Islam and Oppression of Women

"We have just enough religion to make us hate, and not enough to love one another!" - Jonathan Swift, 18th century writer and philosopher.

On February 21, 1994 I was a very happy going successful engineering consultant. I thought I had it all, money, stature, a nice home, supportive husband, an adorable son, and a fulfilling profession. Then on February 22 came the early morning phone call from my uncle in Tehran, which shattered my world and changed the direction of my life forever. On that early morning I learned about my sister Homa¹s self-immolation protest in a public square in Tehran against the oppressive regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran and their treatment of women. Her last cries were death to tyranny, long live freedom, long live Iran.

My sister, Homa, in addition to being a doctor of medicine, was an outspoken feminist and a political activist. In 1990 she was ordered to comply with the strict rules of hijab, the covering of women. She refused.

With her refusal, she became the target of an ordeal uncounted women of all ages are facing in the Islamic societies today and throughout the history of Islam.

Homa was a medical doctor, who specialized in Pediatrics, General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and was licensed to practice medicine in 49 states of the United States except Florida.

To help Iranian children suffering from mental disorders who were denied care and often ignored, she returned to Iran in 1976 and was hired as a professor at the University of Tehran School of Medicine. She opened her private practice at the same time and very quickly became known throughout Iran for her advanced approach to mental health.

She established the first children's Psychiatric Clinic in Tehran.

During the 1978 revolution, she was one of the strong supporters of Iran¹s democratic revolution, however, when democracy was hijacked by Islamic theocracy, Homa became devastated and totally broke away from all politics. She then devoted her time to her profession as a Medical Doctor and continued her struggles as a women's rights activist.

In 1992, at a medical conference in Tehran she stated that without a chador (the cover for Iranian women) a woman couldn¹t do much, however under the chador she could do everything including carrying guns and bombs.

To silence her, in retaliation, she was first fired from her position as a professor of Medicine at the University of Tehran and was later harassed in her private practice. At age 54, she finally had to close down her practice, and be confined to her home for the first time in her life.

As a prominent psychiatrist, her services were requested by devastated and helpless parents whose daughters were subjected to flogging and beating for such violations as wearing make up and nylons. These devastated parents would beg her to go to the courts and declare their daughters insane to suspend their punishment.

To label a perfectly, healthy, sane young woman insane was not an issue with those desperate parents. They wanted their daughters unharmed, but it was an agonizing issue with Homa. She was ruining a young life forever. The book Rage Against the Veil written by my son and myself published in English by Prometheus Books, describes the courageous life and death of my sister, Homa. The book has been published in German, Dutch and Persian.

Following the loss of my sister I could no longer continue with my profession. Someone had to speak on behalf of millions of oppressed women living under the Islamic laws of Sharia. I established Dr. Homa Darabi Foundation a nonprofit organization concerned with all violations of human rights focusing on defending the rights of women against religious, cultural and social abuse.

I felt compelled to act, so I began my research in Islam. My objective was to gain knowledge about a religion or implementation of the rules and laws of that religion, which makes a healthy, educated, accomplished and life-loving physician, a mother, wife, daughter and sister with so much to look forward to, to take her own life publicly in such horrific manner, as protest against oppression of women in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Growing up in Tehran in a family of by-name only Muslims we had very little religious education. Religion was not an issue in our family. My sister and I watched our parents at different times perform some of the religious rituals such as sacrificing a lamb, making charitable contributions and so on. In reality many of those rituals were fundamentally Persian traditions.

After 10 years of researching Islam I have come to the conclusion that there is no compatibility between Islam and democracy, equality and justice for all. I find Islam a religion of discrimination: discrimination between men and women, rich and poor, master and slave and above all Muslims and non-Muslims. Here I focus only on the gender discrimination in Islam.

The only solution to remove these discriminations from closed religious societies is through secularization. We must promote religion as a private issue between a person and his or her God or the lack there of.

With God out of public life the most divisive issue between all people will disappear. Today, the majority of hostilities between people and even nations are due to differences in their perceptions of organized religions and Gods. The recent U.S election confirms this rift where God, Guns and Gays trumped pocket book issues such as healthcare, social security and education.

The Koran is comprised of Sura¹s or chapters and Ayehs or revelations. These revelations were revealed to the prophet at different times and since the Koran was compiled some 25 to 60 years following the death of the prophet there is really no basis or dates on the order in which these revelations were supposedly revealed to the prophet. And there were no witnesses to confirm.

At the time of compiling the Koran, people who were in the circle of the prophet¹s close associates provided the revelations as they had memorized them. The majority of the revelations were recited by his third and forth wives. Ayesha daughter of Abu Baker, was his third wife. Abu Baker was prophet¹s closest friend and the first man who accepted Islam. Ayesha and the Prophet got engaged when she was 6 years of age and supposedly consummated their marriage in the year 623 when she was 9 and he was 53. She was the only virgin he married. She was his favorite wife among the 9 to 45 women believed to have been in his harem. It has been said that the prophet died with his head on her lap and below her bosom in the year 632.

