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Where Is Our Voice?
by
Barbara Collins
and
Pat Joyce |
Where is the
Christian church? Is it so disjointed that it is
rendered impotent to raise a concerted voice of
support for Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the “gutsy” Somalian
woman and former Muslim who dared to question
Islamic beliefs about the rights of women?
A more pertinent
question is: Who is the church? Every one who
names the name of Christ, that’s who! Is that you?
Yes, YOU are the church, not some governing
body or council. YOU have a voice. Please
use it by coming alongside this woman who has laid
her very life on the line to speak out against the
Muslim treatment of women.
How do Muslims treat women?
Two books, Voices Behind the Veil, by Ergun
Caner, General Editor, and Unveiling Islam by
Ergun and Emir Caner, have highlighted some of the
Qur’an’s and Hadith’s(1)
teachings
concerning women and how these doctrines have
impacted Muslim society. These brothers are former
Muslims who have embraced biblical Christianity.
Some of the basic Islamic beliefs and practices
regarding women are:
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1.
Woman’s Inferiority.
Islam teaches that wives are a
possession, and women are inherently
inferior to men. The Qur’an says in
Suras 2:228 and 4:34(2),
“Men are
superior to women.” Stating his belief
in the inadequacy of the woman’s mind,
Muhammad, the premier Messenger of
Allah, not only reminded women that
their witness is “equal to half that of
a man” (Sura
4:11), but also that he had “not seen
anyone more deficient in intelligence
and religion. (Hadith 2.54). {A
hadith refers to written collections
of the ancient Muslim oral
traditions.}
One flaw the church has continually
failed to remove is their view of women
from preconceived functions rather than
from anointing to justify a non-existent
scriptural mandate for a
“chain-of-command.”
In her contribution to Voices Behind
the Veil on the “Daughters in
Islam,” Suzanne Lea Eppling states the
complementarian(3)
position by saying
“men and women
are different in function yet equal in
essence before God.” Really? Do
Christian women buy the theory of male
headship in the Body of Christ?
Yes! The Bible teaches equality of men
and women. Recent scholarship has
clarified Paul’s intent in the few
passages where he appears to limit
women. Unfortunately, the women who
take a serious look at the original
language and make their judgment based
solely on what the Word says in its
undiluted form without the trappings of
the “doctrines of men” are few and far
between.
Did Jesus really
mean for the church to be dominated by
males with women in subjection not only
to their husbands but to male leadership
in the church as well? Of course not.
Jesus never intended to side with
traditional patriarchy but clearly
demonstrated His positioning with
biblical equality. See the brief
chapter on “Jesus, Friend of Women” from
Sue Hyatt’s book,
In the Spirit
We’re Equal.
2.
Female Circumcision
Such established inferiority is used to
justify female
circumcision(4).
Sometimes called
genital mutilation,
it not only denies sexual pleasure but
also makes intercourse painful and
childbirth more dangerous. The
importance of this horrific act is
underscored by the fact that some
135 million
girls and women worldwide have been
subjected to female circumcision,
of which Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one.
Some Muslims believe female circumcision
is mandated by Islam, but the practice
predates Muhammad and is also common
among some Christian communities.
One of the stated reasons is that a
woman would not be able to control
herself and would end up in
prostitution. Such twisted logic takes
the focus off the male, who was given
permission for polygamy because
one wife just wasn’t enough to protect
the Muslim man from committing
adultery. Therefore, to suppress his
desire for sex, he was allowed up to
four wives; and he could also add
concubines and slaves to his
satisfaction.
3.
Female
Infanticide(5)
Although the practice of female
infanticide was birthed out of
ancient tradition, it is based on the
warped notion of their inferiority.
Female infants were simply laid facedown
in the desert sand or buried in a
waiting grave as soon as they were
born. Although Muhammad banned the
practice of female infanticide
when he wrote, “killing them is a great
sin” (Sura
17:31), yet he did little more than
grant them the right to live.
Female infanticide is a greater problem
in India and China, but it has never
completely stopped in Muslim nations.
Are you aghast that infanticide is found
in Islamic practice? Then, surely you
are aghast as well that many in the
United States are FOR partial-birth
abortion. At least females born in the
Muslim faith, yet targeted for a
“waiting grave” following birth, receive
more recognition than an aborted baby in
the Western world. Somehow a “waiting
grave” has more dignity than a trash
can.
If
you are one who in the past has yielded
to an abortion, remember that God said,
“I will heal their backsliding, I will
love them freely.” (Hosea 14:4). When
you ask for His forgiveness, He indeed
forgives and promises to love you
freely. His ways are never meant to
crush but to lift you.
