		
00:14:11 --> 00:14:14
			inshallah he can reap the benefits
of raising us because this is such
		
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17
			a beautiful Hadith, whoever has
three daughters, and he cares for
		
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20
			them, He is merciful to them, and
he closed them in Paradise is
		
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23
			certainly required for him. And
then, you know, again, this
		
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26
			exchange, the problems I was
having with the Sahaba and he
		
00:14:26 --> 00:14:31
			asks, or someone asked, you know,
from the Companions, what if the
		
00:14:31 --> 00:14:35
			person only has to, he said, even
to some people thought that the if
		
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37
			they had said to him one of the
process and would also have
		
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40
			affirmed that? Yes. If you raised
one daughter and you, you know,
		
00:14:40 --> 00:14:44
			did your best and inshallah that
would be your ticket to Jenna. I
		
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46
			don't know of a hadith where he
talks.
		
00:14:49 --> 00:14:52
			You know, again, Subhan Allah,
what a gift that we've been left,
		
00:14:52 --> 00:14:56
			right, and his consistent record
again for advocating for women.
		
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59
			The first issue is, of course that
we know that he came to
		
00:14:59 --> 00:14:59
			immediately right
		
00:15:00 --> 00:15:04
			to Kate was a female infanticide.
And then by the cold by the end of
		
00:15:04 --> 00:15:08
			his life and the last sermon, what
was he addressing the men, he
		
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11
			said, What take care of the women
take care of the women. So this
		
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14
			is, I mean, there's so many
proofs, we're just again
		
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17
			scratching the surface. But we
want to leave you with that
		
00:15:17 --> 00:15:21
			confidence that we don't have to
look to anything outside of our
		
00:15:21 --> 00:15:25
			own faith, to know where we stand
and what our definitions are. It's
		
00:15:25 --> 00:15:29
			all there. And it is the best,
there's nothing that you can find
		
00:15:29 --> 00:15:33
			that will come even close to what
Islam teaches in terms of the
		
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36
			fairness, the beauty of both the
male and the female.
		
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40
			And then again, he I enjoy you to
treat women kindly for their your
		
00:15:40 --> 00:15:45
			partners, and committed helpers.
odia. Again, the same advice that
		
00:15:45 --> 00:15:50
			we heard, I mean, the same message
about being complimentary, the
		
00:15:50 --> 00:15:53
			right to an education, we should
know this, because now for
		
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56
			example, I mean, I'm from Atlanta
son born there, I have not been
		
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59
			back. But it's certainly I know,
in the past week or so, there's
		
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02
			been so much discussion around
what's happening in Afghanistan,
		
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06
			with regards to, you know, the
education of young girls, and then
		
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09
			being prevented, and I saw the
videos, it's heartbreaking to see
		
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11
			the girls, the women in the
university, the girls in
		
00:16:11 --> 00:16:15
			university, and schools crying,
because they are barred from,
		
00:16:15 --> 00:16:19
			from, you know, knowledge, this is
not Islam. And you know, I'm not
		
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21
			gonna get into a political
discussion, this is the proof of
		
00:16:21 --> 00:16:25
			it, the prophesy centum says the
seeking of knowledge is obligatory
		
00:16:25 --> 00:16:29
			for every Muslim, and he made the
distinction, men and women, he
		
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32
			could have just left it, you know,
ambiguous, and then left it for
		
00:16:32 --> 00:16:36
			interpretation. But he himself
inserted that distinction, so that
		
00:16:36 --> 00:16:40
			we know, it applies to both,
right. So that is the proof of the
		
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41
			100 out within our deen again,
		
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45
			that we have to remember. So the
right to own property and more
		
00:16:46 --> 00:16:50
			work or an income. You know, we're
just again, giving very generic
		
00:16:50 --> 00:16:53
			information here. There's much
more to this. And but, but it's
		
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56
			enough for I think all of us just
to have a baseline understanding
		
00:16:56 --> 00:17:00
			that yes, we have the right to own
property, work and earn income,
		
00:17:00 --> 00:17:03
			but it shouldn't be said that we
also have the obligation to serve
		
00:17:03 --> 00:17:08
			our families, right, you can't at
the expense of the rights that
		
00:17:08 --> 00:17:12
			others have over you just, you
know, completely go rogue and do
		
00:17:12 --> 00:17:16
			your own thing. That's that that
doesn't fly. We have social
		
