Mohammed is most popular boy's name in four biggest Dutch cities
Mohammed, or other variations of the name of Islam's founding prophet, has become the most popular name choice for baby boys in the four biggest cities of the Netherlands.
By Bruno Waterfield
Published: 3:10PM BST 13 Aug 2009
Information collected by the country's social security agency has found that traditional Dutch names have been displaced in the urban centres of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht as the country's Muslim population grows.
In The Hague variations of the name Mohammed have taken first, second and fifth place in the Dutch capital's league table of most popular names for boys, replacing traditional favourites such as Jan, Luuk, Gijs or Daan.
Related Articles
Muslim Europe: the demographic time bomb
Traditional names such as Norman and Gertrude disappearing
Next government needs quality, not equality
Dogs get human names as they become part of family
Was John Calvin really a monster?
Muslim convert guilty of plotting suicide attackAt a national level the name Mohammed is now the 16th most popular name for boys.
The figures, obtained by the Dutch Elsevier magazine, from the Dutch Social Insurance Bank, or Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), are different from the official statistics which have in the past counted various spellings of Mohammed, Muhamed, or Muhammad as different names.
Previous government name counts, separating the different versions, have avoided controversy by keeping the name of Islam's founder outside the Dutch top 20 of favourite names for baby boys.
Geert Wilders, leader of the far-Right, anti-Islam Freedom Party, which is currently leading the Dutch opinion polls, has demanded a government investigation following the Daily Telegraph's Aug 8 report that over a fifth of the European Union's population has been forecast to be Muslim by 2050.
Dutch cabinet ministers will on Friday discuss 79 parliamentary questions tabled by his Freedom Party concerning levels of "non-Western immigration" and its impact on Dutch society.
Official statistics show that European societies are being transformed by immigration and demographic trends. In 2008 just five per cent of the EU's total population was Muslim. But low birth rates among Europe's indigenous population and rising immigration are having rapid and widespread effects on the population mix.
Recent studies have indicated that fears over the radicalisation of young Muslims have been exaggerated however. Nonetheless the changing population poses policy questions in a range of areas from education and housing to the arts and foreign affairs.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Nik Aziz defends Nga’s recital of Quranic verse
Published: Friday April 10, 2009 MYT 6:34:00 PM
Nik Aziz defends Nga’s recital of Quranic verse
KOTA BARU: Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat has defended Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming who recited an Al-Quran verse in his speech, saying that this was a start to an Islamic renaissance for non-Muslims in Malaysia.
In an open letter to Nga published on his blog, Nik Aziz praised the Taiping MP for his bravery in reciting the Quranic verse despite lacking the right pronunciation.
Nik Aziz said he felt overwhelmed that a non-Muslim had attempted to recite the Quran and understood Nga’s disappointment that some Chinese were being blocked from discovering or knowing Islam and Al-Quran.
Nik Aziz, who is also PAS spiritual leader, added that he also understood Nga’s frustration with the objections from some quarters in Umno, but said that his attempt would generate interest among the non-Muslims to organise forums or discourse on Islam.
“I have a dream that one day more non-Muslims like the Chinese, Indians, Siamese, Bajaus and Kadazan will come forward to become officials like qari, ustaz, khatib or imam for mosques,” he said, adding that he was also confident that Islam’s rebirth in Malaysia would become a reality someday.
“I believe Nga has laid the foundation stones towards this,” he said, adding that the time had come to organise seminars on Islam for non-Muslims.
“Together we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and let us all go there together,” said Nik Aziz as he signed off the letter.
Nik Aziz defends Nga’s recital of Quranic verse
KOTA BARU: Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat has defended Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming who recited an Al-Quran verse in his speech, saying that this was a start to an Islamic renaissance for non-Muslims in Malaysia.
In an open letter to Nga published on his blog, Nik Aziz praised the Taiping MP for his bravery in reciting the Quranic verse despite lacking the right pronunciation.
Nik Aziz said he felt overwhelmed that a non-Muslim had attempted to recite the Quran and understood Nga’s disappointment that some Chinese were being blocked from discovering or knowing Islam and Al-Quran.
Nik Aziz, who is also PAS spiritual leader, added that he also understood Nga’s frustration with the objections from some quarters in Umno, but said that his attempt would generate interest among the non-Muslims to organise forums or discourse on Islam.
“I have a dream that one day more non-Muslims like the Chinese, Indians, Siamese, Bajaus and Kadazan will come forward to become officials like qari, ustaz, khatib or imam for mosques,” he said, adding that he was also confident that Islam’s rebirth in Malaysia would become a reality someday.
“I believe Nga has laid the foundation stones towards this,” he said, adding that the time had come to organise seminars on Islam for non-Muslims.
“Together we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and let us all go there together,” said Nik Aziz as he signed off the letter.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Inconsistent, insensitive translations of ‘Allah’
EXTRA! :: Comment & Analysis
Inconsistent, insensitive translations of ‘Allah’
Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
THE use of the term "Allah" has captured the attention of the media again. Of late, even a newspaper from down south carried a commentary on the issue. The slant is usually political, and not religious, and does not throw any new light on the issue. It also does not appeal to the intellect; instead, it seems to border more on emotions that further confuse the issue.
