I
am concerned about the segregated seating arrangements in colleges and
Universities for seminars and other educational activities organized by
Muslim Students Associations in the United Kingdom.
Unlike the
Students Association in the United States, where both men and women
manage and participate, the MSA’s in UK seem to be run over by the boys.
These boys become instantaneously
Sanctimonious Muslims when they have a responsibility to manage a
Muslim loaded event. The more they “control” women to go sit elsewhere,
the greater the Muslim they become! What a phony Muslimness!
It’s
not only the boys, some of the Imams who come around to give Sermons at
special events, invariably make a comment to women sitting somewhere in
the darkness in the back to quit gossiping! Darn it, when your lecture
is so idiotic, men do the same, either gossip or go to their i-phones
and Samsungs. I am glad I don’t go to these events, but when I do, I
will tear them apart for such an abusive and disrespectful comment
towards women. Remember, our silence gives them permission to continue
doing the wrong. Speak up; the other goats will jump in later.
Steering
women and men to different sitting areas in the name of Islam needs to
go. A man or a woman should have the freedom to choose, where he or she
is comfortable to sit, nothing should be forced on. There should be no
compulsion.
Do they teach that Islam is about regulating your own
behavior to be a kind, gentle, truthful, trustworthy and caring and
just individual, the Amin, as the Prophet was called. Indeed, that
should be the first foundational Sunnah for Muslims to follow. Islam is not about controlling others personal behavior. Islam
is about freedom – you are individually rewarded or deprived with the
grace of God for your acts, neither the Muslim Students Association nor
the Mufti of your town is even remotely accountable for your acts. Even
Prophet Muhammad, let alone your parents, spouse, siblings, or your
Imam will not come to your rescue in your reflective solitude or the Day
of Judgment. Prophet Muhammad did not assign the responsibility to
teach Quran to anyone either.
The Hijab or segregation is a
cultural product of predominantly Muslim nations, there is no sanction
for it in Islam. The very first and foremost place of worship does not
have segregation, even to this day. Men and women perform Hajj
together, God wants all of us together without distinction.
Muslims
living in UK, US, France, Canada or elsewhere have their own culture,
or modified culture without any reluctance. Unlike Saudi Arabia, where
women are taken care of, the women living in other nations have to learn
to live on their own, earn their own and support their kids if they
have to, and their culture should be based on their needs and not the
needs of Saudi Arabia.
Shame on those parents who make their
daughters dependent on men, and when that man dies, or runs off – it
puts the woman in a difficult situation. Is that how the parents care
for their daughters? She should be free and able to handle her own
affairs. The prophet had said to Fatima, you will not get a free ticket
to paradise just because you are my daughter; you have to earn it like
everyone else.
If a woman is trained to live in segregation how
would she handle in situations when her father, brother, husband or son
is not around. Love is not making a dependent out of the loved ones. If
we love, yes, if we love our loved ones, we make them independent, free
and able to stand on their own in contingencies with the least
suffering.
By the way the stories are similar with Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Christians and others from Asia.
# # #
How do universities deal with gender segregation?
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/may/27/gender-segregation-university-voluntary-equality
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a
writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work
place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in
Standing up for others
and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on
national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at Dallas
Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work
through many links.