My dearest sisters, we have gathered today at this unprecedented, momentous conference, from different corners of the world, speaking in different languages but united with ONE voice and united with ONE message... that as Muslim women we do not see the Shariah as the cause of our subjugation but the path to our salvation from oppression, and the means to gain the Pleasure of our Rabb (swt), Al-Alim, Al-Azim, the One Who Alone possesses All-Knowledge and All-Awareness to organize the affairs of humanity - male and female - in a manner to ensure justice and harmony for all.

Indeed sisters, Allah (swt) has honoured us as women with Islam. Through His Laws, He raised our station and privileges to a level unrivalled in cultures and civilizations - past and present, bestowing upon us a status of the utmost protection, care and attention. He blessed us with a Shariah in which our dignity is treated as more precious than all the treasures of the world, where our financial provision is guaranteed; and that does not accept that we suffer a single day of struggle to secure our rights. And through the implementation of these laws under the rule of the glorious Khilafah "Caliphate", the woman gained a standing that became the envy of women in nations across the world.

So looking around us today dear sisters, at the desperate lives and deplorable conditions that the daughters of this Ummah are forced to endure, it breaks the heart. It truly BREAKS the heart, to know of the high station in life that the Lord of the Worlds has demanded should be rightfully theirs to enjoy every single day of their lives, and then to witness the unbearable state that has become theirs in the absence of the implementation of the Shariah and the absence of their guardian, shield and protector, the Khilafah "Caliphate".

And sisters, it is these sordid lies about our position as women in Islam and under Islamic rule that has helped to bring us to this point and helped to keep us at this point, away from the very system that will lift us from this oppression and establish for us a dignified existence. But the broken lives that so many of our sisters endure today is also the result of the broken promises of the secular system with its feminist movements and ideas of gender equality and liberal freedoms, that promised us the world but delivered us dust!

However sisters, WE have the ability to help bring an end to all of this; to bring hope to this Ummah and its daughters when there was once nothing but despair; to bring light when there was only darkness. How? By shattering these lies, exposing the false feminist promises, and presenting the truth regarding the Shariah and what it truly offers to women.

So, let us no longer accept for these secular myths and fantasies regarding Islam to be the lens through which the world views us and by which we view our own culture, history and rule. Let us no longer accept for this blanket of deceit to be used to conceal the beauty of our Deen and what it truly brings to women. And let us no longer accept for our beliefs to be judged and reformed according to the flawed principle of gender equality, or for feminist agendas to erode the sublime Islamic social values and laws within our communities. Rather, let us stand firmly against such movements and call for these Islamic values and laws, along with all the rulings of the Islamic Shariah to be implemented in our Muslim lands under the shade of the glorious State of the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashidah on the method of the Prophethood once again InshaAllah.

Dear sisters, those of you who have attended today have much influence in your community, some of you even have a voice in the media, which means by the Blessing of Allah (swt) you have even more ability to make your voice heard, to make your opinion known, and to make your voice matter. So we ask you to please use this blessing that Allah (swt) has given you to achieve this aim, to spread far and wide what you have heard today as well as the contents of our campaign. And with this, we pray that Allah (swt) honours you dear sisters with the great reward and the immense honour of helping to open a new chapter of dignity and justice for this Ummah and its daughters. Ameen.

I would like to end by saying Jazakunullahu Khair to those of you who have attended this event today across the world, as well as those who have watched the conference online. I pray that as we have been brought together today, we will also be brought together soon under the Rayat al-Uqab InshaAllah. I would also like to say Jazakumullahu Khair to those many brothers and sisters from across the globe who have worked so hard in the organization of this event, with special thanks to the sisters of the Women's Section in the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir who have worked tirelessly to make this campaign and conference a success, and whose unwavering dedication to this dawah inspires me daily. And finally I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah for his dedicated support in the organization of this event. May Allah reward you all brothers and sisters, may He allow you to witness the fruits of your efforts soon through the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate", and may He make your actions heavy on your scale of good deeds in the Akhira. Ameen.

((وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ ۙ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ * لَهُم مَّا يَشَاءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ))

"And he who brings the truth and he who confirms (and supports it), such are the men who do right. They shall have all that they wished for in the presence of their Lord. Such is the reward of those who do good." [Az-Zumar: 33-34]

Dearest sisters, the complicated and miserable problems experienced by women today under the democratic-capitalist system and all other man-made systems will end by the implementation of laws based on the Shariah of Islam. The poverty, violence, exploitation, and lack of proper educational, legal and political rights suffered by tens of millions of women in Indonesia and hundreds of millions of women across the Muslim world can only be stopped by the application of Islamic laws in our lands under the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" State.

The Khilafah "Caliphate" will achieve all this through its political, economic, educational, judicial, social and other systems which embody a host of laws and policies extracted from the Shariah of Islam which when implemented in a comprehensive manner will work in an integrated way to secure the high status, privileges, and good standard of living for women which Islam defines as their God-given right. Partial implementation of the Shariah or placing trust in any man-made system to improve the lives of women, as seen in the last nine decades following the destruction of the Khilafah "Caliphate", only provides false hope and broken promises. The systems, laws and policies of the future Khilafah "Caliphate" have been detailed comprehensively in the extensive literature of Hizb ut Tahrir and are embodied in a draft constitution for the state which the party has published. In my talk today, I would like to provide a brief insight into how the implementation of the Shariah under the Khilafah "Caliphate" would practically solve three common and widespread problems affecting women today.

