Women’s Role in the Islamic Awakening

Fatemeh Khazaii

Women can play their positive and effective roles in Islamic revolutions and movements through two ways. Firstly, they can participate actively and directly in uprisings and revolutionary movements; and secondly, which is somehow more important than the former, they may take part in campaigns.

By rearing pious and revolutionary boys and men and provoking them to fight against despotism, women play an extraordinary role in the Islamic Awakening movements. Of the other indirect roles of women in revolutions patience, fortitude, assistance and endurance in the face of problems caused by fighting can be pointed out. Women who make up half the world’s population have played very key roles in all movements and revolutions. The deep sensitivity of women’s role is rooted in their outstanding influence on all areas of life. In Islam’s viewpoint, women’s roles are not limited to being mothers and wives; instead they are required to take part in all affairs of their society.

Like men, women’s one of the most significant commitments, therefore, is reforming the society. In fact, women may play the positive and effective roles in the Islamic movements and revolutions through different ways. Thus, it can be concluded that women’s presence in the Islamic Awakening movements is not only a physical presence in the scene, but their spiritual and inspiring roles behind the scenes are more important. The women’s role in the Islamic movements is inspiring in the highest levels of the community and the noble resistance, patience and self-devotion of women can be seen in various parts of the Muslim World.

The Almighty God in the Holy Qur’an invites equally both men and women to observe piety and to avoid sins and immoralities. Accordingly, women are effective in protecting their societies from deviations. In order to revive the great and valuable position of the Muslim women, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) held scientific meetings with the Muslim Women and asked for their viewpoints and perspectives on political and social developments and subject of the society and analyzed them. Moreover, when Islam emerged, women participated in cumbersome battles of the early Islam and presented tens of martyrs and combatants to Islam.

All Muslim women are proud to say that the first martyr who lost her life for Islam was Sumayyah, Ammar’s mother. Now, Muslim Women, like their early symbol of devotion Sumayyah, in Bahrain, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia etc. are fighting with the enemies of Islam. The Egyptian women have demonstrated that what the westerners say about isolation of the Muslim women is nothing but a big lie. Women’s participation in revolutions of Tunisia, Libya and Yemen has grabbed the world’s attention. Their attendance was the indicator of their will to release from the conventional and material constraints of the west and their intention to get rid of the political dictators.

Bahraini women, likewise, along with their men, countrymen ask for topple of the Al Khalifa regime. The Islamic Awakening made the Bahraini women aware of their effective and fateful role in reforming the society. Ms. Ayat Al-Ghermezi is one of the outstanding women who have shown her contest against the Al- Khalifa government. She has become famous for her poems against the ruling regime of Bahrain. She was arrested on February 23, 2011 while reciting a poem against the regime.

Women’s role is the foundation of every movement of a society, women can lead the society towards development and civilization; the important issue which must be emphasized here is women’s role in rearing men of the society.

Any human being’s personality is formed since his/her childhood under supervision of his/her mother. Human beings are taught how to play their future roles and they form their society accordingly. A dynamic and vigilant society’s movement is based on the Islamic unity. Therefore, the society which is developed based on Islamic and religious learning is prepared to fight against injustice and oppression.

This article is translated from a Persian article published in awakening.ir.