And I am confident that nary a person in the room dared ask Edina Lekovic about the fact that rather than regarding women as human beings equal to men, the Qur’an likens a woman to a field (tilth), to be used by a man as he wills: “Your women are a tilth for you (to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will” (2:223). It declares that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man: “Get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her” (2:282). It allows men to marry up to four wives, and have sex with slave girls also: “If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice” (4:3). It rules that a son’s inheritance should be twice the size of that of a daughter: “Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females” (4:11). Worst of all, the Qur’an tells husbands to beat their disobedient wives: “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them” (4:34). It allows for marriage to pre-pubescent girls, stipulating that Islamic divorce procedures “shall apply to those who have not yet menstruated” (65:4).
But I’m sure there was no mention of any of this at the University of Texas at Austin. It would have spoiled the lovefest. From the Daily Texan, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
Women have a place of respect and honor in Islam, despite popular misconceptions, a spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council said Thursday. Edina Lekovic, said women have historically had an important role in Islam.
The Quran grants women the right to divorce their husbands, to inherit property and to choose whom they marry, she said in a speech Thursday hosted by the Muslim Student’s Association.
“Within the Quran itself, not only were women granted rights, they were granted revolutionary rights within that historical context,” Lekovic said.
Muslim women should assert themselves as they strive for equal rights, Lekovic said.
“The struggle that Muslim women are dealing with is very much like the struggle of women around the world,” she said.
Lekovic was raised a Muslim, she said. But it was not until college that she looked into different religions and chose to practice Islam. She chose to wear the hijab, the traditional head scarf of Muslim women, due to its symbolic power, she said.
“It is simply a symbol of modesty, insofar as a woman is to be respected for her mind, for her intelligence, for what she has to offer the world, rather than for her body or for her sexuality,” Lekovic said.
Zahra Yusufali, a member of the Muslim Students’ Association, also wears the hijab.
“Muslim men look at women through their heart,” said Yusufali, an applied learning and development freshman.
Sarah Yusufali, Zahra’s twin who is also a member of the association, said one misconception she would like to correct is the idea that Muslims support the activities of Saddam Hussein.
“Killing of any sort is against Islam,” said Yusufali.
Oh brother. Killing of any sort? Even of unbelievers, wherever you find them (cf. Qur’an 2:190-2:193; 9:5; 9:111; 47:4, etc. etc. etc.)?