Quote One of their main targets is the Islamic inheritance law where women inherit half of what men get. It is true that in some cases (not all), in Islam, the male heir inherits double the inheritance of the female, as the Qur'an states: "Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's (inheritance): to the male a portion equal to that of two females" (Surah Nisa: 11). A hasty opinion on this matter may consider that such a ruling is unjust. But, we need to understand that this Islamic law of inheritance is based on the primordial Islamic concept of justice. The difference in the inheritance of males and females has nothing to do with favoring males or with male superiority. It is based upon the financial responsibilities which are obligatory for men and not for women. Since Islam gives men more financial responsibilities in the running of a family, in some cases it gives them double what women inherit.
According to Islamic law it is a man's duty to maintain and provide for his wife, children and other members of his family, which might include his father, mother, and brothers and sisters if they are not able to support themselves. Conversely, his wife is not charged with any financial responsibilities, and she is not even financially responsible for herself (even if she is wealthy), as her husband is responsible for her maintenance. Therefore, when a woman inherits half of any inheritance, her financial position is still superior to a man's. Unquote It is time to challenge and overturn the notion that women are men's charge. Let them also be recognised as independent entities eminently capable of taking care of themselves unless all sorts of religious and social hurdles are erected to obstruct that. Let the reactionary antiquated notions be relegated to their proper place, the garbage can of history. Sukla On 7 April 2011 21:51, Mohammad <[email protected]> wrote: > > > URL:http://www.humanrightsinbangladesh.com/71.php > > *Islamic Inheritance Law and Government-Linked Feminists** > in Bangladesh* > *Shimul Chaudhury* > 5 April 2011 > > > > A section of Western feminism is blamed for its complicity with > imperialism, neo-colonialism, globalization and political domination. Its > proponents generally use the dignified term of feminism, but what they > actually do has little relevance to women's emancipation in non-Western > societies and more to the interests of Western governments' foreign > policies. In the context of Bangladesh, we have a similar brand of feminism > that looks out for the interests of one particular political party, that is, > the Bangladesh Awami League. Since this party is in power now, I term this > feminist lobby as Government-Linked Feminists (GLFs). > > > > These feminists are not concerned with women's actual, down-to-earth > problems and, without understanding our cultural and religious contexts, > fall head over heels in love with government's (read Awami League's) > anti-Islam agendas. Islam is the root of all problems of women in Bangladesh > so introduce anti-Islamic laws for women's emancipation – this is what they > tend to promote. They totally forget that the arrival of Islam was for the > emancipation of humans (men and women) from all sorts of bondage and > subjugation, and that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a great > liberator of women. > > > > One of their main targets is the Islamic inheritance law where women > inherit half of what men get. It is true that in some cases (not all), in > Islam, the male heir inherits double the inheritance of the female, as the > Qur'an states: "Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's > (inheritance): to the male a portion equal to that of two females" (Surah > Nisa: 11). A hasty opinion on this matter may consider that such a ruling is > unjust. But, we need to understand that this Islamic law of inheritance is > based on the primordial Islamic concept of justice. The difference in the > inheritance of males and females has nothing to do with favoring males or > with male superiority. It is based upon the financial responsibilities which > are obligatory for men and not for women. Since Islam gives men more > financial responsibilities in the running of a family, in some cases it > gives them double what women inherit. > > > > According to Islamic law it is a man's duty to maintain and provide for his > wife, children and other members of his family, which might include his > father, mother, and brothers and sisters if they are not able to support > themselves. Conversely, his wife is not charged with any financial > responsibilities, and she is not even financially responsible for herself > (even if she is wealthy), as her husband is responsible for her maintenance. > Therefore, when a woman inherits half of any inheritance, her financial > position is still superior to a man's. > > > > Beyond this theological discussion, now let us ask few pertinent questions > in the context of Bangladesh: Are Bangladeshi women suffering because of the > Islamic law of inheritance? Do women in Bangladesh receive even what Islam > has given them? What about so many life-and-death problems that are > crippling women's life in our country? What