Religious scholar Dr. Raihaanaa binth Haji Abdullah has said that the views and actions on women are key to them.
She made the statement speaking in “The Message” series of lectures conducted by the Islamic Ministry to raise awareness on Islam.
In her speech, Dr. Raihaanaa said that there were many dialogues on the issue and various aspects of gender equality and women rights. However, she said there was scant understanding of what women needed or wanted.
Dr. Raihaanaa noted that Islam did not bar women from achieving economic, financial and social progress, but rather that women and men were equal in that respect. She added that Islam does not espouse that women are inferior to men, citing that before God all were equal.
She quoted various verses from the Quran, noting that no man or institution can deprive a man or a woman from the rights given to them by God.
Dr. Raihaanaa noted the much lauded progress the world had made against racial discrimination, posing questions on why the same progress had not been made for genders.
She likened men and women as the wings of a bird in flight, adding that one cannot function properly without the other. Dr. Raihaanaa said coexistence between the genders was vital for a successful life.
“Views of the two genders are different; the actions are the same. When the better of the two options are chosen then progress can flow,” Dr. Raihaanaa said.
Dr. Raihaanaa also spoke on the issue of same sex, stating that if the two wings of the bird are placed on the same side, balance and aerodynamics were effected.