WOMEN ARE THE HARBINGER STARS

Abstract

The article represents a reminder about continuous discourses about women in general and Muslim women in particular. The author here strives to find answers to two issues that at the same time significantly reflect Muslim’s and our Islamic Community’s perception of the position of women. In what way do we as a community appreciate, that these women achieve through education? And why in our community the rights of women are directly linked with men’s mercy or to the lack of it therein? Primarily, there is a view which states that a Muslim woman is allowed to and encouraged to work and contribute or to be socially active, but under the condition that she performs all the possible responsibilities towards her family and her house. Such approach demands of those women, who desire to be active in their society, to become “superwomen” who would have to be able to perform double duties and actually do two full-time jobs simultaneously. In the other approach again, Muslims in principle support work and engagement of women as well as their presence and active participation in public sphere. However, in reality they do not exercise such support when their wives, daughters, sisters etc. are concerned. They agree that women should partake in social life of the community, but that’s only in principle and those should be some other women or women in general. The will to make some changes in the traditional men’s position, as would involve additional help at home, distribution of the housework that would bring about the balance of private and public duties and responsibilities of both spouses, is very rare.