Clever Feminist Challenges Muslim Speaker @ Warwick University|| Br. Mohammed Hijab (2016-12-02) ​

## Description

An important exposition of the Islamic understanding of husband and wife relationships in Islam.

Summary of Clever Feminist Challenges Muslim Speaker @ Warwick University|| Br. Mohammed Hijab ​

This summary is AI generated - there may be inaccuracies. *

00:00:00 [00:15:00 ​

discusses the differences between Islamic and feminist views of women's rights. Islamic feminists argue that men have a leading role and "superior" rights in a marriage, and that this is indicated in verses from the Quran. challenges a Muslim speaker at Warwick University, arguing that Islam has a balanced relationship between men and women.

00:00:00 This Muslim speaker challenges an atheist or non-theist to come and debate the morality of Islam, citing evidence from the Quran and Hadith. The atheist or non-theist fails to prove their position, as any logical argument must begin with a premise.

• 00:05:00 challenges Muslim speaker Mohammed Hijab to agree that women are equal to men, and that there should be equality between men and women at all times and in all places. However, the speaker points out that feminism and Islam have different prescriptions for gender equality, and that, ultimately, feminism would have to concede that women are using unequal treatment between men and women if they believe in equal treatment at all times and all places.
• 00:10:00 Discusses the difference between Islamic and feminist views of women's rights and how Islamic law provides for more protection for women than traditional Western law does. Islamic feminists argue that men have a leading role and "superior" rights in a marriage, and that this is indicated in verses from the Quran.
• 00:15:00 challenges a Muslim speaker at Warwick University, arguing that Islam has a balanced relationship between men and women. He also points out that Westerners have imposed their own way of life on other cultures, using poor, naive minds to do so.