4. Women and Education.
Since Muslims believe that women possess
an inferior mentality to men, one can
see how that logic easily leads to women
not being encouraged to seek an
education. After all, Muslims
view the major function of a woman as
fulfilling her designated role as wife
and mother (Sura
2:233; 7:189). Never mind that Muhammad
supported the right of equal education
of men and women. With males firmly in
charge of the educational system in
Islamic countries, their culture is
“safeguarded” from supposed female
inferiority. When women are educated or
simply able to read, they are more
likely to question and reject the
cultural and religious systems that
limit their influence. The fact that
the power to read is denied Muslim women
in India is proved by their illiteracy
rate of 98 percent. Sadly, most of the
Muslim world is ignoring the fact that a
large body of research has established a
strong correlation between literacy and
social development with the greatest
social benefits accruing from the
extension of basic education to girls
and women(6).
5. Women’s
Identity in Marriage. A Muslim
woman’s identity is largely
anchored in her role as wife and child
bearer. The duty of the wife is to give
her husband comforts in his bed whenever
he wants her (Qur'an
61). Christians believe that one’s
identity, male or female, is our being
bound to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Beyond that relationship, some of us,
whether we admit it or not, limit our
identity to marriage and motherhood.
Whether Muslim or Christian, neither
denies that the strength of a people
comes from the strength of the family.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali left Somalia for the
Netherlands to escape a forced
marriage. In many circumstances,
the bride and groom do not meet until
the day the wedding contract is signed.
Muslim culture dictates that a father
has the right to marry his daughter to
anyone he wishes without her consent,
one reason being that marriage is as
much a joining of two families as two
individuals. Where is a woman’s right
to choose her own mate? Surely that
question was asked by Ayaan.
Just for the record, the marriage of
child brides is alive well in the
present century with “child” being a
girl younger than fourteen years old.
The only requirement is that her
menstrual cycle should have started.
Eppling concludes her chapter with these
words regarding young, Muslim girls:
“While they wait for someone to tell
them of Jesus, many are brutalized
physically, married off young, and left
to live in ignorance . . . We as
Christians cannot sit back and let
feminist groups and secular child
advocates fight alone for the plight of
millions of girls behind the veil of
Islam.” Well said, Suzanne!
6. Women and Abuse.
According to the Qur’an, the man has the
responsibility to admonish his wife, to
desert her sexually, and to beat her
to correct any rebelliousness in her
behavior. This beating is the husband’s
unquestionable right. The Qur’an ties
righteousness to a wife being obedient
to her husband as well as assuring her
the key of Paradise. Should a Muslim
woman fear rebelliousness in her
husband, she should resort to diplomacy;
yet when the husband fears
rebelliousness in his wife, the Qur’an
commands abuse and sexual desertion.
Beating the wife is the last resort
before divorcing her, and that
beating must not result in injury (Qur’an 59).
Men can divorce their wives in Islam,
but the wife does not have that right (Sura
2:228). Muslim women will endure
tremendous abuse in an attempt to stay
in a marriage. Why? Divorce often
means she will lose her children and be
left with no means of support.
In
a study that goes beyond, but includes,
Muslims and Christians, a Harvard study
concluded that “globally
men’s violence against women
causes more deaths and disability among
females age 15-44 than cancer, malaria,
traffic accidents or war.” Another
writer determined
that globally, one-third to one half of
all women report being abused. Although
Christianity does not condone the
physical, emotional, or spiritual abuse
of women, it happens anyway,
the church being no exception.
Christians in
America have abdicated their responsibility to stand
up for persecuted Christians worldwide. With all
the tremendous resources at our disposal, the plight
of persecuted Christians
overseas is largely ignored. That being the case,
why should we identify with the persecution of
women, especially Muslim women? When we carry the
heavy load of our “complementarian” baggage around
and fail to see the second-class status of women in
our own churches, our vain attempt is likely our own
failure to see biblical equality between men and
women.
Do we really believe that Ayaan has the right to
free speech? Does she have the right to do what
most Muslim women won’t venture to do—criticize the
physical and emotional abuse of women in Muslim
society? If your answer is yes, then speak as one
who is not behind the veil but as one who has an
unveiled face, reflecting the Lord’s glory, and as
one who is “being transformed into his likeness.”
(II. Corinthians 3:18).
1.
The
Qua’ran (Koran) is the sacred book of the Moslems
that is comprised of reported revelations made to
Mohammad by Allah. A
hadith is a written tradition based on ancient
Muslim oral traditions about the life and teachings
of Muhammad.
2.
Sura is the word for chapter.
3.
For further information on complementarianism, see
CBE International.
4.
Genital mutilation can
involve clipping or burning the clitoris and cutting
the external genitals.
5.
