Muslim theologians and women organizations debate women's rights and duties in Islam

Islamic theologians, women organizations, intellectuals and human rights activists debated at the "Islamic Awakening University," which wrapped up proceedings end of last week in Rabat, women emancipation and dignity.

Debates were crowned with the setting up of a commission, made of 10 members representing various intellectuals trends, to draft a memorandum on the rights of muslim women, problems they are facing, and proposals to address these problems.

Participants noted that the generalization of education has brought about new awareness on the society's responsibility and to the need of revising Islam-inspired women statutes.

For Lebanese theologian, Mahdi Chamseddine who chairs Lebanon's chiit higher council, men and women are equal in rights and values regulating the status of men and women and human society.

Chairman of the council of Rabat and Sale Theologians, Pr. Abbas Jirari, tackled the issue of scarfs worn by muslim women and said attitudes related to this phenomenon are a baseless intellectual and social archaism meant to associate Islam with a certain dressing fashion and disseminate a negative image of Islam as restricting women's rights.

He added that debates on the wearing of a scarf (hijab) are only diverting attention from basic social issues and women's grievances that have social and cultural origins, rather than religious ones.

An Iranian theologian, Pr.Tobi Karamni, insisted that the progress of Islamic societies depends on the contribution of both men and women and said only women are responsible for their own participation in political, social and cultural life.

For a Saudi theologian, Pr. Sabah Ben Abdelmohcine Al Saoud, the present situation of muslim women is the result of their absence from the scientific and cultural fields.

On his part, chairman of the Danish Islamic league, Mohamed Fouad Barazi, stressed that while the West sees women's political action as tributary to their influence off decision-making, Islam argues that women's legitimate interests are the responsibility of institutions.

He added that Islam does not restrict women's political rights and consider them as persons able to enjoy all their legitimate rights and shoulder their responsibility. He cited as example women's right, under Islam, to decree fatwas and interpretations and the right to have a say, as a full-fledged member of the nation, in decisive issues.