To all Muslims the term "Allah" is laden with the concept of Tauhid – that Allah is "the One and Only" as defined in the Quranic language, which happens to be Arabic. Allah cannot be understood without this concept of his oneness. Any attempt to do so will amount to a vulgarism of sort, and an affront to Muslims.
Moving forward, let us briefly try and understand the reasons for Muslim misgivings by using the Bahasa Indonesia version which is translated from the English New King James Version and authorised by Konperensi Waligerja Indonesia (Edition, 2004). Let us randomly take The Gospel according to Luke, translated as Injil Lukas, to briefly illustrate the point.
In Luke, "God" is generally substituted by "Allah", whereas "Tuhan" is commonly used to substitute "the Lord". Note the article "the" applies to "Tuhan," but not to "Allah". Hence, where there is "the Lord God" in the English version, it becomes "Tuhan Allah". "The Lord their God" becomes "Tuhan, Allah mereka". Note the use of a comma!
On some occasions though, "God" is also translated as "Tuhan", though "God" in this example does not carry the article "the" as in "the Lord". So does it mean there is a time when "God" is not "Allah"? Or that "Tuhan" is "Allah" after all?
Yet, on other occasions, "Allah" is used as substitute for "the LESUS." But then, "the LESUS your God" is rendered as "Tuhan, Allahmu" – note again the comma!
Just from these few random examples, one can already sense the complexity and confusion in the use of "Allah" in the translated version.
To make matters even more confusing, the biblical name "Mary" is rendered as "Maria" – when the Quranic equivalent would have been "Maryam"; And "John" as "Yohanes" instead of "Yahaya." Or for that matter "Gabriel" is not even translated but kept as it is. The Quranic "Jibrail" as an equivalent is not even considered! How about "Jesus" himself? Why is this rendered as "Yesus", rather than "Isa"? In the Quran both are the son of Mary or Maryam.
If the worry is that the use of the word "Isa" in the Quran is limited only to him being the son of man and not of Allah; unlike what is understood for the biblical "Jesus" – then should not the same consideration and sensitivity for Muslim feeling be shown when "Allah" is used in the translation, without any concern for the Quranic Tauhidic concept. This inconsistency, indifference and arrogance is rather obvious when it comes to the biblical "the Son of God" and the use of "Anak Allah" as an equivalent in the translation – something which is conceptually outright not acceptable to Muslims. In fact, it tantamounts to the denial of the concept of "Allah" as explained in the Quran, Surah Al-Ikhlas 112: 3 that "He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal or comparable to Him".
The consequence of this translation will be that Muslims will be confronted with blasphemous ideas that Allah has a son; that Allah’s son was born in the manger; that Allah’s son was crucified; that Allah’s son died for all of us. This may have public order implications under section 298 of the Malaysian Penal Code which forbids the wounding of religious feelings.
As it stands, the use of "Allah" the way it is can only arouse suspicions as to why an Arabic word is used for an Indonesia-Malay translation of the Gospel. Why not use the Hebrew or Armenia equivalents, instead?
To add on to this suspicion is why there is no insistence that examples in the fore-mentioned names be substituted with the Arabic equivalent, including places like "Jerusalem" which is substituted by "Yerusalem" which is not the name in Arabic either.
On the contrary, there are biblical names that are readily rendered to the equivalent Arabic in the translation. The examples are numerous, for instance: David as Daud; Zacharias as Zakharia; Aaron as Harun; Joseph as Yusuf; Moses as Musa; law of Moses as Taurat Musa (though, more appropriately it should have been "hukum Musa", since there is the specific term
"Torah" for "Taurat").
The final straw is when the patriarch "Abraham" who is the fountain head for Judaism, Christianity and Islam is also not rendered to Arabic "Ibrahim" – but left as "Abraham". Here, the inconsistencies, inaccuracies and insensitivities in the use and misuse of the word "Allah" become even clearer. And this must be the concern of all.
Tan Sri Professor Dzulkifli Abdul Razak is Vice-Chancellor of USM. Comment: letters@thesundaily.com.
Updated: 10:20AM Wed, 11 Mar 2009
Printable Version | Email to a Friend
Inconsistent, insensitive translations of ‘Allah’
Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
THE use of the term "Allah" has captured the attention of the media again. Of late, even a newspaper from down south carried a commentary on the issue. The slant is usually political, and not religious, and does not throw any new light on the issue. It also does not appeal to the intellect; instead, it seems to border more on emotions that further confuse the issue.
To all Muslims the term "Allah" is laden with the concept of Tauhid – that Allah is "the One and Only" as defined in the Quranic language, which happens to be Arabic. Allah cannot be understood without this concept of his oneness. Any attempt to do so will amount to a vulgarism of sort, and an affront to Muslims.