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19
			obligations, we have obligations
within our family systems, that we
		
00:17:19 --> 00:17:23
			have to prioritize. And once we do
that, absolutely, you can go and
		
00:17:23 --> 00:17:27
			fulfill your dreams, pursue your
career, do all that. But your
		
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30
			dependents and those who have
rights over you. That's just
		
00:17:30 --> 00:17:34
			there's no argument or there's no
discussion there. And then, you
		
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37
			know, mentioning here just again,
the first wife of the process in
		
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40
			which we know he's given toilet,
that she wasn't very successful
		
00:17:40 --> 00:17:44
			businesswoman, and his employer
before they were married. So just
		
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47
			important little things to know,
if you're not familiar with this
		
00:17:47 --> 00:17:50
			theater, these are things you
should definitely know the right
		
00:17:50 --> 00:17:53
			to vote participate in social and
public life. There are just so
		
00:17:53 --> 00:17:56
			many proofs. But again, if you're
struggling with these concepts,
		
00:17:56 --> 00:17:59
			here are the evidences that yes,
women have the right to
		
00:17:59 --> 00:18:03
			participate in the social and
public life, but all of it has to
		
00:18:03 --> 00:18:07
			be done with, you know, a sense of
what are your priorities, right?
		
00:18:07 --> 00:18:10
			You cannot abandon all of the
other, your obligations to all of
		
00:18:10 --> 00:18:13
			us whether your obligations to
your family, and then just throw
		
00:18:13 --> 00:18:17
			yourself into public service, it's
actually doesn't make sense if you
		
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20
			think about it, because where are
you going to be asked? Or what are
		
00:18:20 --> 00:18:23
			you going to be asked about,
first, your relationship with
		
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26
			Allah. So if you don't even have
any idea of your phone line, for
		
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29
			example, you've never studied, the
things that you will first be
		
00:18:29 --> 00:18:33
			asked about? Does it make sense
then to devote your entire life
		
00:18:33 --> 00:18:37
			and all of your free time to
causes we have to just learn to
		
00:18:37 --> 00:18:41
			prioritize, and, and this is
again, where, you know, learning
		
00:18:41 --> 00:18:44
			and going back to the the
foundations of and the principles
		
00:18:44 --> 00:18:48
			of our faith, that prioritize this
type of knowledge comes into
		
00:18:48 --> 00:18:55
			place, but, you know, proofs in
the Quran about, again, the the
		
00:18:55 --> 00:18:58
			men and women are protectors,
we've we've already covered that I
		
00:18:58 --> 00:19:02
			but also just that we do have
precedents, and we'll go over
		
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05
			examples of women who were
themselves politically active,
		
00:19:06 --> 00:19:11
			right, the right to choose and to
be respected, you know, to be able
		
00:19:11 --> 00:19:17
			to have a say in your own future.
This is there's no debate here.
		
00:19:17 --> 00:19:21
			This is absolutely a right, that
women are given. And this is a
		
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24
			wonderful story, that one of the
companions of the prophesies that
		
00:19:24 --> 00:19:27
			have been given us reported that a
girl came to the Messenger of
		
00:19:27 --> 00:19:30
			Allah so I sent him in this she
basically reported to the apostles
		
00:19:30 --> 00:19:33
			and that her father had forced her
to marry someone without her
		
00:19:33 --> 00:19:37
			consent. And I love this hadith,
because everything about it is
		
00:19:37 --> 00:19:42
			just is so important, especially
in this content in this time, but
		
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44
			the bronze lesson gave her a
choice when she when he heard her
		
00:19:44 --> 00:19:48
			case. He said, Do you want to
accept the marriage or or should I
		
00:19:48 --> 00:19:52
			can nullify it for you right here
in there. And she said, look at
		
00:19:52 --> 00:19:56
			her words. And I want you to think
about this. And then think about
		
00:19:56 --> 00:19:59
			this idea that women don't have
rights. She is talking to the
		
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00
			province.
		
