Abuses against women falsely associated with Islam

This letter is in response to an article about Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin, published in the Jan. 26 issue of the Indiana Daily Student.

I am from Bangladesh and I am a Muslim, and I could not disagree more with the statement by Nasrin as reported in your paper.  

The report says, “Women are barred from being educated, inheriting property and taking legal action against their husbands,” and then it topped off by saying, “all of which are abuses sanctioned by Islamic law and tradition, Nasrin said.”

According to a report of female enrollment in secondary school published by The World Bank in February 2007, “Female enrollment, as a percentage of total enrollment, increased from 33 percent in 1991 to 48 percent in 1997 and about 56 percent in 2005.”

On the other hand, a CIA World Factbook report mentions that in 2003 the literacy rate in Bangladesh was 53.9 percent for males and 31.8 percent for females. These reports clearly refer to an increased access of females to education, rather than the unsubstantiated and contradictory statement by Nasrin.

Also, contrary to Nasrin’s claims, educating females (and males), mandatory inheritance for females (proclaimed 1,400 years ago when females had no right to inherit) and full rights of wives to take legal actions against abusive husbands are absolutely guaranteed under Islamic law.  

The abuse of women that happens in Bangladesh, and unfortunately in many other countries, is in spite of Islam, not because of it.

There are many other economic, social and cultural roots to these abuses against women, minorities and the weak in all societies. Nasrin’s claims were not supported by facts and figures, which is contrary to academic standards of discussing any controversial issue.  

Yet the India Studies Program of IU gave her an academic recognition by giving her a podium under the guise of a “provocative” speaker.  

That’s what is quite strange.

Faiz Rahman
IU Faculty