Moving forward, let us briefly try and understand the reasons for Muslim misgivings by using the Bahasa Indonesia version which is translated from the English New King James Version and authorised by Konperensi Waligerja Indonesia (Edition, 2004). Let us randomly take The Gospel according to Luke, translated as Injil Lukas, to briefly illustrate the point.
In Luke, "God" is generally substituted by "Allah", whereas "Tuhan" is commonly used to substitute "the Lord". Note the article "the" applies to "Tuhan," but not to "Allah". Hence, where there is "the Lord God" in the English version, it becomes "Tuhan Allah". "The Lord their God" becomes "Tuhan, Allah mereka". Note the use of a comma!
On some occasions though, "God" is also translated as "Tuhan", though "God" in this example does not carry the article "the" as in "the Lord". So does it mean there is a time when "God" is not "Allah"? Or that "Tuhan" is "Allah" after all?
Yet, on other occasions, "Allah" is used as substitute for "the LESUS." But then, "the LESUS your God" is rendered as "Tuhan, Allahmu" – note again the comma!
Just from these few random examples, one can already sense the complexity and confusion in the use of "Allah" in the translated version.
To make matters even more confusing, the biblical name "Mary" is rendered as "Maria" – when the Quranic equivalent would have been "Maryam"; And "John" as "Yohanes" instead of "Yahaya." Or for that matter "Gabriel" is not even translated but kept as it is. The Quranic "Jibrail" as an equivalent is not even considered! How about "Jesus" himself? Why is this rendered as "Yesus", rather than "Isa"? In the Quran both are the son of Mary or Maryam.
If the worry is that the use of the word "Isa" in the Quran is limited only to him being the son of man and not of Allah; unlike what is understood for the biblical "Jesus" – then should not the same consideration and sensitivity for Muslim feeling be shown when "Allah" is used in the translation, without any concern for the Quranic Tauhidic concept. This inconsistency, indifference and arrogance is rather obvious when it comes to the biblical "the Son of God" and the use of "Anak Allah" as an equivalent in the translation – something which is conceptually outright not acceptable to Muslims. In fact, it tantamounts to the denial of the concept of "Allah" as explained in the Quran, Surah Al-Ikhlas 112: 3 that "He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal or comparable to Him".
The consequence of this translation will be that Muslims will be confronted with blasphemous ideas that Allah has a son; that Allah’s son was born in the manger; that Allah’s son was crucified; that Allah’s son died for all of us. This may have public order implications under section 298 of the Malaysian Penal Code which forbids the wounding of religious feelings.
As it stands, the use of "Allah" the way it is can only arouse suspicions as to why an Arabic word is used for an Indonesia-Malay translation of the Gospel. Why not use the Hebrew or Armenia equivalents, instead?
To add on to this suspicion is why there is no insistence that examples in the fore-mentioned names be substituted with the Arabic equivalent, including places like "Jerusalem" which is substituted by "Yerusalem" which is not the name in Arabic either.
On the contrary, there are biblical names that are readily rendered to the equivalent Arabic in the translation. The examples are numerous, for instance: David as Daud; Zacharias as Zakharia; Aaron as Harun; Joseph as Yusuf; Moses as Musa; law of Moses as Taurat Musa (though, more appropriately it should have been "hukum Musa", since there is the specific term
"Torah" for "Taurat").
The final straw is when the patriarch "Abraham" who is the fountain head for Judaism, Christianity and Islam is also not rendered to Arabic "Ibrahim" – but left as "Abraham". Here, the inconsistencies, inaccuracies and insensitivities in the use and misuse of the word "Allah" become even clearer. And this must be the concern of all.
Tan Sri Professor Dzulkifli Abdul Razak is Vice-Chancellor of USM. Comment: letters@thesundaily.com.
Updated: 10:20AM Wed, 11 Mar 2009
Printable Version | Email to a Friend
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Inter-religious goodwill council is good
SPEAK UP! :: theSun Says
Inter-religious goodwill council is good
THE setting up of the inter-religious goodwill council by the Penang government is a good thing. The state must be commended for being the first to set up such a council which the government could consult and where the various religious leaders and elders could consult and inform each other so as to avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
Perhaps it comes almost naturally to Penang, especially to its capital of George Town, which has been a place where many religions coexisted and their adherents interacted peacefully for well over two centuries. There are big mosques, tall churches, towering temples and gurdwaras and also small ones, some of which had existed side by side or face to face for hundreds of years.
In the small enclave known as Little India alone, there are numerous mosques, churches, Chinese and Hindu temples. The enclave is often described as a study in religious and racial tolerance. Such is the goodwill generated that a Muslim restaurant in the enclave does not sell beef dishes simply because it is situated near a Hindu temple. Unknown to many outsiders, the tolerance and understanding came about with a some effort, informally of course, of the elders of the community living in it and outside.
