Comments on: Why Muslim women need their own space: an insider’s view

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

What would we do without Keysar Trad to speak up for women? After all he is always so patronising and patriachal. Oh that is right we could listen to the women themselves. The women who don’t see why they should be treated as less than second class and deserve a place where they can participate without having to worry about the inadequacy of their surroundings.

If Keysar is worried about planning approval perhaps he should try and think why anyone might object to a mosque. Keysar’s pleas seem to suggest that women cannot ever be more than sexual objects to men who might sit beside them. If men have such trouble concentrating on prayer then they should be out in the car park not the women who are genuine in their worship.

By: Bev

Bev — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

My dear friends as I have read this article I must admit when I read this article I love to think Muslims, men
or women benefit from their time of prayer, and it brings joy and peace to their mind, when Pope John, went anywhere he bent down to the ground, I gather as a sign of respect, thankfulness, to the Creator for the beauty
of creation. As a Christian I draw aside each day in times of. prayer to say thanks to the Lord of Hosts
, and that He will guard me each day, I do not hold any grudge against Muslims for having times of Prayer

By: IY

IY — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The “one or two female converts to Islam” whose views Keysar dismisses include a woman who founded not one but two Muslim independent schools in Sydney. They also include a legal academic who has studied Islamic sacred law in Malaysia and who serves as V-P of a national Muslim women’s network.

I’d rather have them speak for me than some bloke whose greatest contribution to Muslim women was to defend the indefensible remarks of a former so-called “mufti” and then follow this up with a call for the law to be changed so that men could take second, third and fourth wives.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Keyser Trad seems to have a very low opinion of his muslim brothers and sisters, suggesting that to worship alongside one another will clearly lead to “leering” and “to pack their person tightly against women in crowded places to attend in an attempt to create a different type of “worship”. Of course, if they really believed and followed the Qur’an then this would of course be a non-issue as the brothers would all respect the sisters. But if this kind of thinking is representative of the kind of respect that muslim men pay to muslim women, I guess I wouldn’t want to lie prostrate in front of them either.

And of course the same thing could be said of entrusting young boys to the care of catholic priests…

By: Ted Green

Ted Green — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The mental gymnastics and breathtaking leaps of logic undertaken by some defenders of certain Islamic attitudes towards women continues to amaze. Keysar Trad’s attack on women wanting a bit more consideration in mosques is almost Pythonesque. Because some Islamic women have the temerity to request better facilities, he treats them like Oliver asking “Please sir, I want some more?” Ignoring what is actually being discussed, he treats any criticism as an attack on Islam itself. Know what, Keysar? The day that you suggest women can have equal but separate facilities, instead of having to worship in the car park, and the day that you suggest ALL Muslims, male or female, wear head-to-toe covering, I might take you seriously. Until then, all you are doing is demonstating the very same ill-treatment of women, of which some sections of the Islamic community - mainly male - are accused. If that’s the best you can do, I suggest you keep quiet and leave it to more thoughtful people like Waleed Aly - your kind of moronic argument does your community more harm than good.

By: Darren Holmes

Darren Holmes — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Ignoring the content of the article, I picked up on the comment “because locals regularly fight against the development of new mosques…”. It is shameful that we do this. I am a Catholic, and I welcome new mosques in Australia, if only to show that I believe in your right to worship. If we are ever to have peace in this world, the two great faiths must come together in an understanding and acceptance of each other. Allowing the buildings of the faith is a good and painless start

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Arguing over who’s turn it is to talk to your imaginary friend. Show a movie instead, it would be more entertaining.

By: Rhiana Whitson

Rhiana Whitson — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The issue at hand is not one of ‘women’s space away from men’, it is of women’s right to choose to participate in the religious expression of Islam without the barriers of gender discrimination. It seems that this type of gender discrimination has led to other more violent forms of discrimination in what should be, if we are to follow the arguments of many Islamic feminists, a kind and just religion that fundamentally agrees with equality rather than abuse and discrimination justified under the guise of patriarchal understandings of Islam. A step in the right direction would be to allow women the option to pray beside their Muslim brothers. Not to defend their segregation by claiming a ‘room of ones own’ type argument. The two situations are clearly different.