Full transcript with timestamps: CLICK TO EXPAND

0:00:00 even for the leaders fee so he also0:00:04 dirty either would you be0:00:10 [Music]0:00:19 you first have to prove it0:00:21 true objectively or through some kind of0:00:24 evidence base and then the rulings of0:00:27 Islam it would have some way otherwise0:00:29 it doesn't and that is actually the case0:00:31 with all of the religions any religion0:00:33 that claims to have divine authority it0:00:35 has to prove itself first so then the0:00:38 injunctions make sense after it but that0:00:41 is for us it's more common sensical so0:00:44 for example I here as a Muslim the fact0:00:48 that I am standing here as a Muslim and0:00:50 my holy book says certain things I can0:00:53 tell you that I believe that these moral0:00:55 things are objectively right or wrong I0:00:58 cannot you cannot say the same thing if0:01:00 you're an atheist it's impossible and I0:01:02 dare any atheist genuine you can't if0:01:05 you're an atheist you cannot stand here0:01:06 and I challenged actually and this is0:01:08 not to be polemical but I want because0:01:11 this is a this is a kind of like Russia0:01:13 we're trying to rationalize things yeah0:01:15 I challenge any atheist all right or0:01:18 someone who comes from a non-theistic0:01:20 perspective to come here to stand here0:01:22 and I'll give you the mic or you can0:01:24 speak to the people and tell me how you0:01:26 can objectively prove anything that you0:01:29 don't like about Islam from more0:01:30 perspective is wrong in the first place0:01:33 that would be my challenge that includes0:01:35 polygamy that includes anything that0:01:38 includes the inheritance laws that0:01:40 includes anything you don't like about0:01:43 Islam the hedge AB even though my0:01:45 surname is hedge up you know I know you0:01:48 might not like me as or if that includes0:01:50 absolute anything you can't it's0:01:51 impossible so therefore all you're doing0:01:53 is actually I put I personally believe0:01:55 you're superimposing a narrative which0:01:57 is actually a post-colonial narrative0:01:59 which relies upon the Western experience0:02:01 the enlightenment-era the Renaissance0:02:03 etc and you're superimposing that you're0:02:05 saying everyone should believe in what0:02:06 we believe in why because we've had the0:02:08 enlightened experience that's that's0:02:10 basically your position so from that0:02:12 angle you you actually are kind of0:02:14 similar to the colonial predecessor0:02:16 you're quite similar to the british0:02:18 colonial predecessor who come into0:02:20 people's lands and just superimpose0:02:22 their belief system without actually0:02:24 explaining to them reasoning with them0:02:27 convincing them that their belief system0:02:29 is the ultimate truth in the first0:02:30 instance so the truth is this I'm not0:02:34 here to apologize0:02:35 about Islam I'm here to challenge the0:02:37 people that are challenging Islam that's0:02:40 what I'm here to do because I don't0:02:41 think that I should be on the backfoot0:02:43 I believe that every atheist should be0:02:45 on the backfoot I'm sorry to say this0:02:46 very crudely but if any atheist yeah0:02:49 feels like there's a problem with Islam0:02:51 because I've read so many of these0:02:52 questions it's an issue of Islam as a0:02:55 resolve its morals that I challenge the0:02:57 atheist to come here first and foremost0:02:59 and tell me how you can prove that your0:03:02 moral is objectively true otherwise your0:03:04 deduction does not work otherwise you0:03:08 cannot prove this prove it slammer tool0:03:10 otherwise you're shooting yourself in0:03:11 the foot0:03:12 go ahead mother yes the onus is on us0:03:17 what everyone's got the onus is on us0:03:20 for as Muslims this is the thing this is0:03:22 very good point so I'm sort of taking it0:03:24 the onus is on us what we have you have0:03:27 to understand everyone's got different0:03:28 truth standards as you correctly said0:03:30 yeah nowadays you have something called0:03:32 a Flat Earth Society0:03:33 they don't they don't buy the evidence0:03:36 that the earth is round so they have a0:03:38 difference true standard to us when it0:03:40 comes to cosmological realities as0:03:43 Muslims we present an evidence base a0:03:46 case yeah and if people accept the case0:03:49 then they can accept the case if they do0:03:52 if they reject the case they can reject0:03:54 the case but this is where the0:03:56 contradiction would lie if you as a0:03:59 let's say a communist a feminist a0:04:02 Marxist or any other ists yeah who isn't0:04:05 really a religion religious background0:04:07 comes forward and says now you ought to0:04:10 believe in this yeah now that's why I0:04:13 feel like you've got a problem you've0:04:15 got a philosophical problem on your hand0:04:17 because you haven't even attempted to0:04:18 prove to me that's correct0:04:20 you've just said this popular opinion0:04:21 for example that you know men and women0:04:23 should be treated equally all right I0:04:25 don't disagree with