about rape and forced > prostitution? What about the harassment of women at work places and in the > streets? What about the dowry deaths and dowry divorces? What about the > poor work environment and sexual discrimination of female garment factory > workers? So on and so forth. > > > > The feminists are silent about many of these very important issues. Let me > give few examples and argue that secular Bangladeshi feminists are silent > about many acute problems affecting women in the country: > > > > 1. As reported in the *Daily Star* (Dhaka, 28 September 09) and the *Naya > Diganta* (Dhaka, 30 September 09), Ahsan Kabir Mamun known as Tiger Mamun, > a leader of Pirojpur district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, and some > of his cohorts stopped and raped few female students of a secondary school > after taking them to a secret location. The rapists recorded their sexual > exploits in a mobile phone camera. Later on, CDs of this pornographic scene > of raping the girls became available in video shops in the area. Ashamed of > the social stigma and embarrassed by digital CDs of `digital' BCL, family > members of the rape victims wanted exemplary punishment of the criminals and > resolved to `go for legal action.' The local police administration > accordingly assured the shocked family members of all legal aid and > security. However, the police arrested three people involved in trading in > the CDs, but not the rapist student leaders of the ruling Awami League > party. According to the *Daily Star* (29 September 09), "A similar > incident took place in Faridpur where a girl was gang-raped and the video > was released in the market." But, since the perpetrators are linked with the > ruling party Awami League, no arrests were made in that case either. > > > > 2. Two days after the reporting of Pirojpur digital rapes, on 30 September > 09, the *Daily Sta*r printed another rape report titled "10 BCL men rape > girl" involving leaders of Chhatra League. In this incident, ten activists > of the student wing of the ruling party, Awami League, gang-raped a teenage > girl who is a student of Year-7 in Pakhimara in Kalapara upazila of > Patuakhali district in the division of Barisal. The incident happened when > the victim was returning home with her cousin Nasir Uddin in the evening. > The BCL men tortured and drove the helpless Nasir away and took the girl to > a nearby garden and gang-raped her. > > > > 3. All those who have daughters know very well how much love they shower on > them. Many university and college residential halls in Dhaka and other parts > in Bangladesh are full of such daughters whom their parents sent to the > cities for further education. Since most of them are from the rural areas > with little or no political leverage, their sad stories generally do not > make it to the national newspapers that are largely controlled by political > cabals. However, sometimes their predicaments burst forth to the > circumference of the national media. Many of them fall victims to Chhatra > League's sex trap. > > > > During the current Awami rule, Awami sex crime has taken a new turn. The > usual practice of sex offence by Awami-Chhatra League has turned to be a > `sex business' or `career move'. First year female students belonging to > Chhatra League are duped and used as sex objects. April 2010 was a month in > which such incidents involving female affiliates of Chhatra League of Eden > Women's College in Dhaka were widely reported in the domestic media. Female > students especially those hailing from outside Dhaka are shown an easy way > to realize their dream of becoming leaders and to accumulate huge wealth: > `entertaining' male leaders of Awami-Chhatra League. Senior Chhatra League > leaders of Eden College, with the complicity of the College Principal, > regularly send their juniors to the houses of male leaders, sometimes to > hotels, to `please' them at night. They leave Eden College dormitories at > 10:00 > pm and return the next day at 10:00 am. As reported in newspapers, refusal > to offer this sex service ends with eviction, torture or expulsion from the > party. This `sex business' is a new addition to many other taken-for-granted > businesses of Chhatra League, such as, `admission business', `tender > business' and `money extortion business'. > > > > 4. More recently, on 25 March 2011 night, as reported in the Bangla daily > *Amar Desh* (Dhaka, 27 March 2011), Chhatra League hooligan Jhora and her > cohorts had knocked all the doors of the hall rooms of Badrunnesa Women's > College in Dhaka and told all students to accompany them to Dhanmondi 32 to > offer flowers on an image of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the following morning. > Jhora and her gang used College vehicles and went to late Sheikh Mujib's > residence in Dhanmondi early in the morning. Many students were forced to > join them, but many others refused to comply for various reasons including > sickness. Ferocious Jhora and her followers came back to the College > compound around 9:00 a.m., locked the main gate of the College and started > investigating who had not joined them. And thus she and her cohorts started > a torture