Page 282 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

Responses to Those Who Look for

Evidence from the Qur'an in Order to

Restrict and Belittle Women

The Addition of the Word "Headscarf" to

Translations of the Qur'an As a Means of

Restricting Women

One of the issues that fanatics bring up most of all is that women
should cover themselves up. The conception of religion and faith of
certain people, who exhibit almost no sensitivity to a great many
commandments of the faith, who fail to observe even its most funda-

mental requirements but who are scrupulous when it comes to abid-
ing by the Sunnah - the hadiths in other words - generally takes the
form of "the headscarf=religion." However, does the headscarf,
which some people literally regard as the sole symbol of the faith,
appear in the Qur'an?

Many scholars say that they draw their remarks about the head-
scarf and covering up from the Qur'an, and point to various verses

on the subject. The fact is, however, that the word "headscarf"
appears in not one single verse. The 31st verse of Surat an-
Nur, which these people try to use to back their claims, is,
in truth, a verse that explains how women are given
complete freedom. Therefore, we first need to see how
the Qur'an is interpreted in translations and commen-

taries, and what the accurate explanation is.

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