بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The West Cannot Hide Its Absolute Failure at Protecting Women Anymore
On May 7,2023, a 15-year-old girl in America was found dead in a dumpster after having been missing for three days. While murder of young adults is not that uncommon in America, this particular case struck me differently. The various structures that are meant to protect Gracie and other young women like her failed to; highlighting the problems that exist on every level in a secular liberal society. (Source)
When the news broke that a teenage girl was missing in a small town, it definitely set off a flurry of activity on social media and in the community as police, friends, family, and community members started looking for her. It was not long before the timeline of her disappearance came to light and many questions came to mind, “How is a 15 year old girl missing for 2 days before her family contacts law enforcement?”; “How did her parents allow her to go to the home of a 29 year old man?”; “Why was a convicted sex offender, whose crime was sexual assault of a minor, possessing and making child pornography on the streets in the first place?” Then details started to emerge and each layer shone a bright light on how vulnerable we are in a society that does not make central taking care of the affairs of its citizens. Number one, this young woman came from a broken home. She did not have her father taking care of her and her mother was not attentive, as is evident from her statement to the media, "All I had to do was Google his name. It would've taken me two seconds. I just didn't think to do it. It makes me sick that all I had to do was Google his name and I would've seen who he was.” So, she knew that her daughter was with this man, whom she did not even know!
The layers that should be there to protect children and women in society are just not there in a society where humans are made supreme in judgment. Firstly, the family unit is fractured. Fathers are oftentimes not in the picture, leaving women to raise their children on their own, and living with inadequate funds for day to day necessities. Single parent homes also leave children vulnerable to the relationships their parents have with partners unrelated to them, as well as, living in an environment that pushes alcohol, drugs, and promiscuity from a young age via its entertainment and social media avenues. There is no accountability from parents to their children.
Next, we have the failure of the judicial system in protecting Gracie. Instead of making laws for the protection of its citizens, laws are made on the whims and desires of man. For years, Timothy Doll was a menace to young girls in the community and only received a slap on the wrist from the judicial system in the form of probation, allowing him to return to his way of molesting young women without fear, or care!
Finally, the failure of the society as a whole. From extended family, neighbors, community members, teachers, no one was there to look after Gracie. To make sure that she was safe and not in the arms of danger. That is because individualism is a hallmark of a secular society. There is no sense of responsibility to take care of and protect others under a liberal, capitalist system. The only value one holds is the freedom to do whatever one wants!
The irony in this tragic story is that the very things the West attacks Muslims and the Islamic shariah for are the very things that would have protected Gracie and other girls and women like her. The job of the Khalifah (Caliph) is to ensure that the affairs of the citizens of the State are taken care of. He is to ensure by commandment of the Creator and via the tools of the economic system that all citizens have food, clothing, and a roof over their head. Vices, such as alcohol, drugs, nudity, free mixing, etc. are strictly prohibited in the society. This protects the innocent nature of young children, keeps the citizens of the state safe from falling into a spiral of addiction and crime, and promotes healthy relationships between husband and wife.
Islam is the only Deen that has defined clearly the roles and responsibilities of the father and mother, so that each one fulfills their duty and works together to raise their children with love, affection and taqwa of Allah (swt). Therefore, it is of the utmost importance for the state to instill these concepts in its citizens.
Allah (swt) says,
[ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ]
“Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially.” [TMQ Surah An-Nisa:34].
The Prophet Muhammed (saw) said,
« كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالأَمِيرُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُمْ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ بَعْلِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ »
“Every one of you is a shepherd and is questioned about his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is questioned about his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and is questioned about them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is questioned about them.” (Bukhārī 6719, Muslim 1829)
The Islamic concept of qawaameh (male guardianship over the woman) is the one concept that gets the West most riled up in their venomous hate of Islam. While they twist its meaning to push the feminist agenda of, “we don’t need men”, it is clear as day that having a father (or Mahram) in the guardianship role will be a protection for her from falling prey to immoral men, poverty, depression, and anxiety.
The Islamic society is also one that is built on brotherhood and sisterhood for the sake of Allah (swt). On the authority of Abu Hamza Anas bin Malik (r) - the Prophet (saw) said:
«لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ» “None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.” (Bukhari & Muslim). And the Prophet (saw) said:
«مَنْ رَأَى مُنْكَرًا فَاسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يُغَيِّرَهُ بِيَدِهِ فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ. فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ. فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ بِلِسَانِهِ، فَبِقَلْبِهِ. وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإِيمَانِ»
“Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand (by taking action); and if he cannot, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if he cannot, then with his heart (by feeling that it is wrong) – and that is the weakest of faith.” (Narrated by Muslim, 49)
This concept throws the book at the individualistic mindset and instead replaces it with a feeling of responsibility for those who live around you; near and far. Therefore, if one sees another committing a sin, or on the verge of doing so, they will stop them as instructed in the hadith above. In the case of a crime being committed, the judicial system has such clear and harsh punishments for all manners of corruption that citizens feel it is absolutely inconceivable to engage in this kind behavior.
[إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَنْ يُقَتَّلُوا]
“Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment” [TMQ Al-Maidah: 33].
In other words, in a society governed by the Shariah, a man would never feel comfortable taking advantage of a woman because they know they will be held accountable by society and the judicial system, which does not take the security of women lightly.
It is indeed clear that security and protection for women will occur only after the reestablishment of the Khilafah (Caliphate) and the adherence of the Shariah of Allah (swt). It is also clear that as Muslims living in the West, we have an obligation to present the Islamic way of life as the only solution to protecting our children from such vile and violent crimes and all the other crimes against humanity that plague Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
[كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ]
“You (true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah” [Aal-i Imran:110].
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Sarah Mohammed – America