Yassir Fazaga – Islam Women

			Closer to the mic.
		

			There's a perception I believe that in the Islamic faith that women are somewhat subjugated are
perhaps denied an education or just not given, you know, equal opportunities as demand. Would you
speak the truth of that situation, please? Sure. And this is what we call a marvelous case of
schizophrenia.
		

			When you consider the issue of women in the Muslim world, give you a quick example. So the most
populated Muslim country in the world is Indonesia. 400 million Muslims. Prime Minister is a woman,
second most populated Muslim country in the world is Bangladesh. 160 million. Prime Minister is a
woman she's actually handicap woman as well.
		

			The leader of the opposition is also another woman. Third most populous Muslim country is Pakistan.
The prime minister was a woman, fourth most populous, populated Muslim country in the world is India
Prime Minister was a woman. So you've got over half a billion Muslims ruled by four powerful women
say Good job Muslims. I mean, look at you, you know, you did that. Yeah. But see in Saudi Arabia, a
woman cannot drive a car. Sir. Wait a minute. What What do you mean 60% of college students in Iran
are actually females in the US. It's at 58% of college students are famous. They say good jobs. Look
at that, you know, educational opportunities. Yeah. But in Afghanistan, girls can't really go to
		

			school.
		

			Well, in the Jordanian parliament, there are more female parliament members than there are in the
House and the Senate combined here in the US. So it's a good job participation, political
participation for women. Yeah, but see, in places like Kuwait, women cannot really vote. Well, which
one represents you? depends on where you're looking at. It depends on where you are looking at. But
you are right about the impression that people have out there. That impression, I believe results
from three things, the images that we see in Afghanistan, if you are a woman, you have to be out and
you've got to be wearing your burqa, and you cannot leave. And if you leave, like not dressed like
		

			this, we will do one, two, and three. But man, Afghanistan is just one single small place in a
compared to the rest of the Muslim mall. So we've taken that and we've painted an entire picture of
what the rest of the Muslim world looks like. Here's what we believe in. Number one is equality in
creation, meaning that men and women are created from the same substance. You know, the idea of this
isn't the book of Genesis of how he was created from the realm of Adam, that is not there in the
Quran. It says that men and women are created from the same substance. Number two, equality as far
as God's expectations of men and women, God does not expect more of women than he does have men or
		

			vice versa, there is no favoritism as far as God is concerned. Number three, for us, personal
accountability between men and women is absolutely very equal in in the in the Quran. However,
having said that, the practices of the people are not necessarily a reflection of the Quran. So I
can say, America is a Christian state. What does that mean that it reflects Christianity and
everything that they do? Not really, you know, that every 24 seconds in the US there is a woman who
is being abused. She's either slapped or kicked somebody spitting on her face, somebody shoving her
calling her name? That's one every 24 seconds, that is what is going on.
		

			And you look into this. And so what does that reflect what reflects the culture that the people are
on that the people are in? So the case may be that in some of these places? Yes. That is the case
they speak about who gets a medical attention when people get sick in places like Pakistan, said
that most likely, the boys would be taken to doctors but not the girls. Well, why is that find out
that's actually economics. The girl is the guide that the boy is the one that is working. And what
happens is that his health is very important to the rest of the of the family, and the family cannot
afford so when they choose, they choose to take the boy to the to the doctor because it is that boy
		

			that is supporting the rest of the family. I'm not saying this to excuse the behavior. And I'm not
saying this that there is a justification or an explanation to it. I'm just letting you know what is
going on. So you are right about the observation that this is something that happens within the
Muslim culture, but that is not necessarily because of the teachings of Islam.
		

			Will you speak to the ideas of beauty sacred
		

			And the freedom of the burqa, or the veil or the shed door. Good question. So as far as the dress
code is concerned, in Islam, there are actually guidelines that you know what modesty and decency is
expected both of men and women, however, like the rest of the teachings of the Quran, when it comes
to rituals, me put it this way. The Quran says that there are two types of authorities, there is an
authority that is legal authority, governmental authority, and then there is the authority of the
conscience, all rituals, personal obedience to God, they lie under the authority of conscience, not
under legal authority, meaning that these are things that you do willingly, if you choose to. And if
		

			you choose not to, nobody can force you to pray, nobody can force you to have a relationship with
God. So as far as that is concerned, that is something that you choose. I have five sisters been
blessed to have five sisters, some of my sisters they choose to wear and some of my two sisters
choose not to wear for example, because that is just something that is personal freedom. And the
idea here is that it is a reflection of modesty. It is a reflection of decency. And like I said
earlier, that is done.
		

			Or like we're not the first to do this Catholic nuns, that is what they look like. In ultra Orthodox
Judaism of growth in Orthodox Jewish woman, she's a with a wig, or she wears a scarf.
		

			You know, up till the 1960s and 70s. In the US, if you were to go to church on Sunday, most of women
would either be wearing a scarf or they would have you know, their big hearts. It's in the book of
Romans, and St. Both he spoke about how women ought to be when they come to, to,
		

			to church. So we in the Muslim community do not believe that anything that we do is noble or new, we
believe that it is carrying a legacy that has actually started from from before. So an expression of
freedom she either worried or she did not wear it, an expression of obedience to God, and it is an
expression of decency and modesty.
		

			every successful man needs a DJ.
		

			So the first person to embrace Islam was a woman. The first person to die for Islam was a woman. To
me.
		

			The greatest scholar of Islam was a woman.
		

			The person who loved the Prophet the most was a woman who was a woman.
		

			The person who made the biggest sacrifice for Islam in one day was a woman.
		

			One of the greatest fighters in Islamic history was a woman cola been.
		

			She fought on the back of horses, kill many Kufa and expired the Mujahideen on to go on the warrior
behind the veil a woman.
		

			Women were at the forefront of this Islamic awakening side by side with Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam