The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women's Rights in Islam by Fatima Mernissi

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Started reading 1 June 2006.
Finished reading 12 June 2006.

Enlightening. This book gives the background information on why the ruling on hijab was promulgated in the Quran. The historical and social conditions of the society at that time is also highlighted.
The reader can at least appreciate that the ongoing debate on hijab and covering up of Muslim women will continue ad infinitum as there is also a male bias in the whole issue. I'm sure that the ideas put forward by the author has met with a lot of opposition as she mentioned herself when presenting a paper in Penang, Malaysia in 1984.
The author tries to emphasise the importance of women alongside men in Islam. Not just as wives or daughters but persons in their own right who are capable of participating in the normal functions of a society and being leaders of the community. The good examples provided by the Prophet Mohamed himself has been ignored but other dubious actions have been highlighted.
The male-centric religious leaders would find this book blasphemous for even suggesting that a woman has a greater role to play in society. The sane thinking Muslim must continue the fight so that the other side of Islam - he intelligent forward looking outlook that was intended for its believers – comes to the fore and wins the day.