Consultation has been a way of life with people in the community and every religious festival is carefully planned and adherents of the other faiths are informed much earlier to avoid problems. This informal inter-religious consultation is also a characteristic of most of the other towns in the state. Thus the inter-religious goodwill council is merely a formalisation of the consultation that had already existed informally for hundreds of years. A formal council is necessary now as many of the respected elders, who by the sheer respect they commanded could prevail upon their followers to accept their decisions without question, are now gone. It is also necessary as much has changed in the way things are done now compared to those halcyon days of rickshaws and horse carriages. Also people are more defensive about their faiths now. And because of all these things the council would be a good place where the leaders could learn from one another.
As in the informal consultation of the past, the council’s work does not touch on or involve the question of faith. Members of the council sit as equals and the subject they may be consulted on could be just on whether it is objectionable to a Chinese temple if a Hindu religious school is built next to it or whether an old mosque with a very small congregation could be pulled down to make way for a road project. The question of Islam, or any other religion for that matter, being ridiculed or its status as "the only true religion" questioned does not arise at all.
Updated: 11:09PM Tue, 24 Feb 2009
Printable Version | Email to a Friend
Inter-religious goodwill council is good
THE setting up of the inter-religious goodwill council by the Penang government is a good thing. The state must be commended for being the first to set up such a council which the government could consult and where the various religious leaders and elders could consult and inform each other so as to avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
Perhaps it comes almost naturally to Penang, especially to its capital of George Town, which has been a place where many religions coexisted and their adherents interacted peacefully for well over two centuries. There are big mosques, tall churches, towering temples and gurdwaras and also small ones, some of which had existed side by side or face to face for hundreds of years.
In the small enclave known as Little India alone, there are numerous mosques, churches, Chinese and Hindu temples. The enclave is often described as a study in religious and racial tolerance. Such is the goodwill generated that a Muslim restaurant in the enclave does not sell beef dishes simply because it is situated near a Hindu temple. Unknown to many outsiders, the tolerance and understanding came about with a some effort, informally of course, of the elders of the community living in it and outside.
Consultation has been a way of life with people in the community and every religious festival is carefully planned and adherents of the other faiths are informed much earlier to avoid problems. This informal inter-religious consultation is also a characteristic of most of the other towns in the state. Thus the inter-religious goodwill council is merely a formalisation of the consultation that had already existed informally for hundreds of years. A formal council is necessary now as many of the respected elders, who by the sheer respect they commanded could prevail upon their followers to accept their decisions without question, are now gone. It is also necessary as much has changed in the way things are done now compared to those halcyon days of rickshaws and horse carriages. Also people are more defensive about their faiths now. And because of all these things the council would be a good place where the leaders could learn from one another.
As in the informal consultation of the past, the council’s work does not touch on or involve the question of faith. Members of the council sit as equals and the subject they may be consulted on could be just on whether it is objectionable to a Chinese temple if a Hindu religious school is built next to it or whether an old mosque with a very small congregation could be pulled down to make way for a road project. The question of Islam, or any other religion for that matter, being ridiculed or its status as "the only true religion" questioned does not arise at all.
Updated: 11:09PM Tue, 24 Feb 2009
Printable Version | Email to a Friend
faith council’
WEB EDITION :: Local News
PM asks for document on Penang ‘faith council’
Maria J Dass
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24, 2009) : Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants a detailed document on the alleged formation of the Inter-Faith Consultative Council in Penang to obtain a clearer picture on the matter reported by Utusan Malaysia today.
The Prime Minister said he would only comment on the matter after obtaining the detailed document.
“I’ve already read but have yet to receive a clearer picture on the council. I’ve already told the officers concerned to obtain the document pertaining to the implementation by the Penang state government. I can only comment after getting it.
“So far I only read what had been reported. If the report is inaccurate, I will then create a new problem which should not arise,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the Economic Council in Parliament House.
He said whatever action taken or proposal made on Islam, the position of Islam as the official federal religion must be recognised and its status preserved. “This is confirmed,” he said.
Updated: 07:08PM Tue, 24 Feb 2009
Printable Version | Email to a Friend
PM asks for document on Penang ‘faith council’
Maria J Dass
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24, 2009) : Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants a detailed document on the alleged formation of the Inter-Faith Consultative Council in Penang to obtain a clearer picture on the matter reported by Utusan Malaysia today.
The Prime Minister said he would only comment on the matter after obtaining the detailed document.
“I’ve already read but have yet to receive a clearer picture on the council. I’ve already told the officers concerned to obtain the document pertaining to the implementation by the Penang state government. I can only comment after getting it.
“So far I only read what had been reported. If the report is inaccurate, I will then create a new problem which should not arise,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the Economic Council in Parliament House.
He said whatever action taken or proposal made on Islam, the position of Islam as the official federal religion must be recognised and its status preserved. “This is confirmed,” he said.
Updated: 07:08PM Tue, 24 Feb 2009
Printable Version | Email to a Friend
Saying no to the mutilators
NST Online » Focus
2009/02/22
Spotlight: Saying no to the mutilators
CHAI MEI LING
Last week’s Global Meeting for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family saw some of the world’s most spirited individuals engage in law reform discussions and activism. CHAI MEI LING sits in for a tale of how three such personalities defied convention to champion for social change in their home countries
TWENTY years ago, moments after the birth of her daughter, Assita Monique Tamboula stood her ground -- there would be no genital mutilation on her newborn.
