Islams Reformers

who would have sided with and advocated such women.
Those men who want women to be given such a freedom say,
“We do not ask for something illegitimate.” When they are asked
what legitimate things they want, they cannot answer. They
dismiss it by saying, “We will rescue women from slavery.” It is
declared in the 33rd âyat of the sûrat an-Nisâ, “Men are the
educators, employers of women. Allâhu ta’âlâ has created men
superior to women.” They will rescue women from their place
pointed out in this âyat! What on earth is legitimate in this? There
are many reasons and uses why Islam holds men superior to
women. This superiority is a must, a necessity for the orderliness
of family life. Nor does the word, “Man and woman should have
equal rights in the family life. Life is in common,” have any value.
It is declared in the 22nd âyat of the sûrat al-Anbiyâ’, “If there
were another god besides Allâhu ta’âlâ, the Universe would get
out of order and be in utter disorder.” According to those who
base their thought on the strong logic in this âyat, every member
of the family should have a separate right, value, honour and
degree, and a head among the family is necessary. Even in a
republican government, in which the people are said to be given all
rights, there is a head of the State. Then, as in government
administration, the final word has to be ended up by one person in
every assembly and in the family, which is also an assembly.
In order to prove that their statements are right and
legitimate, some reformers support their words by saying, “We
will give women independence in knowledge and science.” Since
by independence or liberty they mean, “We will rescue women
from men’s control,” they intend to say, “We will change the
âyat,” and they call it “slavery” for women to be under men’s
control and not to be able to go where they want without men’s
permission. While Anatolian women, who are crushed under
employment, do not want to escape slavery, the free women of
Istanbul do! They say, “Owing to the freedom of knowledge and
arts, women should work like men and thus escape depending on
men for their living.” Do men twit their women with the bread
they bring home that they will rescue women from this parasitic,
derogatory life? On the contrary, modern women twit their men
with the work they do indoors. They even try to load men with
housework. When attentively observed, Muslim men are in a
more pitiful situation than their women are, for the burden of
earning money, finding and bringing the home’s needs are on
men’s shoulders. To attempt to load women also with this burden
– 102 –