Morning Star

Women as chattel; intimacy degraded

The objectification of women is found in many places, many cultures, but Islam must be called out for its blatant disregard for both women and intimacy, the latter being a gift of God to be cherished only within marriage.

For the past week, Khandhar Kaliph's hands have trembled whenever his phone has rung.

He nervously greeted his daughter, who had been kidnapped when the Islamic State (Isis) overran the Yazidi city of Sinjar. There was a minute of silence, before he broke down sobbing.

"She said she is going to be sold as a slave this afternoon, for $10," Kaliph said, his tears dropping into the brown dust. "What can a father say to that. How can I help? We all feel so useless."

Kaliph's daughter, who he did not want to name, had access to a group phone passed around between other girls imprisoned by the Islamic State in Bardoush prison in central Mosul.

All face the imminent prospect of being married off. Or worse, being used by the jihadis as a sex slave.

"The world needs to know that is where our women are, where they are being enslaved, young and old alike," he said, sitting in the dirt outside a building site near the Iraqi Kurdish city of Dohuk that he and some 70 other Yazidis are now using as shelter.

Lest this be thought yellow journalism, the facts have been confirmed at the highest level:

The U.S. has confirmed that the Islamic State group has kidnapped and imprisoned Yazidi women so that they can be sold or married off to extremist fighters, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information came from classified intelligence reports. There was no solid estimate of the number of women victimized, the official said.

This is not an invention of perverse soldiers, nor an aberration by those who misunderstand, but a staple of Islam instituted by Muhammed himself:

"O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers; and those (slaves) whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee" (Q. 33:50);

"..who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess..." (Q. 23:5-6);

"And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess."  A repetative verse, noting that even sex with married slaves is permissible (Q. 4:24);

"But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good"  [reference to war booty, of which slaves were a part, and their fate indicated that "Allah gave you mastery over them" (Q. 8:69, 71);

Bukhari's -- one of the four major commenters -- has compiled ahadith, which are considered authoritative interpretations of Islamic thought], and these give various accounts of the slaves taken by Muhammed's men after battle in which the husbands and fathers were killed. The women were subsequently raped and sold (for example Bukhari 62:137);

And this from the Reliance of the Traveller (source of Shari'a law):

According to Sharia, when a child or woman is taken captive by Muslims, they become slaves by the mere fact of their capture.  A captured woman's previous marriage is immediately annulled (09.13).

A recent interview (May 2011) with Egyptian Sheikh Abu-Ishaq al-Huwayni declared that “we are in the era of jihad,” and that as they waged jihad warfare against infidels, Muslims are allowed to take slaves. He clarified what he meant in a subsequent interview:

...Jihad is only between Muslims and infidels….Spoils, slaves, and prisoners are only to be taken in war between Muslims and infidels. Muslims in the past conquered, invaded, and took over countries. This is agreed to by all scholars--there is no disagreement on this from any of them, from the smallest to the largest, on the issue of taking spoils and prisoners. The prisoners and spoils are distributed among the fighters, which includes men, women, children, wealth, and so on.When a slave market is erected, which is a market in which are sold slaves and sex-slaves, which are called in the Qur’an by the name milk al-yamin, “that which your right hands possess” [Qur’an 4:24]. This is a verse from the Qur’an which is still in force, and has not been abrogated. The milk al-yamin are the sex-slaves. You go to the market, look at the sex-slave, and buy her. She becomes like your wife, (but) she doesn’t need a (marriage) contract or a divorce like a free woman, nor does she need a wali. All scholars agree on this point--there is no disagreement from any of them. [...] When I want a sex slave, I just go to the market and choose the woman I like and purchase her.

Vehement renunciations from the West by Muslims who reject the teachings might garner respect, but they would be running counter to historical evidence and religious tradition. Still, the gesture would be appreciated by women everywhere.

Abducting Christian girls in Egypt

Consider the pain of this family -- only one of thousands:

On February 28, a 15-year old girl named Amira Hafez and her mother went to church in Egypt. Hafez took a quick trip to the store and never returned. When her parents filed the police report, they were fairly certain of who the police should interview: Yasser Mahmoud, an Egyptian soldier stationed nearby that used to protect their church.

Since the fall of Mubarek from power in 2011, Egyptian Christian women have increasingly suffered, from daily harassment in the streets to abduction and forced marriages, from having their Christian jewellry snatched and destroyed to rapes and enslavement -- and the police and courts do nothing to protect them.

Girls that are victims of forced conversions [through abduction] that are lucky enough to escape face additional problems. Firstly, any known conversion from Islam to Christianity (even if one was originally Christianity) makes her an “apostate.” That puts a giant target on her back because sharia’s punishment for apostates is death.

