Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Featured Image: A woman’s faith is a private and personal journey, and no one has the right to tell her how she should practice it. | Courtesy of Pexels
Women’s role in religion has always been a contentious topic. While some argue religion is a man-made tool used to constrain and restrict women, others counter that it is, in fact, a form of liberation. Whatever the case may be, it can be universally said that the topic of women and religion, specifically their role in matters of faith, is something that is almost always decided without their input in the conversation.
Women becoming ministers, or women being allowed to pass on their faith to their progeny, tends to be discussed by men. It’s time to take a step back and ask women themselves, how they perceive faith, and what it means to them.
Among the top three monotheistic religions in the world—Christianity, Judaism and Islam—a women’s role in religion, specifically their lack thereof, has often been used as a means to discriminate against the religion and its beliefs. Oftentimes, people tend to attack certain faiths because of what they perceive to be true, without actually having done the research.
Before people judge and decide that something they know little about, is a form of oppression, they should take a second to look around them, and seek answers to their doubts and concerns. A student who practices Judaism and wishes to remain anonymous, believes women are treated with great respect and admiration in the religion. “I believe that Judaism presents women as modest, private, but powerful individuals. They play impactful roles in the history of the Jewish people and have greatly influenced the way Jewish women think and practice their religion currently. Women were created with innate traits of sincerity, sensitivity and compassion and their role as a Jewish woman, mentor, parent and friend is to be able to maintain that level of ‘perfectness.’ Women have proven to be powerful thinkers throughout history and have changed the way we act today,” she says.
She says being a woman in the Jewish faith gives her confidence knowing that she is a respected individual; that she has a level of modesty that makes her different and keeps her solidified in her values. “I believe religion is meant for women and men equally. They each have different roles—some tasks are done by men, others are done by women, but both are equally important,” she adds.
Fizza Hussain, a first-year nursing student, who practices the faith of Islam and identifies as an Ahmadi Muslim, discusses the misconception of women being oppressed in Islam. “Contrary to popular belief, Islam actually gave women the rights that modern women flaunt today, around 1,400 years ago,” Hussain says.
Nuzhat Khurshid, a second-year political science PhD student adds to this, saying: “I believe women are regarded with the utmost respect and courtesy in my faith. As we can see from the examples of early women in Islam, women are capable of being leaders within their communities, but are also given respect as mothers and daughters.”
Arianne Rosales, a practising Catholic, says that in her faith “women are treated with dignity and respect in the same sense that men are.”
The discourse surrounding women’s rights and religion is one that is heavily debated, especially in modern society. Rosales believes Catholicism is a champion of women’s rights, saying: “I believe it is because of the equal opportunity between men and women to attain salvation and eternal life in Heaven. When I think about women’s rights and feminism, I think about how this means we as women should be given equal opportunities to attain our goals in the same way as men.”
Hussain says: “I would most definitely say that my religion is a champion of women’s rights. It is the first religion to recognize and give women such an esteemed position in society and in the home. It puts the needs of women before anyone else; in fact, I would say that it puts women at the forefront of every comfort, before even beginning to talk about the rights of men.”
Khurshid elaborates and adds: “The Qur’an presents women as spiritually and intellectually equal to men, while still being granted their unique roles in their homes as caregivers. It is unfortunate that many Muslim societies have misinterpreted Islam as a patriarchal religion which confines women to their homes and forces them to dress conservatively.”
The anonymous student says: “Religion is more than just about the gender roles that are part of the picture. Judaism takes each individual and their background, their level of observance and how much they know into consideration. Judaism doesn’t expect every person to be a great Rabbi, but rather be the best version of themselves, and to always continue to grow and learn more about what it means to be Jewish.” A similar message can be found within the religion of Islam.
People can be quick to judge and let their ignorance influence their perspective. Before a person resolves to write off a religion with the largest adherents (Christianity) or one of the fastest growing in the world (Islam) as oppressive, violent or rigid—they should take into account personal experiences and what regular adherents to the faith have to say about it.
Khurshid says: “Personally, I feel empowered as a Muslim woman. I believe my identity protects me from some of the more materialistic aspects of Western capitalist society, while allowing me to participate in other aspects of feminism and to take a leadership role within the community. I believe more research needs to be done regarding the ways in which Islamic feminism both contributes to and overlaps with other Western understandings of feminism.”