Female infanticide is defined by UNICEF as the
abortion of a fetus because it is female or the
killing of an infant by a relative because it is
female. Infanticide has been practiced as a brutal
method of family planning in societies where boy
children are still valued, economically and
socially, above girls.
6. Adult
Education in a Polarizing World,
Education for All, UNESCO, 1997.
If you have enjoyed
this newsletter, you'll
find past editions by going to the Newsletter
Archives. The topic for each newsletter, since its
inception over four years
ago, is given to help you find something of
interest. However, the newsletter
always contains more than
the main topic. Curious? To take a look,
click here.
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We encourage you to forward the newsletter
to those you believe would be interested.
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This
newsletter is dedicated
to Ayaan Hirsi Ali who
is risking her life to speak out against the
brutality brought to bear against Muslim women by
their husbands
and by their
families.
An editorial in The Dallas Morning News,
December 3, 2005 says:
"You may never have heard
of her, but Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one of the bravest
women on the planet. Ms.
Hirsi Ali, 37, was born in Somalia and fled her
native land for the Netherlands to escape a forced
marriage. She renounced her Muslim faith and became
an advocate of the rights of women in Islamic
countries. She has repeatedly denounced what she
describes as the physical and emotional abuse of
women in Muslim society, even among Islamic
immigrant communities in Europe, where forced
marriages and female genital mutilation are not
uncommon.
“In
2003, she was elected to the Dutch Parliament but
has had to go into hiding on several occasions after
receiving death threats. Her most recent retreat
into the underground came after the Nov. 2 slaughter
of filmmaker Theo van Gogh on the streets of
Amsterdam. Police have charged a Muslim extremist
with that murder. Ms. Hirsi Ali collaborated with
the assassinated artist on
Submission,
an
11-minute film. .
.
protesting the condition of women under Islam. A
note pinned to the dead man's chest with a dagger
said she would be next.
“Days ago, Ms.
Hirsi Ali gave her first media interview since going
into hiding. As defiant as ever, she
vowed to make a sequel to
Submission,
this one focusing on the oppression of individual
rights in Islamic society.
A jihadi's
knife is the only thing that's going to stop this
courageous woman. Although she is still under
protection, Ali is now back in Parliament and
running for a second term.
“All of us must
do everything we can to protect her.
Whether one agrees with her views on Islam is
entirely beside the point. In the West, no one may
threaten or carry out violence to silence speech.
This fundamental right is under threat today from
Islamic extremists. It must be defended without
hesitation and without apology.
“This African
refugee is an icon of free speech, women's rights
and individual dignity--values at the core of
Western civilization. All who believe in liberty
and human rights--especially artists, writers,
political activists,
feminists--must stand with this
indomitable woman."
As
Christians, we must remember to pray for her safety
while acknowledging that “feminists” used in the
editorial’s last sentence is subject to definition
in Christian circles as well as the difference that
exists between secular and Christian feminists.
Please note that
the above editorial was written on December 3,
2004. Although she is still under protection, Ali
is now back in Parliament running for a second
term. In a nearly unprecedented move, she has
resigned from the Dutch
Labor party and is running for a second term
from a more conservative party.
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What’s
Happening
on the Web? |
We want to call your
attention to some outstanding new articles
that have recently been put up on the website. You
can always find the latest by clicking on “What’s
New” found at the top of each page.
Notice that three of the following four articles are
on abuse. That’s because we have launched a new
section on the website on “Abuse.” Check the home
page in the far right corner of the topics.
What is Verbal Abuse?
- by
Dr. Jay Grady This article is taken from Dr.
Grady's book, Stop Verbal Abuse, in which he
addresses many issues regarding verbal abuse from
recognition to overcoming the effects. Millions of
people around the world are limited in their
pursuits of happiness because of low self-esteem and
lack of confidence as a result of verbal abuse. Much
has been written about physical abuse.
Here the equally damaging subject of verbal
abuse is addressed.
Jesus Was A Feminist
by Leonard Swidler
This article concludes
that our Lord Jesus was a feminist. He defines
feminist as “a person who is in favor of, and who
promotes, the equality of women with men.
A feminist is person who advocates and
practices treating women primarily as human persons
(as men are so treated) and willingly contravenes
social customs in so acting.”
Verbal Abuse in Relationships
-
by
Patricia Evans This article address verbally
abusive relationships which have been ignored by our
culture for thousands of years. It touches on some
forms of verbal abuse from the most subtle to the
most direct and notes that it is not easy for people
in abusive relationships to understand what is going
on.
Spain Hits Back at Abuse
Culture
New laws designed to curb domestic
violence are currently passing through the Spanish
parliament. The BBC World Service's Everywoman programme
examines why the government is
tackling the issue now.