00:20:00 --> 00:20:03
			Listen, first of all, she had,
obviously the courage to speak to
		
00:20:03 --> 00:20:06
			him, which says that he created a
society where women felt very
		
00:20:06 --> 00:20:10
			comfortable, you know, going to
him with their complaints with
		
00:20:10 --> 00:20:14
			their grievances. It wasn't this,
you know, no, you know, you don't
		
00:20:14 --> 00:20:17
			have any rights you just do as
you're told and be quiet that some
		
00:20:17 --> 00:20:21
			people especially Orientalist and
others have about Muslim women,
		
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24
			but he actually allowed for, for
these types of conversations even
		
00:20:24 --> 00:20:27
			occur. But look at her
empowerment, she accepted the
		
00:20:27 --> 00:20:31
			marriage. Okay, but what did she
say I wanted to let women know
		
00:20:31 --> 00:20:34
			that parents have no right to
force the husband on them. So
		
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36
			that's the whole purpose of why
she went to the office, I said
		
00:20:36 --> 00:20:39
			that she wanted to empower other
women, so that they know their
		
00:20:39 --> 00:20:43
			rights. But she, you know, she
was, you know, she was making her
		
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46
			case, but at the end of it, her
intention was that so this doesn't
		
00:20:46 --> 00:20:50
			happen, you know, what's, you
know, unregulated, you know, that
		
00:20:50 --> 00:20:54
			people just received that this is
okay, that you should not do that,
		
00:20:54 --> 00:20:58
			and that women should speak up.
And then the problem, of course,
		
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01
			also encouraged men to treat their
spouses in the best way, the best,
		
00:21:01 --> 00:21:04
			the most complete of believers and
faith are, those are the best
		
00:21:04 --> 00:21:07
			character. And the best of you are
what those who are best to their
		
00:21:07 --> 00:21:11
			women, and other narrations to
their family. But there's just so
		
00:21:11 --> 00:21:15
			many messages that, again, if
you've are familiar with it, then
		
00:21:15 --> 00:21:20
			you'll know that when it comes to
these ideas, that again, Muslim
		
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23
			women have limited rights don't
have rights, that you wouldn't be
		
00:21:23 --> 00:21:28
			able to easily defend that those
arguments, but it is important to
		
00:21:29 --> 00:21:34
			dispel the myths that that exists.
So let's look at some fact versus
		
00:21:34 --> 00:21:34
			fiction.
		
00:21:35 --> 00:21:39
			This is something that is, you
know, again, we can have, we need
		
00:21:39 --> 00:21:42
			a whole other presentation on,
because we're living in times
		
00:21:42 --> 00:21:45
			where there is a postmodern
agenda. And many times what they
		
00:21:45 --> 00:21:51
			do is they basically re write or
reinvent or not even Yeah, they
		
00:21:51 --> 00:21:56
			just distort basically everything.
And so they may look to different
		
00:21:56 --> 00:22:01
			parts of Islamic history, and, you
know, try to find cherry pick
		
00:22:01 --> 00:22:05
			certain things and just to make
cases and arguments, because
		
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07
			they're looking at it from their
own lens, right, if you're going
		
00:22:07 --> 00:22:10
			to read, like, go through history,
but you're going to retro
		
00:22:10 --> 00:22:14
			actively, for example, apply
modern conventions and
		
00:22:14 --> 00:22:17
			sensibilities, a lot of things are
not going to make sense, you have
		
00:22:17 --> 00:22:20
			to understand things in their
time, not like oh, because now
		
00:22:20 --> 00:22:24
			this is considered taboo and
weird, I can go back in time and
		
00:22:24 --> 00:22:28
			judge all of history, we are, you
know, we've, I mean, it just, but
		
00:22:28 --> 00:22:32
			that's how they get a lot of
people into these situations where
		
00:22:32 --> 00:22:35
			they can't defend themselves,
because they're making these moral
		
00:22:35 --> 00:22:39
			arguments, you know, from, from
this illogical, these theological
		
00:22:39 --> 00:22:43
			positions, and people just don't
have the way to defend them. So we
		
00:22:43 --> 00:22:47
			have to just reject their attempts
at doing that by again, knowing
		
00:22:47 --> 00:22:50
			what you know, their angles and
knowing there, and a lot of them,
		
00:22:50 --> 00:22:53
			they're not very creative, they're
not very, they just cut and paste,
		
00:22:53 --> 00:22:56
			they'll find, you know, the
islamophobe of the time, and then
		
00:22:56 --> 00:22:59
			just parrot what they're saying.
So they're not really looking into
		
00:22:59 --> 00:23:01
			things. They're not understanding
things, it's just a very surface
		
00:23:01 --> 00:23:05
			level, you know, cursory
understanding of anything, but
		
00:23:05 --> 00:23:09
			they just try to make Muslims and
especially Muslim women, or
		
