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'Gender equality sows discord'; Western feminists 'ruining' Muslim societies
 KUWAIT CITY: The secretary-general of the International Islamic Committee for Women and Children affiliated to the International Islamic Council for Propagation and Relief has strongly criticized attempts by Western feminists to undermine Muslim societies through anti-Islamic proposals that they get adopted at international women forums. Kamilia Hilmi Mohammed, speaking on the topic 'International detachment to issues affecting women' at the Kuwait Journalists Association's premises in Shuwaikh Tuesday, said Western feminists have hijacked various international conferences to promote ideas at variance with Islamic teachings on family coherence and tried to portray these ideas as basic to development and progress of Muslim women.She said all divine religions grant rights to women and consider marriage as the base of the family and society. However, feminists under the slogan 'we can do it' alone think women can be successful and achieve their rights and equality if they are totally independent of men. She said the feminists reject family values and marriage between man and woman, reject motherhood and childbirth and contend 'that your body is your own' which you can use for what you like. Kamilia, an Egyptian and engineer by profession, said some recommendations issued at international women conferences encourage licentiousness by calling early marriage 'a violence against women' while at the same time advocating for early sex education that has resulted in teenage pregnancies in many countries. She said curtailing the rights and responsibilities of men in the family in the name of promoting gender equality does not augur well for Islamic families as is evidenced in countries like Morocco. In a contribution, Dr Naima Al-Shaiji disagreed with Kamilia and said the United Nations does not impose proposals put forward at international women forums on countries. For his part, economist Amir Al-Tamimi said western feminists, although vocal, represent a minority of the population and their influence should not be overblown. He said issues concerning personal status in Islamic societies must be reviewed because they contrast with Islamic teachings. For instance, he said, a divorced Kuwaiti woman cannot apply for passports for her children. In a brief introductory, Kuwait University Political Science lecturer Dr Massouma Al-Mubarak said women must gain full rights since they constitute three quarters of the world's population and it has been determined that they are central to the development and progress of society. She said the lecture is taking place on a day Kuwait's Parliament approved an amendment to the Kuwait Municipality Law to allow women stand for Municipal council elections. She said the parliament's approval gives hopes for acquisition of political rights by Kuwaiti women. Dr Al-Mubarak said women in many parts of the globe suffer discrimination despite religious teachings guaranteeing their rights and this has forced the UN to champion women's rights since the international convention on human rights was passed in 1948. Posted by: Fred 2005-04-21 |
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