this point yeah0:04:26 let's say I don't receive you at this0:04:27 point0:04:27 generally speaking Muslims don't0:04:29 disagree with this point generally0:04:30 speaking yeah yeah men women men and0:04:33 women should be treated equally is more0:04:35 true than its force yeah but you haven't0:04:38 been able to prove that to me0:04:41 objectively just as you would be able to0:04:43 do if you did Matt so therefore you're0:04:46 you're asking why is it that women do0:04:48 this and men do0:04:49 in this Muslim country is is what0:04:51 question is this you have to first prove0:04:53 your premise you have to prove your0:04:55 presupposition0:05:03 hadith narrated by Allah he said a new0:05:06 set of Chicago region ahadith which0:05:09 means that women are equal to men0:05:10 actually if you look at even Salafi so0:05:13 Salafi they say if I was looking at a0:05:16 fatwa from ibanez0:05:17 he said even versus one of the0:05:19 literalistic he doesn't take any you0:05:21 know and it's in Saudi Arabia well you0:05:24 know he was one of the people that said0:05:25 that you know I'm driving cars for woman0:05:30 is not allowed he passed the fat0:05:31 anyways he said this means Miceli yet he0:05:34 had to say this means Masseria which0:05:36 means in Arabic they're equal that's a0:05:38 meaning yeah now he said ok and him and0:05:41 others and everyone does looked at this0:05:42 hide it I said ok how could that be the0:05:43 case because there's something called0:05:45 advocate is this net which means there0:05:47 are exceptions yeah so men and women0:05:49 that's why I said in the beginning guys0:05:50 I said in the beginning that I generally0:05:53 agree with the premise of feminists wait0:05:56 a minute what did I just say I'll tell0:05:57 you I said yeah I said I generally agree0:06:00 with the feministic premise because it0:06:02 goes in line with the hadith of the0:06:04 Prophet Muhammad Rasul Allah and he said0:06:06 of Chicago origin men or women are equal0:06:07 yeah now having said that I want to0:06:11 understand it as strong as hers are you0:06:13 having said this now there are0:06:16 exceptions Muslims and feminists let's0:06:18 say they agree on the same premise yeah0:06:20 Muslims agree that women men are equal0:06:22 in innocence and feminists agree that0:06:25 men and women are equal and by premise0:06:26 yeah now this is the premise the0:06:30 prescriptions that feminists have and0:06:33 the prescriptions that Muslims have or0:06:35 that Islam has our different gender Stan0:06:39 so both feminism as a Scholastic0:06:44 tradition of many hundreds of years and0:06:47 Islam has exceptions to this rule and0:06:51 I'm saying this very clearly you're a0:06:54 feminist I'm get gathering and possibly0:06:56 maybe liberal feminists because you're0:06:58 not attacking me something but0:07:02 hey but you know it generally a radical0:07:07 feminist some of them are very violent0:07:08 towards other people just like radical0:07:09 Muslims are having said that there are0:07:12 radicals everywhere you don't want to0:07:14 accept you don't have to the point is0:07:17 because your liberal feminist I'll say0:07:19 to you do you agree that there should be0:07:21 equality absolute equality at all times0:07:23 in places or do you respond to that0:07:26 between men and women okay so would you0:07:32 say they should be equal in all times0:07:33 and places in all times and places okay0:07:38 I want to just hold her to that I'm0:07:40 sorry0:07:40 I'm not doing this to get you you know I0:07:42 really you're a very pleasant person and0:07:44 I'm not okay I'm not I wish I could be0:07:47 more like you yes seriously I'm not0:07:48 saying that the point is if you believe0:07:52 in that you know in America to have0:07:54 something called affirmative action0:07:55 programs yeah for black people because0:07:57 they've been marginalized for many0:08:00 hundreds of years so what they do is0:08:02 they put they have like what is not0:08:04 quotas but it's kind of like helps black0:08:06 people get into employment0:08:07 now what feminists are arguing for is0:08:09 quota systems for women to get into0:08:12 places of employment especially0:08:13 Parliament yeah and that's what they do0:08:15 for political PI's they have a kind of0:08:17 quota system where they have more women0:08:19 allotted spaces then they'll have men0:08:21 yeah because they say because there's0:08:22 been such a disparity between men and0:08:24 women for many hundreds of years or many0:08:25 thousands of years a patriarchal society0:08:27 is so strong I agree with that by the0:08:28 way the patriarchal society is0:08:30 incredibly strong everywhere because of0:08:33 these reasons we have to put quotas in0:08:35 place now but I do agree with this so0:08:38 far I haven't said anything out of line0:08:39 no this is pretty much what's going on0:08:41 now in essence the prescription of a0:08:45 feminist is as follows we ought to a0:08:47 feminist would say we ought to put women0:08:51 in places of employment using quotas etc0:08:54 which is an inequality