00:23:09 --> 00:23:12
			anything related to Muslim women
appear as though they're
		
00:23:12 --> 00:23:17
			deficient. And, and so just don't
fall for their games, reject those
		
00:23:17 --> 00:23:20
			notions that if they're genuine in
their inquiry, like they really
		
00:23:20 --> 00:23:23
			want to know, you'll know that.
But if they're just asking these
		
00:23:23 --> 00:23:27
			questions to try to, you know, do
gotcha, then you're going to fall
		
00:23:27 --> 00:23:30
			into, you know, unnecessary
debate. And that, I think, is
		
00:23:30 --> 00:23:34
			where a lot of youth anyway, I've
seen, start to feel insecure,
		
00:23:34 --> 00:23:37
			because it's like, they don't know
how to defend their positions, but
		
00:23:37 --> 00:23:41
			you have to see their agenda that
they're trying to corner you. But
		
00:23:41 --> 00:23:45
			they themselves have zero real
context, it's ignorance, and
		
00:23:45 --> 00:23:47
			they're just again, parroting
maybe what they read somewhere
		
00:23:47 --> 00:23:52
			else. So to be also aware of, you
know, if you're an act, if you're
		
00:23:52 --> 00:23:54
			in college, or even in high
school, now, all of these things
		
00:23:54 --> 00:23:58
			are trickling down at a very, you
know, even I would say middle
		
00:23:58 --> 00:24:03
			school likely level, where these
ideas are being introduced in the
		
00:24:03 --> 00:24:08
			way that we're studying religion,
religion, as well as just ideas
		
00:24:08 --> 00:24:12
			around women and feminism and all
of these things, but we have to be
		
00:24:12 --> 00:24:15
			careful not to fall into their
narrative, you know, I mean, we
		
00:24:15 --> 00:24:19
			mentioned the binary but there's
other ideas as well, that just
		
00:24:19 --> 00:24:23
			don't debate these people know
what their agenda is, and be very
		
00:24:23 --> 00:24:26
			confident in your own
understanding of your faith.
		
00:24:27 --> 00:24:31
			And then the best way to do that
is really to as mashallah, you
		
00:24:31 --> 00:24:35
			know, I had said, you know, is
freedom, like, they sell this idea
		
00:24:35 --> 00:24:38
			of freedom, freedom, freedom, and
they're even arrogant enough to
		
00:24:38 --> 00:24:42
			look to the Muslim world, when we
have a plethora of our own social
		
00:24:42 --> 00:24:46
			ills and problems and plenty of
women here, who are suffering from
		
00:24:46 --> 00:24:49
			all of the disparities of this
free society, but yet they have
		
00:24:49 --> 00:24:52
			the audacity to look at the Muslim
world and start to, you know,
		
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55
			judge this country or that
country's policies and it's just,
		
00:24:56 --> 00:24:58
			we just have to reject the
hypocrisy and the double standards
		
00:24:58 --> 00:25:00
			and the best way to do that again,
is look
		
00:25:00 --> 00:25:04
			Got the facts right? Am I not
moving the slideshow at all? I'm
		
00:25:04 --> 00:25:07
			not I'm Thank you. I've totally
lost it on this. I don't even know
		
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07
			I'm holding it.
		
00:25:09 --> 00:25:09
			Just
		
00:25:11 --> 00:25:14
			so you know, in the United States,
for example, here are some facts
		
00:25:14 --> 00:25:18
			again, for you to know, more women
than men live in poverty. So where
		
00:25:18 --> 00:25:21
			does all this freedom getting us?
Right? As you my Muhammad said,
		
00:25:22 --> 00:25:24
			poverty rates for women and men
are nearly even throughout
		
00:25:24 --> 00:25:29
			childhood, but then the gap widens
significantly for women, from ages
		
00:25:29 --> 00:25:32
			18 to 44. And this is the
demographic or that age where
		
00:25:32 --> 00:25:35
			there's really this big push,
right? Be the independent woman,
		
00:25:35 --> 00:25:39
			just leave everything go do your
own thing. Well, where is it
		
00:25:39 --> 00:25:42
			leading, you know, the years where
you should be looking at Shahla to
		
00:25:42 --> 00:25:45
			building a life with someone,
right, having children building
		
00:25:45 --> 00:25:49
			something that's going to pay it
forward for you, when you get into
		
00:25:49 --> 00:25:52
			those older years. Women, you
know, are not taught that they're
		