In a country where more than half its population still subscribes to this age-old practice today, it took more than conviction on Tamboula's part to put her foot down.
Any girl in Burkina Faso who has not been cut up runs the risk of growing up single and unwanted by the males in the West African country.
So, families engage the service of the mutilators, rural women who mainly hail from the "blacksmith" caste, to sever the genital tissue of their girls - either at birth or just before they start school.
"During the process, a girl's clitoris is cut off to stop her from masturbating. If a woman wants pleasure, she has to go to the man," says Tamboula, 51.
"They do the cutting with a small instrument that looks like a scythe. It's flat and the edge is very, very sharp. No anaesthesia, nothing. Casualty due to blood loss is not uncommon."
In two provinces, girls undergo the procedure just before they wed.
The act itself is part of the marriage ceremony, celebrated like a festival, taken on as a feat of courage and adds "value" to the bride.
"Women have no right to speak up, because the society is layered, with men on top and women bottom. Full stop.
"Even if a man is aware of the problem of genital mutilation and wants to stop it, and he decides not to have the girls in his family mutilated, the girls would still be rejected by the rest of the society.
"People laugh at them. So what to do?"
So set in stone is this custom, whose origin predates Islam and Christianity, that it continues to thrive in the country despite its stringent law, affecting some 70 per cent of the rural female population and 30 per cent in town.
The government condemned the act, passed a law which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of jail term, and beefed up enforcement.
But perpetrators found haven in neighbouring countries.
Mutilators reside to the north in Mali, where they can't be touched by law and are sometimes protected even by the society, crossing over to Burkina as and when their clandestine service is needed.
These women would pass on their skills to their daughters, making sure that tradition lives on with the lineage.
The fight against the controversial practice, which dates back to the 20th century, is uphill because social will is lacking, but local group Maia Association, of which Tamboula is a member, strives towards its end.
With support from family planning and health groups from France and Switzerland, the association goes to the ground to raise awareness and impart knowledge with the aim to sensitise men and women and influence mindset, not only on female genital mutilation, but also on a host of issues from gender power imbalance.
Maia talks families out of the norm of casting their unwed, pregnant daughters out to the streets, where many, unable to fend for themselves, would die from hunger.
It works closely with secondary schools to provide easy support and assistance to pregnant students.
Aminata Diallo, the association president and also an educator, had three pregnant girls in her class last year, not counting those who have had abortion.
Diallo caps the rate of teenage pregnancy at 10 per cent, but says the problem is worsening with more girls getting pregnant at a younger age.
The legal age for marriage is 17, but girls as young as 15 are already pregnant, she says.
Maia also addresses rape, forced marriages, poverty, violence against women, and HIV/AIDS.
It teaches girls and women to how convince men to wear condoms during sex, and in cases where negotiation fails, encourages them to put on the femidoms.
It also discourages levirate, a custom where widows are made to marry a male member of the deceased husband's family. Those who refused to toe the mark have been known to be poisoned.
"When you see something so horrible happening before your eyes, you have to react," says Diallo, 53, explaining how she got into the movement.
"A girl sleeps with a boy, gets pregnant and is expelled by the family to sleep on the streets while the boy merrily carries on with his education. Where is the justice?"
Since being set up 15 years ago, Maia has achieved notable success in alleviating the lives and status of women in the country.
Through advocacy, women are now allowed to work on the land and keep their earnings from crop yields. It was just as recent as four years ago that women were not supposed to touch the soil.
In the area of female genital mutilation, Maia's programmes with the youngsters bore fruits.
"When mutilation is being carried out, it's always a youngster - girl or boy - who calls the police in," says Diallo.
Another young boy reported on his twin sisters' case and got them rescued in the nick of time.
For Tamboula, her personal accomplishment didn't stop at relieving her daughter of the physical and psychological scarring that she herself experienced as a child.
No girls in her family born after her daughter has to ever undergo that.
The interview was done with the assistance of French interpreter Francoise Liaunet-Hughes.
2009/02/22
Spotlight: Saying no to the mutilators
CHAI MEI LING
Last week’s Global Meeting for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family saw some of the world’s most spirited individuals engage in law reform discussions and activism. CHAI MEI LING sits in for a tale of how three such personalities defied convention to champion for social change in their home countries
TWENTY years ago, moments after the birth of her daughter, Assita Monique Tamboula stood her ground -- there would be no genital mutilation on her newborn.
In a country where more than half its population still subscribes to this age-old practice today, it took more than conviction on Tamboula's part to put her foot down.
Any girl in Burkina Faso who has not been cut up runs the risk of growing up single and unwanted by the males in the West African country.
So, families engage the service of the mutilators, rural women who mainly hail from the "blacksmith" caste, to sever the genital tissue of their girls - either at birth or just before they start school.
"During the process, a girl's clitoris is cut off to stop her from masturbating. If a woman wants pleasure, she has to go to the man," says Tamboula, 51.