And Hafsah, daughter of Omar, was the Prophet¹s fourth wife. She married him in the year 625. She was 18 years old and had lost her husband. Some Muslims believe that the prophet married Hafsah to promote Islam in her father¹s clan.

Referring to a revelation in the Koran it is customary to use the number of the chapter and then the number of the revelation with a colon between. So a Koran 4:33 refers to Chapter 4, revelation 33.

In Islam women are considered to be ward of their fathers when they are children, and wards of their husbands when they marry and wards of their sons and grandson, or some male relative for life. If they don¹t have a male relative they become the wards of state until they die.

This is due to revelation 2:228 that states, "men have a degree above women." This means that Allah created men superior to women and gave men the responsibility for women.

However, in Islam a girl is considered a full woman at age 9 and a boy is considered a full man at age 15 with all the responsibilities associated with a grown up such as praying, fasting, getting married and be punished for their crimes. I have wondered if women mature 6 years before men do, then why should men be in charge of women?

We know that throughout the history of Abrahamian religions, till quite recently, prior to feminist movement in the West, men were generally sole providers for their families. And they still are in some orthodox societies, such as Saudi Arabia and even in many religious families around the world.

The Koran 4: 34. States that "men are the maintainers of women and spend their property on women; therefore, the good women must be obedient, and to those women on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them." And the Koran 2:223 tells men that your wives are a field for you, so go into your field whenever you like.

Mohammed¹s first wife Khadijeh, a forty-year old business woman was twice divorced, with children when she made a proposal of marriage to the 24-year old Mohammed. Immediately following their wedding, she handed over her business to her new husband and was completely devoted and submissive to him.

Perhaps the word Islam, total submission to the will of Allah, comes from his wife¹s devotion to him, which resulted in his need for total devotion to a higher power.

This may be the background that in Islam a married woman should always and unconditionally be ready to meet her husband's sexual needs and if she refuses, she loses all rights of shelter, food, clothing etc. However, if a man has sexual intercourse with his wife one night every four months he has performed his marital duty toward her. And she will not be allowed to complain or ask for divorce due to desertion.

Mohammed declared his prophecy when he was forty years of age and during the first 13 years when his first wife was alive he did not receive any revelations from Allah that he should take other wives.

However, When Khadijeh died in the year 619 or 620, he took another wife Sawda only a couple of months after. The prophet under order from Allah married or took as concubine a woman every few months until his death in the year 632.

In Koran Muslim men are supposed to have only four permanent wives at the same time. But the prophet was exempted from this rule. Allah had given him permission to have as many as he chose.

As an example: one day the prophet goes to his adopted son¹s Zeid house and sees through an opening of a window his wife Zeinab, bathing. He immediately falls in love with her and asks Zeid to divorce his wife so that he could marry her.

When his tribes men objected to this marriage Allah immediately came to the prophet¹s defense and sent revelation 33:37 "When Zeid had accomplished his want of her, We gave her to you as a wife." She was also Mohammed¹s cousin and 38 years of age when they got married.

People were made to believe that this marriage was under direct order from Allah. It is reported that on their wedding night he was so anxious to be alone with her that he had revelation 33:53 that basically asked the guests to eat and get out.

33:53. "0 you who believe! do not enter the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, but when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken the food, then disperse"

In this same revelation Allah tells the Prophet to tell his guests that "when they speak with prophet¹s wives, the men should speak to them from behind a curtain."

This revelation is the basis for the segregation of the sexes. Non-related men and women must speak to one another while separated by a curtain.

In another example, the Koran 33:50 Allah becomes quite generous to Mohammed with this revelation "0 Prophet! surely we have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a believing woman if she gave herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to marry her‹specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

While in another revelation 33-28 "Oh prophet! Say to your wives: If you desire this world¹s life and it¹s adornment, then come, I will give you a provision and allow you to depart a goodly departing." Basically telling them to accept whatever he brings them or be divorced.

And in 33:29, the revelation tells to wives of the prophet "if you desire Allah and his Apostle and the later abode, then surely Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a mighty reward."

Thus telling women to submit to the will of your husband not for happiness in this world but for what they may receive in the next life. This revelation could be the basis for the law that say "a woman should endure any violence or torture imposed on her by her husband for she is fully at his disposal. Without his permission she may not leave her house even for a good action (such as charitable work). Otherwise her prayers and devotions will not be accepted by Allah and curses of heaven and earth will fall upon her".

When his wives complained about his month long excursion with 20 year old Joyrieh, daughter of Hares, a slave girl presented to Mohammed in the year 627. The Prophet receives the following revelations in the Prohibition chapter 66.

 66:1 "O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."  Then in 66:5. Allah tells the prophet to tell his wives to shut up or they will be divorced. "Maybe, his Lord, if he divorces you will give him in your place wives better than you, submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, adorers, who fast, widows and virgins

66:6. "O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones; over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what he commands them, and do as they are commanded. Therefore for women to have a place in heaven they must accept Allah¹s commands."

