All Women Are Slaves

"What shall I wear today?", the pressing question for millions of women early every morning as they do their daily rituals - facial cleansing, followed by make up,then sifting through their department store style closets to find the best clothes for the day. Some choose to reveal all; others leave something for the imagination.

You might be thinking that women in society have the freedom to dress as thy wish & behave in any way that they wish and that their dress and behaviour are a matter of choice and personal preference. But is this really the case - do women have personal choice in what they wear or is that choice imposed on them?

THE PERFECT 10

Open up any of the lifestyle magazines & you will be bombarded with images of what women should look like; pictures of thin, scantily clad women, posing very suggestively. These images are further reinforced by "pop stars" like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera whose popularity is not based on their musical talents, but on their ultra thin bodies and sex symbol status. In fact, ask yourself this question; how many famous and socially admired women do you know who did not achieve that status due to their looks? These imagery and conception make the ideal for the woman one that is based on her look and sexuality. The resultant societal interaction is dominated by this conception to an extent that nearly all men/women interactions are tarnished by sex and sexual innuendo.

This defined look for the woman is not just restricted to the wider society, but actually affects every element of societal interaction. At work, women are expected to conform to the corporate dress code; short skirt, low top, and alluring smile. What do you think the chances are going to be of landing a top job wearing anything different to this? The basic fact is that companies would not consider anyone that does not fit the ''company image". So does the western woman wear this type of clothing for herself, or is this dress imposed on her, by the need to ''impress" clients, peers & management (all mainly male)? The answer is that in a male dominated environment, the woman is not employed simply on her abilities and intellectual prowess, but her looks and "sex appeal" also plays a fundamental part in getting the job, whether to attract clients with her sexuality, or to "fit into the team". An article by BBC News Online (Laddism in the City, 10/4/2001) showed the plight of many women working in the city; many say they are "touched up by both colleagues, contacts or competitors…and think objecting could be bad for business". 'Team building' meetings and 'client facing' often take place in strip clubs or seedy bars and, as one women put it, opting out is not an option; "You had to be part of the gang… they see it as seriously affecting their profits (if you miss these events)". Interestingly, the author of the BBC article said one bond trader interviewed for this article suggested to her that, "a sexual favour might be adequate compensation for his opinions on why UK government bonds had slumped in afternoon trade." Mmm - how very insightful!

The value of the women at work is not just lowered by the sexism she is forced to encounter. The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) reported that women working full-time earn 19% less than men and that 75% of women work in the five lowest paid sectors; she is simply not seen to be as competent as her male colleague. What is evident is that the working woman is not actually free to dress and behave as she wishes, but is pressurized to conform to a male dominated working culture; in effect she is enslaved by it. She is often only judged upon her sexuality, and her dress and conduct is simply a reflection of that slavery. Her intellect is not her main asset, as reflected by the fact that women hold less than 10% of the top positions in FTSE 100 companies, the police, the judiciary and trade unions (Equal Opportunities Commission July 2003). In fact the only professions where her salary outstrips her male colleagues is in modelling and prostitution.

This pressure to conform is not just restricted to working life, but exists in all societal interactions. At University women are also put under similar pressure. Women looking for Mr. Right find that men will not look at them twice unless they wear the latest "sophisticated" look exhibited by the likes of J-Lo or Holly Vallance. If she cant fit into this type of look, she better lose weight fast, or contemplate some body alteration so that Mr. Right at the nightclub will respond to her charms and overtures. Stop a minute and think; surely at university, a place of learning you should be judged by your intellect and not your figure? Unfortunately, the societal conception of the woman constantly agitates men and implants the notion that Mrs. Right should look and dress like supermodels and pop stars. So how can a woman be judged on her intellect when she is constantly degraded and her honour violated? For example, the posters for the 2002 Birmingham based Motor show feature a woman in a bra with the caption, "The other way to your man's heart is down the M6 and off at Junction 4." How very stimulating! So again, at university women are enslaved, this time by societal expectations and forced to dress and behave in the way that big corporations and fashion designers have set for them. Failing to do this may mean that her partner begins to look elsewhere, and it may also mean a loss of popularity.

"DOES MY BUM LOOK BIG IN THIS?"

The effect of this slavery on women is catastrophic. Women are plagued by a host of problems from selfesteem, confidence, depression and obsession. Women obsessed with their weight often suffer from health problems like anorexia or bulimia. The British Medical Association in a report published in 2000 put the blame squarely on the media portrayal of thin women, saying it is an unrealistic obsession. In fact, in a study performed by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 33,000 American women told researchers that they would rather lose 10 to 15 pounds than achieve any other goal. The basic point is that women are made to feel constantly inferior and develop complexes about their weight or looks. The Woman need to appear beautiful because the societal pressure upon her is so great that she is constantly judged on her looks, whether by her friends, employer or partner. She needs to fight age, wrinkles, weight and bodily features to live up to this expectation.

ISLAM - THE LIBERATOR OF WOMEN

Islam came to liberate mankind, both men and women from slavery to man to servitude to the Creator, Allah (swt). Islam does not discriminate between men and women, but rather it elevates the woman in society, giving her status, honour and dignity.

Islam does not view the woman as a sexual object. The Creator, Allah (swt) orders women to cover their bodily charms and orders men to avert their gaze and refrain from looking at women in a sexual way. Women are not degraded by being made to appear in sexually suggestive poses, and relegated to a mere sexual plaything. In fact Islam elevates the woman and judges her on her intellect. For example, the great women in Islamic societies like Aisha (ra) and Fatima bint Muhammad (ra) are famous for their amazing character and memory. In fact only a handful of people narrated more Islamic evidences than Aisha. So Aisha is not
remembered for her beauty, but her intellect. Islam creates contentment for the woman and resolves for her the unrealistic societal expectations. The true Muslim woman is not judged according to her body shape, weight or looks. Hence her mind is laid at rest, since her husband, who also refers to Islam does not have an eye for other women. She does not feel inferior and does not fight losing battles with age, wrinkles, weight and bodily features. In short she is not plagued with an inferiority complex and a constant feeling that she is not good enough.

Islam does not suppress the sexual instinct, but regulates it via marriage. So the interaction between men and women in society is not constantly tarnished by sex and sexual innuendo. Women are not viewed sexually, but as wives, mothers and sisters, and hence treated as such. Interaction between men and women is regulated by lawful interests only and unnecessary interaction is avoided. This makes cooperation between men and women both possible and healthy.

Contrary to media propaganda, women are not restricted from society. Women can seek employment, buy and sell, hire and lease, educate themselves and educate others. In short, Islam did not banish the woman from society, but allowed her to partake in society and play her role; this is as long as women fulfill their primary roles as homemakers. Beyond this, women are not restricted from lawful societal participation. For example, Khadeejah (ra), the wife of the Prophet (saw) was a very successful business women and she personally donated a significant amount of her wealth to help the cause of Islam.

In conclusion, what we can see is that although the concept of freedom is sold to women in Western society, in reality women are enslaved by the societal conception of beauty propagated by the media. In effect the woman is a slave to the men behind the big corporations that are behind these imagery. The woman is also enslaved by the pressure to look good in her working life, and in her social life. Islam liberated the woman and gave her happiness and solace in a system that does not judge her on beauty, but on her intellect and character. It frees her from a continual obsession on her weight and looks saving her from complexes about her confidence, and self esteem. Islam made the woman a slave to Allah, just like the man