Recently I read a news item that many young girls and even mature women in the west are converting to Islam. These women have been brought up in a Christian environment, yet are converting to Islam. These girls have been brought up in a liberal atmosphere with a degree of economic security, yet they have decided to convert to Islam. These women are ready to wear the hijab and become part of a harem as well and live in the zenana- the exclusive and segregated residence for wives.
This is all good news and one cannot find any rationale for it. Yet it is worth examining what the Muslim woman, born a Muslim feels in the cloistered world of Islam. This question has no easy answer and a lot depends on the makeup of the woman and place of residence.
Islamic women who are educated know the inequality that dogs them from birth. One has to read the novel " The Pakistani Bride" by Bapsi Sidhwa to realise the torture a woman goes through in Muslim society in the Sub-Continent,particularly Pakistan. Muslim women have literally no rights and many right thinking Muslim women are agitating for their rights. But its a no win situation as the roots of discrimination run deep. Many women do not want to wear the black burkha in the heat, but pain of death enforces this. There is no freedom of choice.
Muslim women in particular educated women want to break out of this restrictive fold and many marry Hindu men, albiet after converting them. The reason is the harsh law that prescribes death for a person converting from Islam to another religion; after all everybody wants to live and life is precious.
Women from the west need to think over consequences of converting and joining the ISI. Muslim women are treated as door mats by the ISIS.
This is all good news and one cannot find any rationale for it. Yet it is worth examining what the Muslim woman, born a Muslim feels in the cloistered world of Islam. This question has no easy answer and a lot depends on the makeup of the woman and place of residence.
Islamic women who are educated know the inequality that dogs them from birth. One has to read the novel " The Pakistani Bride" by Bapsi Sidhwa to realise the torture a woman goes through in Muslim society in the Sub-Continent,particularly Pakistan. Muslim women have literally no rights and many right thinking Muslim women are agitating for their rights. But its a no win situation as the roots of discrimination run deep. Many women do not want to wear the black burkha in the heat, but pain of death enforces this. There is no freedom of choice.
Muslim women in particular educated women want to break out of this restrictive fold and many marry Hindu men, albiet after converting them. The reason is the harsh law that prescribes death for a person converting from Islam to another religion; after all everybody wants to live and life is precious.
Women from the west need to think over consequences of converting and joining the ISI. Muslim women are treated as door mats by the ISIS.
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