00:25:52 --> 00:25:55
			taught to abandon that and just
pursue their own careers are
		
00:25:55 --> 00:26:00
			whatever it is on this high of
freedom, but then they end up
		
00:26:00 --> 00:26:03
			suffering in this way, Subhan
Allah, and between the ages of 25
		
00:26:03 --> 00:26:09
			and 34, women are 69% more likely
than men of the same age to live
		
00:26:09 --> 00:26:12
			in poverty. I mean, that's just
tragic. You know, women make up
		
00:26:12 --> 00:26:18
			47% of the US labor force, up from
30%. And it 50. But growth has
		
00:26:18 --> 00:26:23
			stagnated. So okay, we've again,
been decades hearing this message
		
00:26:23 --> 00:26:28
			of freedom, but there's only a 17%
differential from now and 1950. I
		
00:26:28 --> 00:26:31
			mean, that should kind of, you
know, cause us all to second
		
00:26:31 --> 00:26:35
			question, this idea that freedom
is everything.
		
00:26:36 --> 00:26:42
			Freedom, womens median hourly
earnings were $16.20 16, up from
		
00:26:42 --> 00:26:48
			1248, in 1980. Right, and then men
earned a median median hourly wage
		
00:26:48 --> 00:26:52
			of 1923, and 2016, down slightly
from 1940. Let's just look at the
		
00:26:52 --> 00:26:57
			difference there. So we we have
clearly not, you know, been been
		
00:26:57 --> 00:27:02
			so successful. And something's,
you know, I miss here, women
		
00:27:02 --> 00:27:05
			working are much more likely than
working men to say that they faced
		
00:27:05 --> 00:27:08
			gender discrimination on a job. So
you give up your family, you give
		
00:27:08 --> 00:27:11
			up all of these other things that
are actually going to pay, you
		
00:27:11 --> 00:27:15
			know, or really benefit you in the
long run. But then you go, and
		
00:27:15 --> 00:27:19
			you're just ended up, you know,
serving people who humiliate you
		
00:27:19 --> 00:27:23
			who harass you. Like, it's just,
there's really the trade off just
		
00:27:23 --> 00:27:25
			doesn't seem right, right. But
these are the ideas that so many
		
00:27:25 --> 00:27:29
			of our young women are sold, to
push against tradition to push
		
00:27:29 --> 00:27:33
			against religion, and to push
against culture. But the proof is
		
00:27:33 --> 00:27:36
			in the pudding, as they say, look
at this, and you have to examine,
		
00:27:36 --> 00:27:40
			well, you know, these are, this is
the, this is what I'm gonna give
		
00:27:40 --> 00:27:42
			all of that for, is it really
worth it?
		
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44
			Much more. But
		
00:27:46 --> 00:27:48
			I think the bottom line is before
we have to break, I'm not sure
		
00:27:48 --> 00:27:51
			where I'm on time. Oh, almost.
Okay, I'll quickly go through
		
00:27:51 --> 00:27:54
			this. This is the real message
here. This is what I wanted to
		
00:27:54 --> 00:27:57
			leave you with. There, there are
two lenses or I'm wearing glasses.
		
00:27:57 --> 00:28:01
			Right now, we all know what a lens
is. But you can either choose to
		
00:28:01 --> 00:28:05
			look at your life, the meaning and
purpose of your existence through
		
00:28:05 --> 00:28:08
			a material lens, which is what
this society and what modernity
		
00:28:09 --> 00:28:11
			really wants us to see that
there's no greater objective.
		
00:28:11 --> 00:28:14
			There's no meta narrative, there's
no grand truth, we're all just
		
00:28:14 --> 00:28:17
			going to die. And that's it.
That's the worldview that they
		
00:28:17 --> 00:28:20
			have, because they are secular
atheists, many of them, they don't
		
00:28:20 --> 00:28:24
			have a concept of any, you know,
overarching truth. So when you
		
00:28:24 --> 00:28:29
			have a very limited worldview,
then you're up, this is what will
		
00:28:29 --> 00:28:32
			likely happen, you'll be exploited
as so many women are now, right
		
00:28:32 --> 00:28:35
			when they're exploited. They're
limited, they're manipulated,
		
00:28:35 --> 00:28:39
			they're misunderstood, gaslighted
suppressed, they are treated as
		
00:28:39 --> 00:28:43
			being inferior. This is the
promise of these open societies.
		