Rosales adds: “For Catholicism, the ultimate goal is to become a saint and attain eternal salvation in Heaven. There is no lack of equal opportunity for men and women to become saints, as made evident by our thousands of canonized female saints. Take Saint Joan of Arc for instance, who gained victory for the French from the 100 Year’s War. To this day, Saint Joan of Arc is still considered a champion of women’s rights throughout history, and her and many others are continuously being recognized for their efforts and are canonized to become saints.”
Whereas some may see religion as a hindrance, something that is no longer needed, that’s not the case for ardent believers. For believers, it isn’t a tool used to oppress or value one gender over the other; it may be manipulated by certain people for their own nefarious gains, but it wasn’t intended for that purpose.
Hussain says: “Religion is meant for everyone. In fact, women benefit from it much more I would think, especially in the sense of liberation. In the day and age where girls were buried upon birth, came a religion (Islam) who lifted this gender from the grave, to a status of Heaven. How can anyone say this isn’t a form of liberation? Freeing from death is just the beginning, giving women the right to vote, to choose who they marry, and to own their own property, were concepts that were unknown to the world for women, up until just a few decades ago. Having faith and belief in the Lord who gave you all these rights, can never seem like a hindrance.”
Rosales adds that a woman was once saved from punishment for adultery by Jesus Christ. He stood between those about to stone her to death, and challenged them; “he asked ‘those of you who carry no sin, be the first to throw a stone.’ Having said this, the attackers realize that none of them are perfect, and they aren’t in a position to judge others.” Such an action set a precedent in regards to the dignity of women, and how they should be treated.
When questioned if religion is meant for women, Khurshid says: “Of course religion is meant for women as well as men. Women are spiritually and intellectually equal to men, and form the backbone of society. Religion is meant to be a source of strength for women, although I’m skeptical of narratives of ‘liberation’ that impose Western perspectives of feminism upon Muslim women without understanding their unique understandings of themselves.”
Rosales adds: “Religion is meant for all humans, women included; religion liberates people. Although it may seem like a system of rules, think of it as learning to play an instrument. It may seem like there is a lot to do, the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to place your fingers or to move your hand, tons of little details that you need to pay attention to, but ultimately, following all those rules sets you free.”
If religion is a means of liberation and protection, and the central message within all three monotheistic religions is peace, where is this notion lost in translation? Hussain says: “Truthfully, there’s nothing as liberating as religion, it runs with moderation, and teaches you the way of life. What ruins it nowadays is sadly cultural influence, but the religion itself is the purest form of life.”
When culture and politics get involved, something beautiful and transcendent can be turned into a submissive form of ideology. Although the world may twist faith into something else, the initial, desired intention for creating it shouldn’t be overlooked. When the great religions of the world were introduced to society, they were done so as a means to create order in a disorderly world. When Christianity came into the world, women were recognized as saints, most prominently Mary, mother of Jesus. When Prophet Muhammad introduced Islam to society, he stopped the barbaric practice of burying baby girls. In Judaism, the faith is passed on by the mother. The revered role of women in religion can be stipulated and disregarded, but one must recognize that before religion, women were virtually helpless and barely considered human. Whatever the contention with religion may be, for a person to say that in general, religion oppresses women, or isn’t for them, not only disrespects the faith in question, but disrespects those who are adherents of that faith as well.
Some women are immensely proud of their faith, and for them to be told that their values or beliefs are oppressive to them and should be regarded as an attack on their freedom and liberty can be incredibly disheartening. What is oppressive is when religion is forced upon any individual. In Islam, there is a verse that says: “There is no compulsion in religion.” The ability to practice her faith is a woman’s God-given right. For someone to say that she should not, or to put measures in place, hindering her ability to do so, is a part of the problem.
There are more similarities than differences in the great three monotheistic faiths. If people were to spend more time focusing on the good, than the things that make them different (not necessarily in a bad way), the world may see more peace. Nonetheless, it can be seen that the role of women in religion—no matter the faith—is one of great admiration and respect. Women should have the freedom to practice their religion without being held back by external forces, such as political biases, xenophobia, or sexism.
