June 22, 2024
During Fajr prayer (this one offered when I was awake and somewhat alert) the word catalyst arrived. I had awoken after a long and merciful sleep to discover my common cold symptoms had disappeared after only one day of strict adherence to the advice offered by the Mayo Clinic. Praises to my immune system, my wisdom in cancelling plans for the day, which was a trip to Georgetown. Yesterday brought a heavy wind and pelting rain.I would have been sacked and most unhappy if I had not taken care of myself .
Catalyst is a person or thing that precipitates an event. It is a spur, stimulus, impetus, prompt, encouragement, inducement, incitement. The exact opposite to deterrent or discouragement.
I was planning to write about and initiate a plan which would allow the admission of women into the hallowed halls the the Islamic University of Medinah This was perhaps a message: Alexis serve as a spur, a stimulus and an inducement for this necessary recognition of Muslim women as intellectual beings, not just baby factories.
The news of women’s banishment from learning and knowledge became it seemed, the final affront. Affront is an action that causes outrage The origins of the word are instructive: Middle English (as a verb): from Old French afronter ‘to slap in the face, insult’, based on Latin ad frontem ‘to the face’.
The reason I first began to learn of the Islamic Faith was learning of their treatment of women. Readers may learn in greater detail of the extremely unusual circumstances surrounding my reversion to the Islamic Faith by going to the About Me section of this blog. I am constantly questioned: “Why did you become a Muslim?” They want an easy answer, there is not one. It now seems my entire life has been a long journey to the Islamic Faith accompanied by Allah (SWT).By the way, when a person later on decides to accept Islam and becomes a Muslim, they are said to have returned to their original state of submission upon birth. A person does not convert to Islam instead they revert to Islam where they had been previously. Sunni Muslims believe that the first revert was Khadiji, the Prophet’s (pbuh) wife. When Muhammed reported his first revelation from the Angel Gabriel (Jibril) Kadija was the first person to convert to Islam.
Everyday several times a day I am asked:
They: Where are you from?
Me: You are asking me that because I don’t exactly look or speak like a Malaysian (or a Saudi)/ Well a person does not decide where they are born, your mother does. My mother had no sense of direction, so I was born in Canada. I was born into a Christian family. I should have been born in Malaysia of a Muslim family, but I have finally found my way home.
Do admit that during my Saudi sojourn I did say: “I should have been born in Saudi Arabia of a Muslim family, but I here in Malaysia Inshallah I have finally found my way home.
June 24, 2024
So much has happened in the past few days. The common cold re emerged, after a stressful text exchange with a Saudi man. Stress can defeat one’s immune system, this was proof. Thought he was a ‘friend’ – do no longer. This conversation coupled with remembrances of my Saudi sojourn caused me to contemplate and to seek guidance from Allah (SWT) concerning my ‘role’ in the (shall we call it) feminization of the Islamic University of Medina. Sone background information from Wikipedia: : “The Islamic University of Madinah is a public Islamic university in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Established by King Saud bin Abdulaziz in 1961, the institute is said to have been associated with Salafism, while claiming to have exported Salafi-inclined theologians around the world.”
The next step in my all consuming thirst for knowledge was to learn of Salafism. A short brief earthy, direct and explicit summary. “Salafi Muslims oppose bid’a (religious innovation) and support the implementation of sharia (Islamic law). “
Oops, I regard Islamic religious innovation of utmost importance. Important Islamic religious invocation were taking place during the 1980s but 9/11 halted their progress as Muslims, understandably went into the defensive mode. More about that later but to return to the matter at hand, here I am thinking I am the catalyst for women’s admission to an Islamic university whose theology is one I am opposed to.
Originally, in the heat of the moment , thought that I would be the pioneer, No thank you. To be totally fair (which I can be at times), Wikipedia did say that ‘Others disagree and state that the institution is objective and scientific, being detached to any singular ideology.” However, and most importantly when I researched the citation it was a book Shariah, Islamic Law which said just the opposite. Oops, Wikipedia, no one is perfect, not even me. Wikipedia requires its writers to support their statements with citations to authority, an excellent practice. But here oversight seemed to be lacking.
So now what am I going to do? There is an expression that explains my dilemma. I have egg all over my face, which means to be very embarrassed because of something you said or did.
Thankfully, I have found a solution.
Women should be allowed admission to the Islamic University of Madinah. There is no reason whatsoever women should be denied admission simply because they were born women, particularly in a Faith where its basic tenant is the equality of men and women. I am just saying, on closer examination, this particular woman does not want to be one of those individuals within the hallowed halls of the Medinah University.
I have signed a petition and encourage all readers to sign a petition sponsored by change.org. Received this email from them. Alexis Welcome to change.org! We are glad your are here.
“When you signed Accept Female Students at the Islamic University of Madinah, you joined more than 300 million people who use Change.org to start, sign and share petitions to make a difference. Thank you for joining!”
I am encouraging any, and all of you, my readers to sign the petition. I am not convinced that it is going to be successful even if the signatures are obtained but it is definitely worth a shot. If something is worth a shot it is worth trying as there is some chance of success. It is important not just to moan and groan and be a victim. One should take action as it is energizing.
However it is important, before committing all one’s time and energy to pick your battles. Pick your battles means to be selective of the problems, arguments, and confrontations that you get involved in. Instead of fighting every problem, you save your time only for the things that really matter. It is said that choosing your battles wisely is an art that involves discernment — the ability to recognize when to confront an issue and when to step back. It’s not about dodging all conflicts, but about judiciously allocating your energy, time, and resources to address only those matters that genuinely matter.
I used discernment in this instance. Discernment is the ability to perceive, understand, and judge things clearly, especially those that are not obvious or straightforward.
What next? I shall continue my search for possible, more suitable schools. I shall include the link to Wikipedia’s University of Qarawiyyn, a university located in Fez, Morocco. It was founded as a mosque by Fatima-al-Finn in 857-859 and subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and education center of he Islamic Golden Age. The Good Old Days it now appears. Here it is https:/search.app/MCRWndZnS7hAvU447.
There will also be links that will enable you to sign the petition which allow females to enroll in an all male bastion. It simply does not sound like fun to be around a group of antiquated males, but other women might enjoy it.