There is a saying by Mohammed that states "I was standing by the edge of fire (hell) and the majority of the people going in were women."

In the Koran Allah meddles in the Affairs of the Prophet and his wives 17 times, each time in his favor. In fact Ayesha once tells him "I see that your Lord is quick to grant your wishes."

And in 8:12 Allah reveals that, " I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them."

Islam has always spread by striking terror in the hearts of the people. By promising men superiority above women, by requiring total submission to Allah as interpreted by the clergy, by assuring them of wine and virgins in heaven and four permanent wives and as many as they want as slaves or concubines and by casting terror in the minds of nonbelievers.

We must realize that the Prophet Mohammed suffered from epilepsy. His revelations have been recited by him following his seizures. And in deed the revelations were collected and published in the latter part of the 7th century decades after his death.

Today we are living in the 21st century. Secular democracies have enabled us to succeed in science and technology. We live much longer and are more prosperous. It is not logical to ask women to be subservient to the will of their fathers, husbands and/or sons or grandsons.

It is not comprehensible to mandate that all women must stay home, bear children, submit to the will of their providers and accept to be one of the four co-wives.

Women have proven time and time again that they are capable of performing any task from leading their nations in times of peace and prosperity to war and destruction just as well as men. Is it acceptable to ask half the world¹s population to live as slaves to their male counter parts?

Should women¹ lives in the 21st Century be worth only half that of a man, any man? Should their testimony in the court of law be not accepted as fully as that of a man? Should women be stoned to death in this Century because of adultery? Should nine-year old girls be given away in marriage to men old enough to be their grandfather or any man regardless of their age?

A 9-year old girl is not a woman she is just a child and climate has nothing to do with it. A 9-year old in the hot deserts of Saudi Arabia is the same as a 9-year old in glaciers of Alaska or mild temperatures in Madrid.

Should women be forbidden to apply for divorce, get custody of their children, strive for a better life by going to universities and studying any subject that they please? Shouldn¹t all women from every country around the globe be able to compete at the international Olympics forum? Should anyone be killed for criticizing any religion including Islam? Like they did to Teo Van Gogh in the Netherlands for making a documentary critical of Islam?

Millions of men, women and children have been tortured, flogged, burned, stoned to death and left alone in dungeons in our history due to religious tyranny.

Today, in the Islamic Republic of Iran women such as Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, and Fereshteh Ghazi, two Iranian Journalists and human rights activists have been detained in solitary confinement for 'acts against national security and spreading propaganda?

Should such women as Zahra Kazemi an Iranian-Canadian journalist die under Islamic torture apparatus for just taking pictures of the parents of the detainees outside the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran?

Or should an educated medical doctor such as my sister Dr. Homa Darabi be removed from her position because she did not cover properly? Or a fourteen year-old should be flogged to death as it was done in Iran for eating in public during Ramadan just couple of weeks ago?

It is a crime for the world to stay silent against these atrocities done to men, women and children in the name of some religious edict given centuries ago.

Human beings have traveled from ice age to the stone-age to the agricultural age, to industrial age and today, we live in the information age. However, it is with great regret to report that the religious dogma is still alive and trying with enormous force to take us back to the dark ages.

The Sharia laws must be discarded in order to establish secular democracies. Madras¹s where boys are taken from their home and parents at age five to sit and memorize the revelations in Arabic without comprehension until they rich the age 15 must be closed. Instead we must build secular preschools, schools, and universities with scientific curriculum for our children and grandchildren to strive and succeed in a peaceful world.

If we could add the number of people who have lost their lives due to religious dogma that number would exceed the collective number of people who died in wars through out the history of mankind.

The only way to stop the religiously based terrorism is for the freedom-loving people of the world to join us to fight for secular democracies and an end to all theocracies. We, at Dr. Homa Darabi Foundation, are not alone. There are many organizations and individuals who are working hard to end the religious terrorism through education and understanding.

Just last weekend, as many as 20,000 took to the streets in the western German City of Cologne to protest the use of violence in the name of Islam with slogan "Hand in Hand for Peace and Against Terror. " Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder called on Muslims living in Germany to better integrate themselves into German society and warned against what he called a "conflict of cultures".

We must join them.

After 10 years of research and study of Islam and Muslims I finally realized why my sister took her life. She preferred death to living in a place where the lowest of the men with no education and nothing to offer their society were considered more valuable by the Islamic laws than she was. Her life was to be in submission to the will of a mad man, her husband. And she needed his consent to leave the country that had no value for her or her expertise.

With education, understanding and secular democracies we would be able to have more than enough passion to love and respect one another. And bury Jonathon Swift¹s statement "We have just enough religion to make us hate, and not enough to love one another! " in the pages of history.

For further information refer to our website at www.homa.org

Parvin Darabi