The Johns Hopkins University Muslim Association hosted its final event for Islam Awareness Days this Wednesday, with a presentation by National Muslim Students Association President Hadia Mubarak titled "Liberation and Incarceration? Women in Islam."
Every year, the JHUMA sponsors Islam Awareness Days to promote diversity and dispel misconceptions about Islam.
"The main intention of Islam Awareness Days is to show the truth about Islam," said JHUMA vice-president Sameer Ahmed. "A lot of times people who aren't Muslim learn the lies about Islam and attribute them to be the truth."
Ahmed added, "There is always a need for awareness, because Islam is one of the misunderstood religions."
Mubarak, a master's student in Women and Gender studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, spoke about feminism and female roles in Islam.
Her speech primarily focused on the misconceptions of the Islamic religion in hopes of "enlightening people with education."
Mubarak first commented on these misconceptions, based on Muslim extremists, suicide bombers and the "circumcised women on Oprah."
She even joked about the stereotypes related to her hijab, the scarves many Muslim women wear to cover their heads.
"No, I do not wear a waterproof rag," Mubarak said, but added that she acknowledged her hijab as an important expression of her self-confidence and faith. "I relish in the freedom the hijab gives me not to be objectified."
Commenting on negative stereotypes about Muslim women's rights, Mubarak noted that Islam should be judged by its own sources. "In Islam, law never contradicts logic," she said.
Mubarak added that the practices against women in countries like Pakistan relate to both the countries' specific cultures and improper interpretations of the Qur'an.
She gave several examples of misinterpretation of the Qur'an, including the religious justification of domestic abuse toward women. In the Qur'an, Mubarak stated, the reference to beating a wife is used in the context of restricting the abuse of one's wife.
She followed this example by describing a Muslim woman's specific role. According to Mubarak, Islam historically held a reputation for respecting women and was responsible for a paradigm shift toward equality in the Middle East.
Reading passages from the Qur'an, Mubarak noted three main components of the historical shift toward equality, the first being the belief that women were equal to men before God.
According to Mubarak, the second was that Islam also abolished female infanticide and recognized the importance of women in society, whereas women were previously considered burdens to the economy.
Mubarak's final distinction was the concept of original sin, in which Islam differed from Judeo-Christian values.
"[In Islam] you are responsible for what you have done," Mubarak said.
She added that although in the Christian Bible women were expelled from heaven and punished through menstruation and childbearing for accepting temptation, the Muslim religion believes that both men and women were punished equally for giving in to temptation.
Mubarak noted that some misinterpretations of the Qur'an state that a man is "in charge of a woman," but Mubarak noted that it referred to female safety. Historically, before the Qur'an, men would leave their wives and children penniless.
As a result, Mubarak also noted that women can stipulate anything in the marriage contract including contingencies of marriage; for example, a husband leaving for more than three months, or deciding to have more than one wife, may be grounds for a divorce if stipulated in the contract. Mubarak also described marriage laws and practices proscribed by the Qur'an.
"Islam established women's protection in marriage," she said.
Mubarak added that, according to the Qur'an, a man's duty is to provide for his wife, and it is a woman's choice whether to work or to share her money with her husband.
"The best of you is the one who treats his wife the best," Mubarak said.
After her speech, the JHUMA offered time for questions.
MSA members noted the importance of her speech.
"Mistreatment of women is definitely a problem in many countries and there are still many misconception among Muslims here about the Qur'an," said JHUMA secretary Misu Tasnim, a sophomore.
Other events for Islam Awareness Days included a banquet and discussion on sincerity last Tuesday, a complete overview on Islam and Jihad, and even an introduction to different types of Islamic art and calligraphy.