Secondly, the Egyptian government won’t let the girls’ change their registered religion back to Christianity. That makes the healing process extraordinarily more difficult and makes it tougher to assimilate back into the Christian community. It also stops the victim from having privacy. Wherever she goes, she will have to relive her trauma by explaining her story to whoever finds out she is registered as a Muslim.

The problem is two-fold: “twin-headed cultural hydra” of “deep-seeded Muslim and male supremacism,” according to a 2012 report on the issue. They combine in the sense that historically, Muslims have considered wives to be property, non-Muslim women to be loot, and hegemony to be proven by force. 

Troubling signs

Violence and depravity have always been in our midst, and always will. One of the jobs of religion is to explain why evil exists and what to do to about it. Christianity has explained that man was created for union with God, was tempted, and used his free will to reject God. In that brief summation, we see the reason for our creation, the reason for our free will, and what happens when we abuse it.

Furthermore, Christ warned of the grave harms attached to harming children. This was because of the innocence of children, which demands they be safeguarded, but also because when children are scandalised, it creates a situation in which the long-term effects may snowball -- harming even more persons.

Unfortunately, when a religion institutionalises the wrong view of children, the harms ripple out and undermine the entire society. Such is the backdrop to these recent stories, which may be related. The first is from Saudi Arabia:

Public anger has gripped Saudi Arabia after a prominent preacher who raped and beat to death his 5-year-old daughter was sentenced to a few months in jail and a $50,000 fine – known as 'blood money' – to compensate the victim's relatives.

­According to Islamic law, the 'blood money' can be paid in lieu of the death penalty. The preacher's fine was reportedly half the usual amount because the victim was a girl.

Saudi preacher Fayhan Ghamdi, a frequent guest on Muslim TV networks, confessed to using cables and a cane to inflict the injuries, AFP reported, quoting activists from the group ‘Women to Drive.’

In December 2011, Lama was admitted to hospital with multiple injuries, including a crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, and extensive bruising and burns, according to the activist group. Hospital worker Randa Kaleeb said that the girl's back was broken, and that she had been raped "everywhere."

The details are horrific,  but admittedly the actual assault could have taken place anywhere. What is unique to the story is the fact that the father is a Muslim preacher -- but then it's not unknown for the representatives of other religions to do awful things with children (witness the unfolding scandal within the Catholic Church).

There is the added recognition that under Islamic law her life was worth half of a boy's life, and that a convicted abuser can pay his way out of a punishment,  which leaves a seriously depraved individual free to harm others -- perhaps even to live with his wife and continue preaching.

Everything that unfolded in this case has the sanction of the most fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, and thus we have to accept that there are elements in that religious view that vary widely from Western jurisprudence or Christian justice. To the contrary, we must remember that whatever took place concerning the priest scandal, every bit of it -- from the indecent behaviour to the cover-up -- was unChristian and morally unacceptable.

But what of child-rape in Islam? The next story adds another dimension that cannot be ignored:

A Saudi cleric has called for all female babies to be fully covered by wearing the face veil, commonly known as the burka, citing reports of little girls being sexually molested.

In a TV interview on the Islamic al-Majd TV, which seems to date back to mid-last year, Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, stressed that wearing the veil will protect baby girls. The Sheikh tried to back his assertion with claims of sexual molestation against babies in the kingdom, quoting unnamed medical and security sources.

It is gratifying to see that his suggestion is decried by fellow Muslims, but we have to remember that he is not isolated in his beliefs. It also places blame on the little girls being visible (!) rather than stressing that men are supposed to protect the innocent, not take advantage of them.

But then, a few years ago we were astonished when an Australian Muslim suggested that all unveiled women were asking for trouble:

A senior Muslim cleric in Australia has sparked a furore by comparing women who do not wear a headscarf to "uncovered meat", implying that they invited sexual assault.

Sheik Taj Aldin al-Hilali delivered his comments in a religious address on adultery to around 500 worshippers in Sydney last month, but they only came to the attention of the wider public when they were published in the Australian paper today.

Sheik Hilali was quoted as saying: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside ... without cover, and the cats come to eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat's? The uncovered meat is the problem. If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab [the headdress worn by some Muslim women], no problem would have occurred."

Sheik Hilali said in a statement he was shocked by reaction to his sermon.