00:28:43 --> 00:28:48
			This is what the results are, this
is the outcome of ascribing to
		
00:28:48 --> 00:28:53
			that worldview, or you can look to
your faith and the metaphysical
		
00:28:53 --> 00:28:56
			lens, the lens that you want to
look through your life with what
		
00:28:56 --> 00:29:00
			what meaning you have while a
spider created you, it gives you
		
00:29:00 --> 00:29:03
			what what is the promise, the
promise of our deen is that you
		
00:29:03 --> 00:29:07
			will be empowered, you will be
uplifted, you will be encouraged,
		
00:29:07 --> 00:29:13
			you'll be determined, you'll be
powerful, pure and advantaged. And
		
00:29:13 --> 00:29:15
			if you do everything for the sake
of Allah's product, this is the
		
00:29:15 --> 00:29:18
			promise that you will that you
will have right or that you will
		
00:29:18 --> 00:29:22
			receive. So at the end of the day,
what is I mean, is there even a
		
00:29:22 --> 00:29:26
			debate here? Right? Is there even
a debate it's should be pretty
		
00:29:26 --> 00:29:30
			obvious which one is the better
worldview or the way that we
		
00:29:30 --> 00:29:34
			should see ourselves through? And
shall i really i we have we have
		
00:29:34 --> 00:29:38
			to break for Asia. But the last,
you know, bit here and I'm I can
		
00:29:38 --> 00:29:41
			leave the slides up while we're
praying or just some women that
		
00:29:41 --> 00:29:44
			you should know, throughout
history to again, affirm your
		
00:29:44 --> 00:29:49
			confidence in your faith, because
we are under attack there is you
		
00:29:49 --> 00:29:52
			know, and it's not just to Muslim
women, it's really women of of all
		
00:29:52 --> 00:29:57
			traditions. We're being forced out
of things that are very natural
		
00:29:57 --> 00:29:59
			for us femininity, you know, just
wanting to be home at
		
00:30:00 --> 00:30:04
			see so many posts of, of women who
tried to go a certain route, but
		
00:30:04 --> 00:30:07
			then realize at a certain point,
like, I actually just really want
		
00:30:07 --> 00:30:11
			to be home and raise children and
have a loving husband and have my
		
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13
			family around me. And there's
nothing wrong with being a
		
00:30:13 --> 00:30:16
			homemaker. And there's nothing
wrong with working, that there's
		
00:30:16 --> 00:30:20
			no issue here. It everybody's
different. But the message is that
		
00:30:20 --> 00:30:24
			no reject everything that I you
know, the traditional part and
		
00:30:24 --> 00:30:27
			just go the other way, the way
where it's all career driven. And
		
00:30:27 --> 00:30:32
			it's all like you said, individual
selfish desire, and no, you know,
		
00:30:32 --> 00:30:34
			responsibility to community, no
responsibility to family, just
		
00:30:34 --> 00:30:38
			reject No, you don't need you just
do what you do you. That's not our
		
00:30:38 --> 00:30:42
			that's not our faith. And here are
women who were able to do it all,
		
00:30:42 --> 00:30:46
			they may, in many cases, they had
incredible legacies of we
		
00:30:46 --> 00:30:50
			mentioned, fidelity Lohana, but
many others, who were first and
		
00:30:50 --> 00:30:53
			foremost servants of Allah
subhanaw taala. That was their
		
00:30:53 --> 00:30:56
			primary identity. They didn't look
to other labels to affirm
		
00:30:56 --> 00:30:59
			themselves, they were servants of
Allah. And then there were in many
		
00:30:59 --> 00:31:03
			cases, wives, they were mothers,
they were daughters, they were
		
00:31:03 --> 00:31:07
			sisters, and they embrace all of
those roles, and knew that these
		
00:31:07 --> 00:31:11
			were valuable roles, not because
they were looking to other people
		
00:31:11 --> 00:31:14
			to dictate to them, but because
Allah subhanaw That told them and
		
00:31:14 --> 00:31:17
			they believe in God, and that is
who they turn to for meaning and
		
00:31:17 --> 00:31:22
			purpose. So these examples are,
you know, and there's so many of
		
00:31:22 --> 00:31:25
			them, but be familiar with them,
feel free to take pictures, and
		
00:31:25 --> 00:31:28
			then we'll stop inshallah for
Aisha and we'll come back and hear
		
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29
			more from him.
		
00:31:32 --> 00:31:32
			You guys have to