"They do the cutting with a small instrument that looks like a scythe. It's flat and the edge is very, very sharp. No anaesthesia, nothing. Casualty due to blood loss is not uncommon."
In two provinces, girls undergo the procedure just before they wed.
The act itself is part of the marriage ceremony, celebrated like a festival, taken on as a feat of courage and adds "value" to the bride.
"Women have no right to speak up, because the society is layered, with men on top and women bottom. Full stop.
"Even if a man is aware of the problem of genital mutilation and wants to stop it, and he decides not to have the girls in his family mutilated, the girls would still be rejected by the rest of the society.
"People laugh at them. So what to do?"
So set in stone is this custom, whose origin predates Islam and Christianity, that it continues to thrive in the country despite its stringent law, affecting some 70 per cent of the rural female population and 30 per cent in town.
The government condemned the act, passed a law which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of jail term, and beefed up enforcement.
But perpetrators found haven in neighbouring countries.
Mutilators reside to the north in Mali, where they can't be touched by law and are sometimes protected even by the society, crossing over to Burkina as and when their clandestine service is needed.
These women would pass on their skills to their daughters, making sure that tradition lives on with the lineage.
The fight against the controversial practice, which dates back to the 20th century, is uphill because social will is lacking, but local group Maia Association, of which Tamboula is a member, strives towards its end.
With support from family planning and health groups from France and Switzerland, the association goes to the ground to raise awareness and impart knowledge with the aim to sensitise men and women and influence mindset, not only on female genital mutilation, but also on a host of issues from gender power imbalance.
Maia talks families out of the norm of casting their unwed, pregnant daughters out to the streets, where many, unable to fend for themselves, would die from hunger.
It works closely with secondary schools to provide easy support and assistance to pregnant students.
Aminata Diallo, the association president and also an educator, had three pregnant girls in her class last year, not counting those who have had abortion.
Diallo caps the rate of teenage pregnancy at 10 per cent, but says the problem is worsening with more girls getting pregnant at a younger age.
The legal age for marriage is 17, but girls as young as 15 are already pregnant, she says.
Maia also addresses rape, forced marriages, poverty, violence against women, and HIV/AIDS.
It teaches girls and women to how convince men to wear condoms during sex, and in cases where negotiation fails, encourages them to put on the femidoms.
It also discourages levirate, a custom where widows are made to marry a male member of the deceased husband's family. Those who refused to toe the mark have been known to be poisoned.
"When you see something so horrible happening before your eyes, you have to react," says Diallo, 53, explaining how she got into the movement.
"A girl sleeps with a boy, gets pregnant and is expelled by the family to sleep on the streets while the boy merrily carries on with his education. Where is the justice?"
Since being set up 15 years ago, Maia has achieved notable success in alleviating the lives and status of women in the country.
Through advocacy, women are now allowed to work on the land and keep their earnings from crop yields. It was just as recent as four years ago that women were not supposed to touch the soil.
In the area of female genital mutilation, Maia's programmes with the youngsters bore fruits.
"When mutilation is being carried out, it's always a youngster - girl or boy - who calls the police in," says Diallo.
Another young boy reported on his twin sisters' case and got them rescued in the nick of time.
For Tamboula, her personal accomplishment didn't stop at relieving her daughter of the physical and psychological scarring that she herself experienced as a child.
No girls in her family born after her daughter has to ever undergo that.
The interview was done with the assistance of French interpreter Francoise Liaunet-Hughes.
Muslim women still facing long hard climb
NST Online » Focus
2009/02/22
Muslim women still facing long hard climb
ANIZA DAMIS
Email to friend Print article
Though the Musawah — Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family — conference has ended, in reality, things have only just begun. ANIZA DAMIS looks at what’s been achieved so far, and what needs to be done
THE way that Muslim women have to battle their societies to demand for equality and justice these days, one could be forgiven for thinking that equality and justice for all is an alien concept to Islam.
And even though that is how Islam is viewed by some non-Muslims, and even though some Muslims view concepts of equality and justice as "foreign" or "Western", the reality is that it was Islam that set women free, more than 1,400 years ago.
When Islam arrived in Arabia in the 7th Century A.D., it prohibited the killing of girl babies (female infanticide), which had been a widespread practice until then.
In fact, through the Quran, Islam introduced what is considered the most feminist laws of that age. Women were able to say:
I am equal before the eyes of God
I have the right to own property
I have the right to inherit property
I can sign my own contracts
I can choose my own husband
I can't be forced to marry against my will
I can write a marriage contract and impose conditions on my husband-to-be
I have the right to divorce my husband
I am entitled to dignity and respect
I am entitled to an education
I have the right to think for myself
I have the right to lead my people to the right path
However, what is given by God can easily be taken away by man's traditional and cultural practices.
Which is why, 1,400 years later, Muslim women are struggling to restore each and every one of the rights mentioned above. And what they are battling is largely a battle against perception and ignorance of the religion.
Women are not seen as being equal, or having the right to be treated as equals and given equal opportunities.
