Page 324 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

The "Two Women = One Man" Error

One of the misunderstood issues that some people seek to use as

evidence against Islam is the idea that "a woman is worth half a man."
Some opponents of Islam have made the interpretation that "a man's
witness testimony and rights are worth those of two women." Fanatics
have also made use of this misinterpretation, putting it into practice
and branding women as worth "half" what men are worth. However,

as in so many other areas, the opponents of Islam and the fanatics are
also seriously mistaken on this subject.

God makes a man's witness testimony and that of a woman equal
in the Qur'an. The Qur'an says nothing about "a man's testimony
being worth that of two women." For example, four witnesses are
needed for adultery to be established, and the Qur'an says nothing
about these being four women or two men, or four men or eight

women. It only speaks of four witnesses. In other words, four wit-
nesses are enough, be they men or women, and there is no distinction
between them.

As with all matters, when testimonies conflict, woman is regarded
as superior in the Qur'an, and her word is to be trusted. When women
are accused of adultery, for example, when there is a discrepancy be-
tween the woman's statement and the man's, the woman's witness