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dusty books need to make sense in life, and in the light of lived experience.
My experience was to grow up in a household where my mother raised us without the presence of
our father. This sets the scene for my answer to you. My mother survived, and my father did not. This
was unfortunate, but there are millions of households around the Muslim world where fathers are
missing, due to work, war, or death. This means that women are raising their families without the
presence of their husbands.
The other factor to bear in mind is that my sister was the oldest of my siblings. She was the leader
of the children—if I can describe her like this. And what a leader she was! Nothing got past her. She
was sharp tongued and had a commanding presence. By far the most intelligent of the lot, she kept
skipping grades due to her mental abilities. She was in control and knew what she wanted in life.
When you consider my mother’s determined nature, and my sister’s sparkling intelligence, and it is
suggested that girls should be deprived of an education, I laugh. Every single one of us has the right to
an education. And I believe every single one of us has the right to seek out the best education
possible. Why would we deprive our children of great mothers and brilliant sisters? They are people
in their own right, able to think and do and be. In fact, when given the chance, Muslim women far
surpass the skills and education levels of Muslim men. We, as Muslim men, have no right to stand in
their way.