Not all Muslim women are allowed to own property, or inherit property. In the farming communities of Tunisia, for instance, although it is the woman who works the land, she has no claims on that land.
In some parts of Indonesia, although land is bought from money by the woman, culturally it is unseemly for the woman to be the one whose name is on the title deed. So, instead it is her husband who owns the land, even though he didn't pay for it.
And though men and women are supposed to be equal, inheritance laws in many Muslim countries deny a woman from inheriting at an equal par to a man.
In some countries, women are not allowed to sign their own contracts, and this then excludes them from so many aspects of public and economic life.
Thanks to the wali system, a woman has to seek permission from a close male relative to marry, instead of making that decision for herself. Often, whether she marries or not, and to whom she is married, is completely out of her hands.
The practice of the marriage contract and the right to impose conditions on the would-be husband is not often practiced, and many women do not even know that, not only is this a right, but it is a desirable thing for a woman to have.
In many countries, a woman's right to divorce her husband is conditional upon her being able to prove that the husband is worthy of being divorced, and the woman has to then pay him to obtain her freedom.
Not all Muslim countries allow their little girls to go to school; and even if they do, this is only until the girl reaches a suitable age of marriage, upon which she is expected to forgo her education for her marriage.
And, even though both men and women are enjoined to read the Quran, when women try to interpret the Quran, they are challenged on their interpretation and their religious credentials (or lack thereof) are questioned. The same standard of credibility is not asked of men.
Of course, Malaysian women are considerably luckier than their counterparts in some other Muslim countries as well as in minority Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries.
Here, women can vote, can study up to post-graduate level (and in fact, at the undergraduate level, female students make up more than 60 per cent of the undergraduate student intake), and can buy cars and houses and properties from the money that they earn from having jobs, and hold outright ownership of them.
Women can drive, go to work, and hold any job or position to which she is qualified.
However, by dint of the fact that a woman has to go through an intermediary at marriage - that is, the wali (a male family member who represents her) - means that she still cannot choose her own husband or decide whether or not she wants to get married.
[In Islam, there are only three conditions that have to be met for a marriage to be legal: Both the bride and groom have to consent to the marriage; the groom has to pay the mahr to the bride (dowry - more commonly known in Malaysia as mas kahwin); and the nikah (solemnisation of marriage) has to be witnessed by two Muslims of upstanding character].
So, although it is true that Malaysian Muslim women are far more advanced in many aspects of public life, the reality is that a woman who, in her professional life, is capable of bearing the greatest responsibilities, is not considered wise enough to choose her own husband and decide on the direction of her own future.
Take Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, for instance. She is a member of Cabinet, represents the country in all things related to tourism - including negotiating and signing contracts and memoranda of understanding - and is politically on the Umno supreme council and contributes to determining the direction of the party and the country. She is 46-years-old.
And yet, if this formidable minister were to decide to end her days as a single woman, that decision would have to be made through an intermediary - a brother or uncle. Suddenly, this intelligent woman, who has two law degrees and was a partner in the largest law firm in the country, is considered too stupid to be responsible for her own life.
If that is true, was it wise for us to make her a national leader?
Obviously, Malaysia still has some distance to go as far as fulfilling Allah's promise to the Muslim Ummah (community) is concerned.
The ground regained so far in Muslim countries around the world:
• Equality between spouses enshrined in Turkey's Constitution and Civil Code - 2001
• Morocco's Family Law recognises equality of men and women - 2004
• Polygamy prohibited by law: Tunisian Personal Status Code - 1956
• Wali not a marriage requirement: Gambia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Morocco
• Minimum age of marriage at 18 or above for both men and women: Bangladesh, Morocco, Algeria, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkey
• Saudi Arabia: Forced marriages are against Islam - 2005
• Domestic duties give women the right to claim matrimonial assets: Malaysia - 1984
• Iran: Women divorced without fault are entitled to wages for housework - 1992
• No divorce outside the courts: Tunisia, Iran, Algeria, Indonesia, Morocco
• Women's right to divorce expanded in Pakistan - 1967
• Egypt: Women may divorce on grounds of incompatibility - 2000
• Custody and Guardianship: Parents have equal rights - Tunisia, Turkey, Gambia, Senegal
• Morocco withdraws reservations to CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) - 2008.
2009/02/22
Muslim women still facing long hard climb
ANIZA DAMIS
Email to friend Print article
Though the Musawah — Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family — conference has ended, in reality, things have only just begun. ANIZA DAMIS looks at what’s been achieved so far, and what needs to be done
THE way that Muslim women have to battle their societies to demand for equality and justice these days, one could be forgiven for thinking that equality and justice for all is an alien concept to Islam.
And even though that is how Islam is viewed by some non-Muslims, and even though some Muslims view concepts of equality and justice as "foreign" or "Western", the reality is that it was Islam that set women free, more than 1,400 years ago.
When Islam arrived in Arabia in the 7th Century A.D., it prohibited the killing of girl babies (female infanticide), which had been a widespread practice until then.
