OPINION:Some people object to a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf but they have no problems with nuns - why? asks Ali Selim
ISLAMIC RULES regarding women are not an innovation resulting from a series of developments over time. They date back to the beginnings of Islam. They constitute a particular part of the fundamental sets of rules based on textual foundations laid down during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad. They can be traced in more than one place in the glorious Quran and the prophetic traditions.
Nevertheless, recently there has emerged in some societies unprecedented and strong criticism of these rules, sometimes under the guise of support for women. Why now? Is it because former generations were less interested in women's rights or because they were less aware of Islam's so-called unjust attitude towards women?
Neither could be true because Islam provides fair and integrated rights and responsibilities for both men and women.
The appearance of this tension and counter-tension in today's society is fallout from the clash of civilisations that has manifested itself in every century, but in different forms. There is no doubt that women play the most fundamental and essential role in society. They are the real makers of the future, so they enjoy paramount importance in the whole process of the clash of civilisations.
Nothing can attest to that more than the fact that if a Muslim woman wears her scarf, some in society will move heaven and the earth against her, whereas a nun can wear a headscarf in the same society and nobody raises an eyebrow. The motivation for nuns and Muslim women is one and the same. Both of them categorise it as a modest dressing code. Muslim women observe it as a fulfilment of a religious obligation, they perceive it as a divine command.
In this struggle, Muslims are divided into two groups; those who are Muslim by name and who are deceived by those calling for change under the guise of support for women, and those sincere Muslims who firmly believe in Islamic justice. These latter nearly always find themselves on the defensive. They are pushed into a corner and have to accept being victimised or face other difficulties.
In non-Muslim society, most women have become disillusioned. Their attractiveness is limited to their appearance. Commercials have enslaved women. To sell a product you have to show a half-naked woman. Even to advertise a man's razor, you have to use the physical talents of a young beautiful woman.
One of the crucial differences between Muslims and much of society is that the determining source of rights and responsibilities are different; for the former it is Allah and for the latter it is materialism. This is a fundamental difference.
The philosophy of canonising materialism has created a false concept of the possibility of unlimited pleasure that requires just money. It drives members of society to take part in an endless race. In such an atmosphere, values such as self-denial, kindness etc seem to be naive and out of place.
This philosophy has serious consequences. It prevents women from fulfilling their duty towards their children. It results in family disintegration and domestic violence. Prof Richard Jones of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "Domestic violence is a significant social and public health problem that disproportionately affects women and girls and often results in injury, chronic health problems and death." But family is the nucleus of society. One can comfortably say that this materialist philosophy uproots the whole of society.
There is no doubt that older women pay the highest cost as a result of the dominance of such a philosophy in society. It marginalises them. It deprives them of the privileges they used to enjoy when they were young. It narrows their circle. It replaces the old generation with a new generation in a very cruel way.
Islam stresses women's dignity, founded on their humanity; nor does Islam grant men superiority or impose inferiority on women on a gender basis. They share a mission in this life. They have similar roles. They are equal but they are not the same. In Islam, one's salary is determined according to position regardless of gender. Until recently in some societies women were paid less than men, although they did the same work.
• Ali Selim is a Muslim theologian and secretary to the Irish Council of Imams, based at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh, Dublin.