Maryam Amir – Women in Islam what we make normative

			Many may tell you that a woman's
voice is a aura, but what less may
		

			be able to tell you is that the
Mahar is a gift the husband owes a
		

			wife that, if not given in
completion, before or during the
		

			marriage, remains a debt that he
owes her, including after a
		

			divorce. Many may tell you that a
woman's most important act of
		

			worship is wearing hijab. Few may
be able to tell you is that in
		

			Islamic history, there are court
cases in which a woman who was the
		

			victim of domestic violence would
go to a judge, and the judge would
		

			order that the husband, because of
his abuse, be physically assaulted
		

			in retaliation, and of course, she
could have a fusque or a
		

			dissolution of the marriage. Many
may cite scholarly discussions on
		

			whether or not women should give
lectures in public settings, but
		

			few could tell you about women's
economic rights in Islam,
		

			including an inheritance. She may
inherit more than a man, the same
		

			amount as a man, or if a man
inherits double he's also required
		

			to financially support different
woman in his life. This list is
		

			unending that speaks to what we've
allowed to become our normative
		

			cultural discourse when related to
women's issues. Unfortunately,
		

			because of this, we have a rise of
zealous but completely untrained
		

			Dawa influencers who cite a hadith
related to women's issues with no
		

			context, with no commentary from
literally centuries of
		

			scholarship. How are we even
questioning why women wonder very
		

			sincerely asking, but being
worried to even ask what a woman's
		

			rights and role even is. It is
time right now for us as a
		

			community to come to a reckoning
before Allah holds us accountable.
		

			Of course, there is personal
responsibility, but there's also
		

			community accountability for the
women who are converts, who enter
		

			our religion and then leave it.
For the daughters who are sexually
		

			assaulted and then live in fear
and silence. For the women who
		

			have anxiety attacks when praying
or listening to the Quran because
		

			of spiritual abuse, for the women
who go to the Imam seeking support
		

			because they are victims of
domestic violence and who are told
		

			to just pray and be patient, and
when she prays for protection and
		

			doesn't feel protected, she she
wonders why Allah isn't answering
		

			her. That's not Allah not
listening. That's a community that
		

			isn't trained to support men,
women and children who go through
		

			all of this. We have incredible
Imams, sheikhas and community
		

			organizations deeply invested. We
simply need to streamline systems
		

			of accountability. Hire women,
resident scholars at every single
		

			Masjid. Hire lawyers, social
workers, therapists. To streamline
		

			supporting members professionally,
so that it doesn't all fall on an
		

			imam who's trained in Islamic law,
not mental health or relationship
		

			crises. Islam is incredible, and
we owe it to our religion to
		

			reflect its beauty in our spaces.