By the end of the 20th century, various international agreements and treaties have been ratified by the member states of the UN to empower women among which are the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979), the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD, 1994), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (PFA, 1995) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2001). Among these agreements, the Beijing Platform for Action supposedly has its own importance because the agreement involved a strategic document for the empowerment and advancement of women. In addition, it also upholds human rights and development that encourages women to be independent, to act and have enough opportunities to par with men. This foundation also provides a basis for countries which ratify it to formulate any decisions and strategies in the agenda of women’s empowerment.
The establishment of this international body is actually the starting point of an international agreement to strengthen the basic principles of human rights and equality for women around the world. The objective of this convention is to reduce violence against women, eliminating poverty gaps, strengthening of the economy and developing democracy. What is more important, it is also an effort to strengthen the position of the US as a global leader who supposedly stands for women’s rights worldwide.
Women’s Rights
In accordance with its international commitments in the UN Declaration of 1993, protection, fulfillment and respect of women’s rights is the responsibility of all parties, including the State. Similarly, the Declaration of the Beijing Platform For Action, in 1995, initiated important programs to achieve gender equality. In fact, every state has adopted a series of laws related to safeguarding the rights of every human being.
The Platform for Action point 213 reaffirms that all human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social, including the right to development – are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, as expressed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights. The Conference reaffirmed that the human rights of women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls is a priority for Governments and the United Nations and is essential for the advancement of women
In order to protect the human rights of women, it is necessary to avoid, as far as possible, resorting to reservations and to ensure that no reservation is incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention or is otherwise incompatible with international treaty law as mention in point 218. Unless the human rights of women, as defined by international human rights instruments, are fully recognized and effectively protected, applied, implemented and enforced in national law as well as in national practice in family, civil, penal, labour and commercial codes and administrative rules and regulations, they will exist in name only.
Ironically, if we examine more closely the impact of the implementation of HAM towards the progress of safeguarding women’s rights, it certainly contradicts, not only in Muslim countries but also in the West. With the structure of the patriarchal society where socio-culturally men take precedence over women, and there are even some countries that marginalize women. The main role of a women as a mother and wife is said to be the main obstacle in the advancement and realization of women’s human rights.
With the slow progress of advancement as a result of women’s rights protection, thus various efforts have been carried out including optimal social activities to fight for women’s rights, and also the addition of campaigns and initiatives to actualize the implementation of women’s rights. Apart from that, with the variety of problems emerging and increasing in women’s lives, a set of laws were enacted to curb the problems faced by women such as exploitation of women labor, sexual harassment, trafficking in women and girls, prostitution and more.
In more developed countries, women are used as a tool to exploit for the benefit of the capitalist agenda who wants to make money. For the capitalist, women should be the best means to generate national income. Women should not be neglected but must be promoted in order to achieve certain interests. Every individual who is born should be a boon for the country. Therefore, various incentives and facilities are provided specifically for women in upgrading themselves and their families while generating revenue for the country.
Among the framework formulated by the countries involved in shaping this policy includes the direction of women empowerment. Women who comprise half of the world’s population are expected to play a role in contributing to the state’s economic development. Furthermore, in a study conducted by psychologists from Canada, Professor Monique and Professor Natalie, they found that the success factors for women are based on the position of women in their profession and amount of income earned.
In the view of capitalism, a low percentage of female participation in the working sector will lead to the country being left far behind. According to records of the world, for the category of developing nations, countries that recorded the number of working women are Indonesia (50.8 per cent); Thailand (70 percent); Brunei Darussalam (61.2 percent) and Singapore (60.2 per cent). For developed countries such as Sweden, the female labor participation recorded is 76.7 percent; Denmark (76.1 percent); Germany (70.8 percent) and Japan (62.6 percent). Therefore, the number of women who work is also a determinant of a country’s progress. Where as a matter of fact, the involvement of women in the labor field surely triggers cases of neglecting the young generation which is a result of dereliction of women’s main role and responsibility.
Women’s endless problems?
In the system of capitalist democracy, the poverty rate is the indicator of deterioration which results in loss and becomes a burden to the state. According to statistics made by the West, the high poverty rate comes from single mothers and women who have no choice but to become heads of households and thus support their families. Therefore, women should rise and go out to work to increase their living standards in order to not be left far behind from men.
This is the reality which proves that the West is trying to change the dogma of thinking of social roles in the society. The role of women prescribed in the Islamic Sharia is replaced by the role of generating revenue which supposedly is the responsibility of a man or husband. What the West is doing is an attempt to balance the role to be played by both genders. This new role was deliberately created. Indirectly, these efforts resulted in the elimination of women being responsible for educating and nurturing their children. In fact, the main role of women was diverted to the hustle-bustle of generating income for the family. This silent agenda of the West has not only eliminated the role of women, but even the role of men as the head of the family. The impact of this human rights struggle propagated by the West in reality has destroyed the family institution itself. And most importantly the main role of the country itself as a protector of women has long been neglected.
The severity of hardship and poverty not only forces women to go out to earn a living, but women also have to deal with the current materialistic flow. Many women are willing to be the object of exploitation, either honorable or not. Brothels, massage parlors and entertainment centers are rampant especially in the city and are difficult to curb.
