Dean
19th November 2008, 01:02
Muslim woman defies male dominance (http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/11/20081118103940850761.html)
Amal Soliman, a 32-year-old Egyptian woman, has endured harassment, intimidation, and ridicule in the year since she applied for a job as the Muslim world's first mazouna, or female marriage registrar, but she says her victory has been worth the fight.
In late September, Soliman, who holds a Masters degree in Islamic Sharia law, broke into what has until now been an exclusively males-only club.
Well, at first my optimism slowly started to fade as I saw so much opposition.
But there were two main reasons for the opposition I faced. Firstly, it is simply rooted in male chauvinism. These people believe the woman's place is firmly in her house.
The other group was comprised of uneducated people who have developed an image of women's role in Islam from television; usually based on the words of a sheikh with a turban on his head.
I wonder what significance a Sheikh is as opposed to other Islamic figures that sets them apart for her? This is good to see, in any case.
Amal Soliman, a 32-year-old Egyptian woman, has endured harassment, intimidation, and ridicule in the year since she applied for a job as the Muslim world's first mazouna, or female marriage registrar, but she says her victory has been worth the fight.
In late September, Soliman, who holds a Masters degree in Islamic Sharia law, broke into what has until now been an exclusively males-only club.
Well, at first my optimism slowly started to fade as I saw so much opposition.
But there were two main reasons for the opposition I faced. Firstly, it is simply rooted in male chauvinism. These people believe the woman's place is firmly in her house.
The other group was comprised of uneducated people who have developed an image of women's role in Islam from television; usually based on the words of a sheikh with a turban on his head.
I wonder what significance a Sheikh is as opposed to other Islamic figures that sets them apart for her? This is good to see, in any case.