because it's0:08:57 discrimination positive discrimination0:08:59 just like affirmative action is positive0:09:01 discrimination its inequalities unequal0:09:04 treatment so that we can create what0:09:06 equality correct so you use inequality0:09:10 to create equality but the feminists0:09:13 would then have to concede by0:09:14 prescription0:09:15 at one point at one time that she would0:09:18 be using unequal treatment between men0:09:20 and women if that's the case then you0:09:23 cannot say I believe in equal treatment0:09:24 at all times and all places yes that's0:09:29 good0:09:31 yes but then you sorry yeah but the0:09:50 point I'm making sorry just to be clear0:09:52 is that there is something within the0:09:54 law that feminists agree with or what0:09:56 it's within the social environment which0:09:58 is that feminine women in many different0:10:01 cases ought to have superior rights to0:10:03 men for example in divorce if a man and0:10:06 woman are divorced who should have the0:10:07 children most people will say the woman0:10:09 even in a slum that's that's a0:10:10 injunction boy you can correct me unless0:10:12 someone gets married so the woman gets0:10:14 custody of the children0:10:15 according to feminists in according to0:10:19 obviously suchithra law maternity leave0:10:22 is compulsory for women if they have a0:10:24 contract of the company paternity leave0:10:26 is two weeks and maternity leave is one0:10:28 year that's obviously unequal treatment0:10:31 therefore everyone believes in what0:10:32 exceptions Muslims believe in generally0:10:36 speaking that many women should be equal0:10:38 feminists believe generally speaking men0:10:40 women should be equal both of those0:10:43 people believe in exceptions0:10:45 now who defines and who has the right to0:10:48 define the exceptions from an Islamic0:10:50 perspective we have a maxim that Allah0:10:52 knows everything he's all-wise he's0:10:54 all-knowing he's all hearing God is not0:10:56 all-knowing he knows what the exception0:10:57 should be from a feministic perspective0:11:00 there was an attempt a human attempt to0:11:03 try and assess the sociological reality0:11:04 in a certain time in a certain place and0:11:07 give prescriptions each and every time a0:11:09 woman or a man who is a feminist gives a0:11:11 prescription they fundamentally break0:11:14 their and the initial premise which is0:11:17 that men and women should be equal at0:11:19 all times in places unless they can see0:11:21 that it's not all times and places in0:11:22 which case we don't have a problem in0:11:24 the first place do you see what I mean0:11:25 if you look at the Quran just just in0:11:28 relation to husband why0:11:29 relationships there's two verses in0:11:30 particular that I've looked at with a0:11:32 magnifying glass0:11:33 yeah and sort of referred to on the sort0:11:37 of surface you might look at and think0:11:39 and this is talking about male supremacy0:11:42 or domination of the women there's two0:11:44 versus one in sort of baccarat chapter0:11:47 number 2 verse 328 it's a part of a0:11:49 verse which is well I'll name it through0:11:51 lady alienable model for little0:11:52 gerontology and then chapter 4 verse 340:11:56 a lot average elephant Munna Alan Lee0:11:58 said okay so men are maintaining0:12:00 protects of a woman these are the only0:12:02 two verse you'll find the Quran which0:12:03 referred to when it comes to man or0:12:06 woman okay the kind of relationship0:12:08 there should be and which may indicate0:12:10 and some scholars have taken to indicate0:12:12 you understand that men have a leading0:12:14 role and you know or let's say let's0:12:17 even say the superior role as a husband0:12:20 than a wife okay when you look at the0:12:22 surface here and the classical exegesis0:12:24 is of these verses if you look at0:12:27 chapter 2 verse 228 for example I was0:12:29 amazed my person himself I looked at the0:12:31 older steps here the oldest Marta meters0:12:34 here which is by a body at a body who0:12:37 died in 310 ya hero in the verse well0:12:42 our own name is Ray Allen him tomorrow0:12:43 well there's a Jedi handle it which0:12:45 means that men have one degree of0:12:46 authority over them so there was a big0:12:48 discussion he made a big discussion he0:12:50 said what is this degree some scholars0:12:52 say that the degree is that the men can0:12:54 do fighting and stuff and like that0:12:55 women don't and he said that some people0:12:58 say distance and he said actually I0:13:00 personally believe Autobody he said I0:13:02 believe that this degree is not a degree0:13:06 of authority it's a degree of pardoning0:13:08 because allah subhanaw taala says in the0:13:10 quran we interfere with us about how0:13:12 we're tougher in the life of a rhyme it0:13:14 says that if you pardon and this and0:13:15 that0:13:16 then Allah is also pardoning and0:13:18 forgiving so he said in relation to this0:13:21 verse okay in relation to this verse0:13:24 actually the relationship that degree0:13:28 that allah subhanaw taala talks