Trafficking and exploitation of women should be taken seriously as the number of prostitution cases continue to increase. In fact, there are also women who are so inclined to be an actress and model as an easy way to earn a substantial income source for sustainability in life. Women are willing to sacrifice their genitalia and dignity which are obligatory to be preserved as prescribed by Islamic rules’. These symptoms are actually producing a generation that is damaged. Data shows that 1 out of 3 women and girls in the world have been victims of violence whether they have been tortured, used for sex, abused or persecuted in various ways. And what is worse, 1 out of 4 women have been mistreated and abused during pregnancy.
Not only that, women are also endangered with domestic violence. Islam is blamed for allowing the husband to beat his wife if they are ‘nushuz’. It is said to violate the human rights of women and has been attempted to be banned in the capitalist system. However, ironically, in a country that upholds a system which fights for freedom and gender equality, extreme domestic violence problems still occurs and is difficult to curb. According to the executive director of the Women Protection Organization (WAO) Ivy Josiah, statistics show that the highest domestic violence cases occur in Ethiopia, followed by Peru, Tanzania and Bangladesh. Although the statistics do not show a significant increase in recent years, but most likely there are many women who are ashamed and afraid to come forward to make a report and may even be willing to endure the pain for the sake of maintaining their marriage.
What went wrong actually?? What is the cause of all this??
Is it solely due to the weakness of the individuals?
Or is it due to the weak implementation of the legal system?
Are existing penalties capable of preventing people from all the negative crisis emerging nowadays?
The implementation of the capitalist system has led the whole of mankind into misery, including women. The worldview of capitalism that views women as goods that can be traded and her beauty that can be exploited, has resulted in women suffering from a horrible condition. Facts show that this system has been terrorizing and confiscating women’s rights. This statement is contrary to the allegations of the capitalist system which state that they are the guardian of women rights and compensate women and men, which proves that this capitalism claim is merely nonsense.
How does Islam maintain and preserve women’s rights?
Human beings, including women, under the shade of the Khilafah definitely tasted an honourable and prosperous life. They lived with a sense of security and comfort as well as were tinged with fairness and justice. Everyone tasted a life of peace, harmony and prosperity. In fact, there was even a time when there was nobody requesting for zakat as all the citizens felt their needs were fulfilled and felt rich!
Caliph Omar bin al-Khattab (ra) once said, “If there is a sheep who is stuck in the Tigris River, I am certain that God will make me accountable for that in the Day of Judgement. Thus, why have you not paved the road for him?” He then said, “By Allah, I will not feel full before the last Muslim in Medina feels full!”
The action of Caliph Umar bin Khattab (ra) clearly shows how the Islamic Khilafah protected and ensured the well-being of every human being, including animals what more women. He whose power had already covered the borders of the Arabian Peninsula used to patrol alone to ensure that the basic needs of every human being was fulfilled. He did not even hesitate to carry sacks of grain to meet the needs of a mother and her daughter as a sign of full awareness of his responsibilities as head of the state in the sight of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. He also had set the rotation of jihad every four months after hearing complaints of a soldier’s wife who missed her husband.
At the time of Caliph al-Mu’tashim Billah, when a Muslim woman’s jilbab was pulled by one of the Romans, she immediately screamed and asked for help to the Caliph, “Wa Islama wa Mu’tassima! Where is Islam and where is Caliph Mu’tassim?” When he heard the scream of the Muslim woman, the Caliph immediately rose and led his own army to defend the honor of a Muslim woman who was tainted by an officer of the Roman Empire. This Caliph of the Islamic Caliphate mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops to Amuria-border between Syria and Turkey. When he reached Amuria, he requested that the Roman perpetrator of injustice be submitted in order to be judged by the Islamic state. However, that request was rejected by the Romans. Thus, Caliph al-Mu’tassim Billah immediately invaded the city of Rome, destroying its defenses and broke through the gates until the city fell into the hands of the Muslims. Thousands of enemy troops were killed and became prisoners of war.
Such is the perfection of Islam brought by Muhammad ﷺ for all of humanity until the end of time. Islam is complete with an integrated regulation to govern all aspects of life that will ensure peace of mankind, because Islam is in accordance with human nature, satisfies the human mind and does not discriminate between genders. Therefore, the call to defend women rights has no need to be continuously propagated. Women’s rights have been proven to be maintained and preserved by the prosperity enjoyed by the Muslim Ummah during the time of the Islamic Caliphate. All the citizens of the Islamic state be it Muslims or non-Muslims enjoyed the light of the comprehensive Islamic system.
In conclusion, Muslims should realize that the problems facing women is a systemic problem. Similar to body systems which are interconnected with each other. When one system is damaged, then the other system functions will be damaged too. This is similar to human’s life system. Human rights and gender equality is a Western idea which is poison and has been instilled into human’s life. It is the reason behind the destruction of our generation. All these Kufr concepts are born from the heart of the Western capitalist-democracy. Surely a concept has no power at all to curb all the problems that are occurring to women and girl specifically. This is in accordance with Allah سبحانه وتعالى words:
أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ
“Do they seek the judgement of the days of ignorance? And who is better in judgement than Allah for a people of firm faith?”
(Al Maidah: 50)
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلّهِ
“Judgement is for Allah alone”
(Al An’am: 57)
Sumayyah Ammar