DURING my recent visit to the USA, I frequently travelled between Miami (Florida) and Hopewell (Virginia), with a stopover at Jacksonville.
At the former two places reside my sisters and at the latter, my brother. Jacksonville, a city of Florida State and situated at its Northern-most limit, is the biggest city of the United States in area, though certainly not in population.
During the journey, we crossed the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. While crossing Georgia, I happened to read the billboard of a nightclub which read ‘We Dare to Bare’ — rather amazing as well as surprising, specially in a free society like that of the US. Nevertheless, this message on the billboard conveyed the feeling that a woman felt more easy and comfortable when she was fully dressed. Wearing clothes for a woman is closer to her nature.
Purdah for women, as envisaged in Islam, is no more than to make her dress modestly and help her in safeguarding her honour from lustful hands and eyes. The history of the world provides proof. The observing or non-observing of purdah, as such, has to do nothing with the progress of a nation. When Islam emerged in Arabia in 7th century AD, there was no purdah in Arab society. As was the practice and customs of the then pagans, women not only went about scantily dressed, they also danced undressed before the stone figures of their gods in religious and social functions.
Yet, the Arabs of the pre-Islam era were one of the most backward nations of the world. The Islamic state, within a very short time after its emergence, destroyed the lofty edifice of the great Persian Empire. At the same time, the Islamic state forces marched into the territories of the Roman Empire and after inflicting a crushing defeat on Roman legions, made them leave their precious land into the hands of the Muslims. In North Africa, the descendants of Cleopatra and the Greeks, whose libertine style of living surpassed all, were also subdued and Egypt, the seat of Pharaohs for centuries, was annexed with the Islamic world forever. In short, the nation upholding the Islamic philosophy of purdah overcame the nations which did not practice it in their lives altogether.
This supremacy was not only physical and for several hundred years, purdah-observing nation surpassed every non-purdah observing nation of the world in almost every branch of learning. The powerful light of learning and knowledge emitting and emanating from universities, colleges, schools and libraries of Baghdad in Iraq and Corodona in Spain also illuminated the horizon of Europe. Scores of Christian and Jewish scholars made their way to these educational institutions to learn what they could not acquire in their own countries. At that time, nobody pointed out that Muslim women put on a veil, they did not mix up freely with men or dance with them, Muslims did not drink at parties or they were extremists, fundamentalists and terrorists.
Although no society or social fabric which human history mentions can claim to be completely free from legal or illegal prostitution, adultery or extra-marital relations, non-purdah observing societies may easily fall victim to these practices. The big risk in prostitution, specially when it exists as a legalized institution or trade, is not AIDS. A much bigger risk is the possibility of illicit relations between father and daughter, brother and sister and between other closer relations not supposed to be married together, though this may happen quite unknowingly. A similar risk exists in practising adultery, fornication and exta-marital relations, though in a lesser degree.
The dress of a Pakistani village woman comprising shalwar, kameez and dupatta or chaddar is not an obstacle in the tough and tedious work she carries out both at home and in the fields. In fact, her contribution towards the economic well-being of her family and to the agriculture of her country is tremendous. However, due to the illiteracy and poverty of the rural Pakistani woman, she has to work harder than her counterparts in the West.
The present suppression of women in Pakistani society, specially of those living in rural areas, has its roots in the existing tribal, caste and jagirdari system, totally alien to Islamic thoughts. These systems have to be completely abolished to release women from their clutches. The late Justice Ameer Ali writes in his work, A History of the Saracen: Suppression of women and the idea of regarding her as an inferior being came to Muslim society from Persian, Roman and Greek civilizations and cultures, as they prevailed at the time of the emergence of Islam.
