As a Female Muslim-American, I have always viewed Islam to be very woman-empowering and feminist, reading the Quran & many religious scriptures taught me so. As I became more active on social media or just media in general, I found out that many people have accused Islam and its oppression on women. It just turns out that they never read the Quran and its holy scriptures. Women were a integral part of the creation of Islam and still are today.
There is no gender discrepancy in Islam, It is stated in the Quran that ¨ Whoever does righteous good deeds male or female and is a true believer of god such will enter paradise¨. Women and men are always meant to be equal in Islam. Opposite to what most people believe, Islam has a rich & important history of women empowerment. Women kept the idea of Islam alive.
The first Muslim women believer in Islam was Khadija, the first wife of Muhammed (The last prophet of Islam). Her great influence have helped make Islam emerge without fail. She was also a businesswoman who owned many lands of Arabia
I´ve always heard in the media that hijabs are a form of oppression. Hijabs are a headscarf worn by Muslim women and no, its not a form of oppression and its not supposed to be forced by family. Wearing or not wearing is a Muslim woman´s personal decisions.
According to our holy book, women were significant in Islam and still are. One more example of a woman who was important to Islam is Nusayba bint Ka’b Al-Ansariyah. She asked Prophet Muhammed about why there was no women addressed in the Quran. Later after this conversation, a revelation was found by Prophet Muhammed that mentions women are equal to men and stand at the same spiritual level as them. She was and still a important role model in Islam.
The media always perpetuates the oppression of women in Islam without actually learning about the religion at all. Yes, Muslims as a whole group are oppressed in the western world and Islamophobia is on the rise. I do believe that non-Muslims need to talk to actual Muslims to understand the religion better than what the media wants you to believe. If people make the actual effort to learn and not jump into conclusions about social issues like this, the less hate and ignorance the world would have.