Each of these men appear to be fringe in his views, but they are harkening to an undeniable set of beliefs held by countless others over the centuries who claim to be good Muslims:

• Baby girls can be married, and endure intimate relations as soon as they can bear the weight of a man;*
• Muhammed, the perfect Muslim, was married to a child and consummated the nuptials when she was nine;
• Child marriages are widespread throughout the Muslim world;
• The value of a female hinges on her sexual purity;
• The value of a female is half that of a man;
• Women who don't adopt Islamic covering are asking to be raped;
• Religious families perpetuate degrading views of women, as illustrated by this stunning legal decision after proving statutory rape:

Earlier the court heard how Rashid had ‘little experience of women’ due to his education at an Islamic school in the UK, which cannot be named for legal reasons.

After his arrest, he told a psychologist that he did not know having sex with a 13-year-old was against the law. The court heard he found it was illegal only when he was informed by a family member.

In other interviews with psychologists, Rashid claimed he had been taught in his school that ‘women are no more worthy than a lollipop that has been dropped on the ground’.

In the case alluded to above, the Muslim man lived in Britain, but was always sheltered and formed by Islamic institutions, which led to the judge's suspension of his punishment -- based on his ignorance. He was not culpable because of his Islamic beliefs, which see sexual relations with girls, um, differently.

Lollipops? Uncovered meat? All of these items may be based on misunderstandings, but there's an unfortunate consistency that is founded on the objectification and commodification of women and girls, based on shari'a law, which enshrines both their inequality with men and a foundationally misogynistic relationship between the sexes.

If indeed there is something structural in Islam that allows for this ongoing degradation of women, we cannot let it go unchallenged. Just as scandal committed in the name of other religions is highlighted and discussed, Muslims must answer for these events, and we must discover if they are based on Islamic law or contrary to it. Women deserve better.

* According to Sahih Bukhari:

The ulema [Islam’s interpreters] have agreed that it is permissible for fathers to marry off their small daughters, even if they are in the cradle.  But it is not permissible for their husbands to have sex with them unless they are capable of being placed beneath and bearing the weight of the men.  And their capability in this regard varies based on their nature and capacity.  Aisha was 6 when she married the prophet, but he had sex with her when she was 9 [i.e., when she was deemed capable].

It behooves those who call for setting a minimum age for marriage to fear Allah and not contradict his Sharia, or try to legislate things Allah did not permit.  For laws are Allah’s province; and legislation is his exclusive right, to be shared by none other.  And among these are the rules governing marriage.

Sanctuary or slaughter?

Obviously, the secular West--having slipped it's Christian moorings--has changed its mind about women fighting in combat. Now, in the name of equality and self-fulfillment, women who want to can volunteer for missions that will take them into harms way. Some who haven't exactly volunteered as such find that the slippery slope of war (the ethical fog?) brings them into danger anyway, and support roles are impacted by the larger mission.

The Muslim world has also embraced a form of "equality," but it must be noted that it is founded on Islam, rather than by rejecting that creed. It doesn't mean that women are equal to men, or that women can choose as freely as men can choose, or that the same educational and business opportunities are accessible to women.

Rather, it means that women can commit suicide  and kill others in the name of jihad as well as their brothers in faith:

For some women, joining the ranks of suicide bombers is a voluntary affair, one borne out of true jihadist fervor, a promise of a heavenly reward, or simply a need to avenge the deaths of their husbands and brothers lost in battle.

Others, however, need a nudge toward self-slaughter, often egged on by militant clerics, scholars and others who stress a woman’s responsibility to participate in jihad includes being employed as a human incendiary device.

One of those encouraging people is Omaima Hassan, wife of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who in 2009 issued a seven-page letter posted on Islamic websites to her “sisters in Islam,” in which she described how Muslim women could assist their men with jihad.

In addition to helping ‘to preserve the mujahedeen in their sons, and homes, and…to help them raise their children in the best way,” Hassan said women could also go the extra mile and participate themselves in “martyrdom missions” as suicide bombers.

Women are lining up for the opportunity, it seems, despite the fact that this choice would seem to make it harder to raise their children.  Certainly, Christianity has its share of women martyrs, but they died as a last resort (rather than denying their faith) and always embraced the Christian command, "Thou shall not kill."

We are fighting to restore the sanctuaries in the post-Christian West--those sanctuaries that bear children, nurture and form the culture, and that create faith-filled homes that serve life. Women in combat has caused untold harm in the way that we understand femininity [list of posts here] and has undermined the complimentarity of the sexes, which is essential to a healthy culture. But never would we have pursued such a strategy as a religious duty, as Muslim women have been encouraged to do.