In fact, through the Quran, Islam introduced what is considered the most feminist laws of that age. Women were able to say:
I am equal before the eyes of God
I have the right to own property
I have the right to inherit property
I can sign my own contracts
I can choose my own husband
I can't be forced to marry against my will
I can write a marriage contract and impose conditions on my husband-to-be
I have the right to divorce my husband
I am entitled to dignity and respect
I am entitled to an education
I have the right to think for myself
I have the right to lead my people to the right path
However, what is given by God can easily be taken away by man's traditional and cultural practices.
Which is why, 1,400 years later, Muslim women are struggling to restore each and every one of the rights mentioned above. And what they are battling is largely a battle against perception and ignorance of the religion.
Women are not seen as being equal, or having the right to be treated as equals and given equal opportunities.
Not all Muslim women are allowed to own property, or inherit property. In the farming communities of Tunisia, for instance, although it is the woman who works the land, she has no claims on that land.
In some parts of Indonesia, although land is bought from money by the woman, culturally it is unseemly for the woman to be the one whose name is on the title deed. So, instead it is her husband who owns the land, even though he didn't pay for it.
And though men and women are supposed to be equal, inheritance laws in many Muslim countries deny a woman from inheriting at an equal par to a man.
In some countries, women are not allowed to sign their own contracts, and this then excludes them from so many aspects of public and economic life.
Thanks to the wali system, a woman has to seek permission from a close male relative to marry, instead of making that decision for herself. Often, whether she marries or not, and to whom she is married, is completely out of her hands.
The practice of the marriage contract and the right to impose conditions on the would-be husband is not often practiced, and many women do not even know that, not only is this a right, but it is a desirable thing for a woman to have.
In many countries, a woman's right to divorce her husband is conditional upon her being able to prove that the husband is worthy of being divorced, and the woman has to then pay him to obtain her freedom.
Not all Muslim countries allow their little girls to go to school; and even if they do, this is only until the girl reaches a suitable age of marriage, upon which she is expected to forgo her education for her marriage.
And, even though both men and women are enjoined to read the Quran, when women try to interpret the Quran, they are challenged on their interpretation and their religious credentials (or lack thereof) are questioned. The same standard of credibility is not asked of men.
Of course, Malaysian women are considerably luckier than their counterparts in some other Muslim countries as well as in minority Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries.
Here, women can vote, can study up to post-graduate level (and in fact, at the undergraduate level, female students make up more than 60 per cent of the undergraduate student intake), and can buy cars and houses and properties from the money that they earn from having jobs, and hold outright ownership of them.
Women can drive, go to work, and hold any job or position to which she is qualified.
However, by dint of the fact that a woman has to go through an intermediary at marriage - that is, the wali (a male family member who represents her) - means that she still cannot choose her own husband or decide whether or not she wants to get married.
[In Islam, there are only three conditions that have to be met for a marriage to be legal: Both the bride and groom have to consent to the marriage; the groom has to pay the mahr to the bride (dowry - more commonly known in Malaysia as mas kahwin); and the nikah (solemnisation of marriage) has to be witnessed by two Muslims of upstanding character].
So, although it is true that Malaysian Muslim women are far more advanced in many aspects of public life, the reality is that a woman who, in her professional life, is capable of bearing the greatest responsibilities, is not considered wise enough to choose her own husband and decide on the direction of her own future.
Take Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, for instance. She is a member of Cabinet, represents the country in all things related to tourism - including negotiating and signing contracts and memoranda of understanding - and is politically on the Umno supreme council and contributes to determining the direction of the party and the country. She is 46-years-old.
And yet, if this formidable minister were to decide to end her days as a single woman, that decision would have to be made through an intermediary - a brother or uncle. Suddenly, this intelligent woman, who has two law degrees and was a partner in the largest law firm in the country, is considered too stupid to be responsible for her own life.
If that is true, was it wise for us to make her a national leader?
Obviously, Malaysia still has some distance to go as far as fulfilling Allah's promise to the Muslim Ummah (community) is concerned.
The ground regained so far in Muslim countries around the world:
• Equality between spouses enshrined in Turkey's Constitution and Civil Code - 2001
• Morocco's Family Law recognises equality of men and women - 2004
• Polygamy prohibited by law: Tunisian Personal Status Code - 1956
• Wali not a marriage requirement: Gambia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Morocco
• Minimum age of marriage at 18 or above for both men and women: Bangladesh, Morocco, Algeria, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkey
• Saudi Arabia: Forced marriages are against Islam - 2005
• Domestic duties give women the right to claim matrimonial assets: Malaysia - 1984
• Iran: Women divorced without fault are entitled to wages for housework - 1992
• No divorce outside the courts: Tunisia, Iran, Algeria, Indonesia, Morocco
• Women's right to divorce expanded in Pakistan - 1967
• Egypt: Women may divorce on grounds of incompatibility - 2000
• Custody and Guardianship: Parents have equal rights - Tunisia, Turkey, Gambia, Senegal
• Morocco withdraws reservations to CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) - 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)