- Dec 6, 2009
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Since the creation of Hamas in 1987, its election through the Change and Reform bloc in 2006, and the failed Fatah-led coup attempt in 2007 that left it and its coalition partners governing the Gaza Strip, the topic of women and their role in Islam has been a popular subject for coverage in the western media outlets and by political opponents. It is also one of the least understood in Western societies, especially among those with very limited knowledge of Islam in particular and Arab and Muslim society more generally.
It is not uncommon to find many in the west who define all Arabs and Muslims as oppressive, repressive and backward. Do oppression, repression and backwardness exist in Arab and Muslim societies? Yes, of course, but it is not characteristic of or limited to all Arab and Muslim people or society. Erroneous application [of Islam] and behavior that results from backwardness, according to the head of the Hamas Political Bureau Khaled Meshaal, does not come from the text and spirit of the Sharia. Errors come from many customs, traditions and concepts which emanate from certain situations and specific environments. Palestinian society is one of plurality, and openness to all religions, civilizations and cultures.
Also, it is worth mentioning the percentage of female students in the Palestinian universities is considerably higher than the number of male students, e.g. in the Islamic University, the female students are about 62% of the total student body. If this reflects anything, it reflects how women are empowered and encouraged, by both family and the government, to pursue higher education and fulfill greatest balance among the workforce between the genders.
Hamas Does Not Oppress Women
It is not uncommon to find many in the west who define all Arabs and Muslims as oppressive, repressive and backward. Do oppression, repression and backwardness exist in Arab and Muslim societies? Yes, of course, but it is not characteristic of or limited to all Arab and Muslim people or society. Erroneous application [of Islam] and behavior that results from backwardness, according to the head of the Hamas Political Bureau Khaled Meshaal, does not come from the text and spirit of the Sharia. Errors come from many customs, traditions and concepts which emanate from certain situations and specific environments. Palestinian society is one of plurality, and openness to all religions, civilizations and cultures.
Also, it is worth mentioning the percentage of female students in the Palestinian universities is considerably higher than the number of male students, e.g. in the Islamic University, the female students are about 62% of the total student body. If this reflects anything, it reflects how women are empowered and encouraged, by both family and the government, to pursue higher education and fulfill greatest balance among the workforce between the genders.
Hamas Does Not Oppress Women