Muslim Women In Western Media
The media depicts Islam and Muslim women very negatively. Muslim men are portrayed as oppressing their women by not allowing them freedom or to mix freely with the opposite sex.
Our women are depicted as slaves who lead miserable lives. Whenever a Muslim is faced with a problem (especially a woman), the news grabs headlines globally.
A perfect example is the Amina Lawal case (2006). She was sentanced to death for adultery. This story made prime time news for months, with even the Sunday papers releasing full page articles covering the incident.
The irony of it all is that millions of people are currently dying due to HIV/ AIDS worldwide and one of the main reasons why it is spreading like wildfire is the promiscuity within today’s society.
Here was a religion, a country and a law that took steps towards enforcing ideals that promote healthy sexual behavior and instead of the media attempting to understand the wisdom of these age old laws, it has declared them barbaric.
Much more recently, European countries are passing laws that ban the wearing of the scaf and the media is not shouting foul and freedom and democracy. Wear a kinky, shrinky bikini, it’s all right. wear a scaf or “hijab”—it is not all right.
The media puts their ideal woman as being a democratic, liberated and progressive icon which women of today are encouraged to emulate. They convince us that women should be dazzling and sexy with the aid of makeup and kinky clothing.
Their ideal woman is made to appear sophisticated by showing her driving plush cars and sitting in luxurious offices. It appears that these women are having the time of their lives while partying, drinking, smoking– enshrouded in an atmosphere of glitz and glamour. it’s the “perfect” way of life.
The media also campaigns for the “equality of women” in the work place, in the eyes of the law and on the sports field.
We Muslims must not be blinded by this “window dressing”. We must be weary for “All that glitters isn’t gold.” We should look beneath the surface and consider all the implications of our actions before foolishly imitating this “supposedly” modern way of life.
Most importantly, our values should not be sidelined or treated inferiorly to their shouts of Democracy.
Careful scrutiny of the “modern” women unearths the considerable challenges that she is faced with due to a so-called “liberated” lifestyle. In South Africa, one woman is raped in every 26 seconds (more than1.2 million women a year), most of which are gang rapes.
In Japan women had to lobby for separate train couches because they were being molested while traveling in crowded trains.
In India female foetuses are aborted because parents are unwilling or unable to pay the high dowry required for marriage.
In South Africa pregnant women are abandoned by men who cannot afford the exorbitant labola’ claims. These women are left destitute and impoverished to raise their children on their own.
Adultery and divorce are the latest trends, with sexual harassment raging rampantly through the workplace.
There is sufficient evidence that this “poster child” of a ‘hip, liberated and invincible” woman created by the propaganda churned out by the western media is in fact usually evaded by long term happiness. This point is further illustrated by reality TV talk shows.
The Islamic way of life in contrast offers its women folk dignity, contentment, respect and ultimately long term happiness.
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Peace be upon Muhammad Sallallahu Allayhi Wasallam.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi.
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saab RA)
Author: Mohamed Hassan Gaffoor WhatsApp +27849101486.
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