mission which continued for hours. They searched students' rooms > and beat up whoever they found in. While the tortures were going on, many of > the scared students went into hiding in the toilets, the roof and under the > bed. Jhora and her cohorts struck the private parts of many of the victims. > Once the torture mission was over, the general students were warned that if > complete compliance were not shown to the Chhatra League, they would be > branded as `bad girls' or as militants and would be handed over to the > police. > > > > No one will deny that all of us should try to stop such sexual violence > whoever may be the perpetrators. Importantly, these sexual offences take > place because of lack of observance of the Islamic moral code. Surprisingly, > known feminists in Bangladesh keep mum about all these oppressions on young > women. As we know, unfortunately, many of the few prominent feminist > organizations we have in Bangladesh are covertly linked with Awami League, > which explains their silence about such blatant sex offences involving Awami > League and its student organization. Or, they find Islam a soft target and > anti-Islam vociferations help them get Western recognition easily while a > stand against Awami sex offences may have consequences. > > > > Sheikh Hasina's move to nullify the Islamic law of inheritance has an > added reason. As we have realized from her diatribes against Bangladesh's > only Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, she wants to be honored with the Nobel > Prize by fair means or foul. However, her war against Yunus seems to have > been foiled by continuous US interventions. Although nobody believes that > Sheikh Hasina will get the Prize through vilifying Muhammad Yunus, her > desperation is evident. Now, after bungling the Yunus issue, Hasina has > launched another attempt to get the Nobel Prize, that is, a stand against > the Qur'an. Given West's long history of hostility towards Islam, this might > bring some good results in the form of foreign sympathy for Hasina. However, > the women of the country will feel perennially betrayed for using them for > such a disgraceful motive and the `feminists' will remain isolated from > them. > > > > __._,_.___ > Reply to > sender<[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Islamic%20Inheritance%20Law%20and%20Government-Linked%20Feminists%20in%20Bangladesh%20>| > Reply > to > group<[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Islamic%20Inheritance%20Law%20and%20Government-Linked%20Feminists%20in%20Bangladesh%20>| > Reply > via web > post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bangla-vision/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJyMmMxYXZmBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE3MzY3NDY4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDM3NQRtc2dJZAM4NzkyNARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNycGx5BHN0aW1lAzEzMDIxOTMyODg-?act=reply&messageNum=87924>| > Start > a New > Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bangla-vision/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmMWQxNmE3BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE3MzY3NDY4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDM3NQRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzMDIxOTMyODg-> > Messages in this > topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bangla-vision/message/87924;_ylc=X3oDMTM3bWVqOXVxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE3MzY3NDY4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDM3NQRtc2dJZAM4NzkyNARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawN2dHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzMDIxOTMyODgEdHBjSWQDODc5MjQ->( > 1) > Recent Activity: > > - New > Members<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bangla-vision/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJnYW0wcjNrBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE3MzY3NDY4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDM3NQRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxMzAyMTkzMjg4?o=6> > 2 > > Visit Your > Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bangla-vision;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZWQ1OTg2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzE3MzY3NDY4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDM3NQRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzMDIxOTMyODg-> > Related links : > www.afterdowningstreet.org/bangladesh ; > www.mytown.ca/banglavision > > > [image: Yahoo! > Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlcmJtaDdvBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzE3MzY3NDY4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2MDM3NQRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTMwMjE5MzI4OA--> > Switch to: > Text-Only<[email protected]?subject=Change+Delivery+Format:+Traditional>, > Daily > Digest<[email protected]?subject=Email+Delivery:+Digest>• > Unsubscribe<[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe>• > Terms > of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> > . > > __,_._,___ > -- Peace Is Doable -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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