Consider that al-Qaida has no qualms about using children, the mentally impaired, and other marginalised persons in their cause, although it means death to those who don't necessarily understand the mission. The "choice" for women is often coloured by another dimension of war-time activity that forces their hand:

During the Iraq war, al-Qaeda in Iraq ordered the rape of women as a way to fill its suicide bomber ranks. Since a raped woman is viewed in many Muslim societies as having brought shame to her family, the terrorists would then coerce the defiled woman into believing her familial dishonor could be erased by her martyrdom.

So, given all that, the formation of the female Burkha Brigade should engender little surprise as it just represents the next logical step in the Islamist’s unending war on women.

Where are the feminists? Where are those who say that Islam holds women in high esteem? Where is the outrage anywhere from chivalrous men who will stand up to say that not all cultures/religions are equal. The Burqua Brigades are a tragic dimension of a misogynistic worldview.

Appeal to the Imams of Lahore

Nothing other than being Christian in a Muslim country, it seems:

Lahore (AsiaNews) – The rape of Christian women in Punjab has become a "common practice" an "outrageous" phenomenon compounded by the fact that "the police protect the guilty" and not the victims. This is the bitter synopsis of Fr Jill John, of the Diocese of Lahore on the last recorded case of sexual violence against a Christian mother. The family calls for justice, but is struggling against a society in which the defenders of the law support the rapists. Even human rights groups like Masihi Life for All Foundation have intervened on the matter, asking government authorities to target the perpetrators of crimes and punish the corrupt and conniving police officers.

Arifa Mushtaq (name changed for security reasons - ed) 32, mother of five was abducted and raped by three Muslims . Her husband Muashtaq Masih a worker at the Kasur sanitation department, in a devastated condition said, "Arifa use to work in a garment factory, on the y evening of 15 September she was coming home from work, she got off the bus, two local Muslims grabbed her from the back. Another armed accomplice came and put a gun on her head."

The woman began to scream ...and the men took Arifa by force to a house and, one by one, they raped her. The family is in shock and even their attempt to report the rape has added insult to injury: the Muslims have threatened her husband, warning him to withdraw the lawsuit. Otherwise, his children will have to go through what his wife has gone through. The police has also protected the perpetrators, putting pressure on Muashtaq Masih.

Fr. Jill John confirms that "the police helps the guilty, with omissions and gaps in the compilation of complaints to favor their freedom." The family of the raped woman, added the priest, are now living in fear while criminals are free to roam the streets of the town. "How much longer - he asks – will we see the children of God suffer? And when will Mushtaq Masih's family get justice?

In order for Islam not to be considered a factor in this crime, the local Muslim must denounce the assailants and the police, stand with the family and remind their flock that such behaviour is reprehensible. If this is done, it will build a bridge between Muslims and Christians and prove that such aggression is not compatible with the Islamic faith. Without such a statement, Christians are left with the impression that such behaviour is acceptible.

Kindly note that Muslims all over the world speak out against negative stereotypes being spread about Islam. It's unfortunate the incidents like this add to the difficulties. Any official statement would be welcome, and of course a joint pursuit of justice would speak volumes. I'm sure the necessary platforms are available.

What is a girl to do?

Child abuse knows no boundaries--every generation, every culture has suffered from this manifestation of human depravity. No religious creed is capable of keeping it at bay, for all creatures are touched by original sin, which darkens the intellect, weakens the will, and confuses the passions. How a culture responds to this despicable behaviour--especially when the abuse is of a sexual nature--is a bellwether of what respect that culture gives to the human person overall.

This Islamic website offers opinions based on shari'a law in response to various dilemmas, and this answer is deeply troubling:

Question: A 14 yr old girl has accused her father of sexually abuse since the age of 9 and also of rape. The mother of the girl says the father has admitted the abuse but not the rape. The father is now flatly denying that anything happened and says the mother has misunderstood what he said. The girl is still adamant that it all took place and by the way the man is on bail. How would this be dealt with according to Islamic law?

Answer [after praise offered to Allah and honour shown to Muhammed]: It is an abominable sin that a father sexually abuses his daughter and it is even more abominable if he rapes her. If he does so with any girl, it is strictly forbidden, let alone him doing so with his own daughter.

However, it is not permissible to accuse the father of rape without evidence. Indeed, the Sharee’ah put some special conditions for proving Zina (fornication or adultery) that are not required in case of other crimes. The crime of Zina is not confirmed except if the fornicator admits it, or with the testimony of four trustworthy men, while the testimony of women is not accepted.

Hence, the statement of this girl or the statement of her mother in itself does not Islamically prove anything against the father, especially that the latter denies it.