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THE
NEW EDITION OF GOD'S WORD TO WOMEN IS
FINALLY AVAILABLE
To order
Click Here |
When we
undertook the project of reprinting God's Word to
Women, we were ignorant of what it would take both
physically and spiritually to get the job done. The
resistance started slowly and increased steadily as
the process moved forward.
When the
shipment finally arrived, we were down to 8 copies
of the former printing. Despite the problems, God
was right on time. The formatting is not perfect,
but it is much easier to read. We have learned more
of what it means to persevere; and the next time we
reprint, we'll be better prepared for the battle.
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Introducing
"Ask Dr. Jay" |
Dr. Jay Grady, the author of Stop Verbal Abuse,
holds a Ph.D. in Christian counseling from Therapon
University where he graduated with honors. He is a
leading authority in the area of verbal abuse and
verbally abusive relationships. Dr. Jay has been
licensed and ordained for thirty-nine years. He has
been involved in leadership positions of several
churches, serving as an associate or senior pastor.
His years of ministry, counseling hundreds of
individuals, certainly qualify him as an authority
in helping hurting people
Dr. Grady
has volunteered to
answer your questions on verbal abuse.
Here's how
it works. Of
the questions you
submit, he will choose two or three each
month and respond .
He asks that you keep the questions as short as
possible. The
first questions with responses will
be posted in February 2005.
LETTERS
We get mail
nearly every day.
While much of it is from people
in the United States,
a surprising proportion comes from
all around the world.
A link
on our website called
"letters" is
where we post
some of the mail we receive along with our
responses. Should
you be interested in past years, an
archives
section
is posted. Below are a few letters
from the last couple of years.
*********************
This is what I wanted to
know. I hope to learn
more from you. Since I
started teaching some topics from these articles,
God has increased the number of women in our
ministry.
We used to meet in a small house but now we
are meeting at an open ground because of the
increase. The attendance
is growing every week.
Indeed
IT'S A "GOD THING."
Blessings,
Kassim
Kassim has a
women's ministry which has grown from a few to over
100 since he started using material from our site.
Hi,
I've been reading GWTW .
I like it so much that
I've even ordered it,
but I need your advice on
which Bible
I should be reading
(to check what you have written).
Could you please tell me which one is the
closest to the truth ? Thank
you, Suzie
Dear Suzie: There
is a gender neutral NIV translation but right now
there is no Bible that is free from the traditional
bias against women. All it does is correct the
words that are translated
translated
“men” or “man” or “he,” “his”, “him,”
etc., when
it should have been
“person,” or “human,” or “mankind”
or a neuter
pronoun. Personally, I use the Spirit Filled
Life Bible.
However,
all the
comments about women were written
by Larry Christensen ,
author of
The Christian Family,
which is
about as patriarchal as a book can get.
Most of the other notes
are excellent. It is not gender neutral.
When
I have a question about whether men
or both men and women are
meant, I have to look it
up.
You will find
that you are going to have to study to settle the
question in your own mind and heart. There are many
excellent articles on our website and most
give the references for
their information.
Scholarship for
the last 30 or more years has proved
that the bias against women is not scriptural but
the wonderful books
that could be an aid in setting women
and men free from traditional positions have been
kept off the shelves of most bookstores.
When an person
goes against tradition,
much opposition
arises.
Remember what happened to Jesus. Susan
Hyatt's doctoral dissertation is a wealth of
documented references. Some of them are on the
computer where you can access them without having to
go to buy books or order them from inner library
loan. (Your local library will seldom have books on
this topic) Go to her website,
www.icwhp.org and click on
dissertation. Blessings, Pat
Scripture says,
"Study to show yourselves approved." I wish there
were an easier way, but things of value are worth
the work. I find that it is only when I really
study and understand and get that "amen" in my
stomach that I really have "a reason for the hope
that is in me."
We wish you well on your search. If we can be of
any help, please write. Father, I ask you now to
lead Suzie to the information that she seeks. Help
her to find truth and settle this issue in her
heart. We ask in your name.
Dear Suzie:
The only thing I would add to what Pat
wrote is the Study Bible for Women. It is
the New Revised Standard Version and is edited by
Catherine Clark Kroeger, the founder of Christians
for Biblical Equality. Here’s the
link
to this New Testament. The New Testament, of
course, is the place where all the controversy
arises. In His love, Barbara
Just
today received my first newsletter from you - and
all I can say after a very
brief visit to your site is wow -
I delved into the book
GWTW and then ch 11 of God's
Gals - thank you and
tis not by accident that now is the time for you in
my life. mae
And then,
one simply
said:
"You're Nuts!" |