about is0:13:30 a degree of pardoning that the men0:13:33 should do more work to try and pardon0:13:36 their wife because allah has put them in0:13:38 a certain position to try and forgive0:13:40 and overlook her shortcomings0:13:42 that's what agreement according to the0:13:44 oldest FCF as it relates to audre yellow0:13:46 color mona lisa' this Kalama and there's0:13:49 a massive discussion which you're not0:13:50 going to have time to get into now but0:13:52 once again is I think a second it's0:13:54 caricatured this versus caricatured and0:13:56 people will look at anything okay within0:13:58 Islam is the woman is denigrated and put0:14:01 onto the floors no it's not true if you0:14:02 look at the Quran from beginning to end0:14:03 these are the only two verses that I0:14:05 have seen that may allude to male0:14:10 superiority of a woman in a husband and0:14:12 wife relationship and both of them if0:14:14 you look at the oldest most classical0:14:16 exegesis don't actually mean that at all0:14:20 okay not talking about no apologetics of0:14:23 the 21st century because I'm not into0:14:25 that generally speaking I'm not into0:14:27 that I'm into looking at the oldest0:14:28 ownership and if you do so you'll find0:14:31 that there is actually genuinely quite a0:14:33 balance between one room and just to add0:14:36 to what you said sorry one more thing a0:14:38 lot of hunters in the Quran I think in0:14:40 first so it's really nice at a later0:14:42 time I know my father Allah who be he0:14:44 Bardo Kamala ba literally Jelena sebum0:14:47 accessible in this area no sebum in0:14:49 mecca seven was a de la home in fugly0:14:52 he says Allah so Allah says do not wish0:14:54 and the verses here are in a ham form in0:14:57 other words they're generic it was0:14:58 talking about yet inheritance before0:14:59 well he could in Morelia min metric0:15:02 aurelion rock Robbie but this verse is0:15:04 talking specifically or generally about0:15:07 the relationship between men and woman0:15:08 it says do not wish what the other0:15:10 person has ie0:15:11 a man shouldn't and it says for a man is0:15:15 a portion of what he has earned and for0:15:17 a woman is a portion of what she has0:15:18 earned and so ask Allah from His grace0:15:21 in other words as you rightly said a0:15:23 completely agree view it's not a0:15:25 competition between men and women Islam0:15:27 the depiction of the divine code from an0:15:30 Islamic perspective is that the man and0:15:32 the woman are in a relationship or less0:15:35 a husband and wife okay and they because0:15:37 mother and son we know that the mother0:15:39 is authoritative0:15:40 for the most case and other0:15:43 relationships is quite balanced so this0:15:44 is the controversial and that's why I'm0:15:46 addressing it for the most part I0:15:48 believe I personally believe if you look0:15:49 at the old classic works of Jesus's that0:15:52 there's a balance there is a balance and0:15:53 whoever says that there isn't a balance0:15:54 is0:15:55 against not me and not the 21st century0:15:57 apologist but it's going against the0:15:59 oldest of Memphis Memphis your own the0:16:01 people that actually wrote the oldest0:16:03 tell face here so yeah there is a0:16:04 balance between relationship the0:16:05 polygamy issue yeah is by the way as I0:16:08 said before I don't believe that just to0:16:11 clear something up I don't believe0:16:12 Vianney that men can uncapable of an0:16:15 incapable of exploiting women of course0:16:17 not I don't believe that and I don't0:16:18 believe a woman should be trapped in any0:16:19 kind of relationship that she doesn't0:16:21 wanna be in yeah and there was something0:16:22 in Islam called Halle he will tell you0:16:24 he studied masha'Allah I any more than I0:16:27 have here this whole hour a woman can0:16:29 tell I'm in the Raja reach you can get0:16:31 rid of she can leave the man it's not0:16:33 just a man that can divorce the woman a0:16:34 woman can divorce the man as well that's0:16:36 another misconception of that people may0:16:38 have so these things I think is0:16:40 troubling misconception is that0:16:42 Westerners like your Western is Western0:16:44 polemics Western orientalists people0:16:47 that want to impose their way of life on0:16:49 everybody else like to throw up poor0:16:52 susceptible naive minds so that they can0:16:56 and go back to kind of a gram chin0:16:58 hegemonic framework so that they can0:17:01 impose their kind of framework on you go0:17:03 back to the colonial era that's what0:17:05 they like that's what they want to do0:17:06 but they're doing it now through0:17:08 subversive methods before they should do0:17:10 it with using the sword and the gun and0:17:12 is to come to their countries and you0:17:14 know so we're better than you now that0:17:15 you they're using other tactics and I0:17:17 think it's time it's high time generally0:17:18 speaking for Muslims to note their0:17:20 religion really well yes and to be able0:17:22 to fight back0:17:24 using a fine argumentation yeah and0:17:26 rationalism