Therefore, if this daughter has no evidence to prove that her accusations are true, she should not have claimed that she was raped by her father and she should not have taken him to the court. But if what she says is true, then she has the right to ask for protection from him even by taking him to the court so that he would not continue committing this evil or practice more sinful acts with her. In this case, she would claim his dissoluteness and her fear of his evil so that she will be kept apart from him.

Allaah Knows best.

Thus the child is trapped. She is impugned as a witness because she is a girl, and her charges cannot be substantiated by four witnesses. This is due to a particular incident in the life of Aisha, favourite wife of Muhammed, who was accused of dallying with another man. Since Muhammed preferred to believe her protestations of innocence, he demanded that those charging her with adultery prove it with four witnesses -- which they could not do. To this day, all women in Muslim countries are affected by this incident -- which freed Aisha but burdened all the others by impeding their ability to bring legitimate assailants to justice.

Consider how very hard it is for children to find the courage to speak out against abusive family members. This is further compounded by other family members who are bound by the fear against speaking on their behalf. This poor child has to deal not only with ongoing incest and a mother who betrays the well-being of her own child, but also with religious authorities who shame her for bringing unsubstantiated charges.

It is small consolation that the same authority rendering the verdict expresses repulsion at the thought of a father harming his daughter in such a way, because the shari'a code of justice to which he refers has established a nearly impossible standard of proof for victims -- which every potential abuser knows very well.

Finally, to end this pronouncement with "Allah knows best" is a twist of a very deep knife. 

“And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come! ... See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew, 18: 5-7, 10).

Rape as a weapon of war

Throughout history, rape has  been used as a means of spreading terror during conflicts. Horrific, but nothing new. It should also be noted that the honour cultures in the Middle East preceded Islam but, unfortunately, long association with that faith has done nothing to undermine the honour-based mindset. Rather, it coexists comfortably with Islamic religious tenets. Thus, when confronted with the rape in this region, we find this violent and misguided response by one family:

A Libyan father killed his three daughters after they were raped by Gaddafi's troops to lift the shame on his family, a human rights group said today.

The girls, aged 15, 17 and 18 were allegedly assaulted by soldiers at a school in the town of Tomina, near the war-shattered city of Misrata, during a two-month siege.

When they returned home, their father slit their throats in a so-called honour killing, according to Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).

To be clear, there is another Muslim response:

But PHR also noted that 'some in Tomina have stood up against this practice, including a well-known sheik who has publicly advocated for raped women and girls to be seen as brave and bringing honour to their families.'

Please note that this also filters the rapes through the "honour" lens, which the Imam cannot abandon -- he can only attempt to redefine the parameters. Rape is neither honourable nor dishonourable (unless one wants to argue that it degrades the aggressor). As Augustine wrote in his Confessions, chastity is "a virtue of the mind, and is not lost by rape." (He wrote that in defense of the pious virgins who suffered a similar fate during the sack of Rome -- for they feared that they were going to be held accountable for the "breaking" of their vows.)

[Jesus] summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile (Mark, 7:14-15).

Rape is simply a vile and depraved act that cannot elevate or devalue those who suffer. It's a tragedy, and the only response should be compassion.

Mary, most Pure, intercede for your beloved children!

Egyptian crisis

Barnabas Aid points out the growing problem:

The problem of the forced conversion of Christian girls, who are then married to Muslim men, is a long-standing one in Egypt. But it has intensified since the January Revolution, with the number of Christian girls affected said to be soaring, amid wider efforts to Islamise the country. One church leader in Cairo estimates that at least 21 young girls have disappeared from his parish since the revolution, while another said that “more than two to three girls disappear everyday in Giza alone”. He added, “The cases that are brought to public attention are few compared to what the numbers actually are.”

The problem is not unique to Egypt; it is also common in Pakistan, and there have been consistent reports of its occurring in India and Sri Lanka. A Christian girl who has been forced to marry a Muslim man faces a virtually hopeless future, held captive by a family who treat her as nothing more than a slave. In Pakistan and Egypt, the woman’s name and identity is changed, with her Christian religious status being replaced with Islam on her identity card.

Please read the whole piece, keeping in mind the fundamental differences between the Islamic and Christian views of marriage. Christian marriage is the freely contracted exclusive union between one man and one woman, founded on mutual respect in order to build a stable and lasting home. The fact that Muslim marriages allow polygamy, unilateral divorce, and fundamental inequality between a husband and his wives makes a stable and respectful home impossible, while making it difficult for a woman to give her heart completely to her husband. Furthermore, when the cultural elements concerning honour are added, rape or any sexual activity on the part of the girl/woman limit her options, forcing her into very bad situations.