(1) How the Khilafah "Caliphate" will Lift Women from Poverty and Provide them Welfare:

Firstly, how will the Khilafah "Caliphate" lift women from poverty and provide them a good standard of living? The Khilafah "Caliphate" is obliged to ensure that every citizen, male and female, Muslim and non-Muslim has their basic needs met as well as establish economic prosperity for its people to better their lives financially, for the Prophet (saw) says,

«لَيْسَ لابْن آدَمَ حَقٌّ في سِوى هَذِهِ الخِصَال: بَيْتٌ يَسْكُنُهُ، وَثَوْبٌ يُوَارِي عَوْرَتَهُ وَجِلْفُ الخُبز، وَالمَاءِ»

"The son of man has no better right than that he would have a house wherein he may live, a piece of cloth by which he can hide his nakedness, a piece of bread and some water."

This the Khilafah "Caliphate" achieves through laws and policies of the unique Islamic economic system that ensure the effective and fair distribution and circulation of wealth. This includes the prohibition of riba (or interest) and hoarding of wealth which concentrates wealth in the hands of the few. This prohibition frees up wealth in the society and incentivizes individuals to spend and to invest in business rather than just to place their money in banks, hence generating employment. The state will also therefore immediately end the strangulating debt burden caused by the interest from IMF and other foreign loans, freeing up billions to spend on lifting its citizens from poverty and investing in good public education, healthcare and other services for its men and women alike.

The Khilafah "Caliphate" also prohibits the privatisation of natural resources such as oil, gas, minerals, and water so that all benefit from these valuable assets, for the Prophet (saw) said,

«المسلمون شركاء في ثلاث، في الماء، الْكَلَأِ، والنار»

"Muslim People are partners in three: the water, the green pastures, and the fire."

The State would therefore invest in development projects to extract natural resources from our lands. This would not only create jobs for many people in the public sector but the billions made from the sale of these resources globally would be spent again on public services and the needs of the people. The State would also endeavor to create a healthy and conducive business environment, for example by having a low taxation system that taxes excess wealth rather than imposing heavy taxes on individuals and businesses. This would remove the crippling taxes currently in force in our countries which is impoverishing the people, as well as increase disposable income - encouraging spending, investment, and expansion of businesses. Additionally, the Khilafah "Caliphate" would provide technical assistance, land, farming equipment or even capital to those who lack money, expertise, or other means to make a living, enabling them for example to start a business or farm their land. The Prophet (saw) for example as head of the state in Madinah once gave two dirhams to a man and said, «كل بأحدهما واشتر بالآخر فأسا واعمل به» "Eat with one dirham, and the rest, buy an axe, then use it for work."

Such Islamic economic policies would therefore generate many jobs within the Khilafah "Caliphate", enabling men to provide good lives for their families and taking women out of poverty. Indeed, the state is obliged to guarantee employment for all its male citizens. Article 153 of Hizb ut Tahrir's Draft Constitution of Al-Khilafah "Caliphate" states, "The State should guarantee work for all subjects holding citizenship of the State."

Additionally, under the Khilafah "Caliphate", any woman who is not provided for adequately by her husband or male relative can seek redress through the courts. Furthermore, the Khilafah "Caliphate" must provide financial support through the Baitul Mal (the Central Treasury) for those women who have no provider, for the Prophet (saw) said,

«مَنْ تَرَكَ مَالاً فَلأِهْلِهِ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ دَيْنًا أَوْ ضَيَاعًا فَإِلَيَّ وَعَلَيَّ»

"If somebody dies (among the Muslims) leaving some property, the property will go to his heirs; and if he leaves a debt or dependents, we will take care of them." Islamic rule therefore guarantees for women financial security and ensures that they are never left to suffer financial hardship or fend for themselves and their children.

Furthermore, it is only the Khilafah "Caliphate" that can optimize the collection of Zakat and management of Sadaqa and distribute them effectively to the poor. Economist Habib Ahmed, Chair in Islamic Law and Finance at the Institute of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Durham University calculated that if all potential `zakat' were collected in Muslim countries, between a third and half of them could move their poor out of poverty. With regards to public needs such as education, healthcare and other services, the state is obliged to provide them at a good standard for its citizens - male and female - and free of charge. The Khilafah "Caliphate" will provide free education at primary and secondary levels to both boys and girls will also strive to fund free higher-level education for men and women to the best of its ability. It will therefore invest heavily in the founding and maintaining of adequate numbers of schools, colleges and universities throughout its provinces, striving to eradicate illiteracy and encouraging women to enter higher studies and facilitating their specialization in various fields, including the Islamic disciplines, medicine, science, languages and engineering. All this will be financed through state-owned assets and the results of the management of public property and resources. As we know, Muslim countries, including Indonesia, are extremely rich in natural resources. As an example, two oil and gas blocks in Indonesia (Tangguh and Mahakam) are worth 4000 trillion Indonesian Rupiah (around $320 million), while Indonesia's national budget in 2014 was only 1816 trillion Rupiah, and around 75% of this came from taxes. If this is the worth of just 2 oil and gas blocks, then how about the worth of the 37 oil and gas blocks which Indonesia has in addition to the resources from its abundant forests and surrounding sea? All of this is more than sufficient to generate adequate welfare for every woman in Indonesia. And the same can be said of so many of our Muslim lands which are blessed with abundant wealth and which when united under the Khilafah "Caliphate" can lift the women across the region from poverty.

With all this in place, there should be no need for a single woman to have to beg on the streets, or struggle in exploitative, dangerous, back-breaking jobs as seen in the garment industry in Indonesia, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, or work as migrant workers in foreign lands with the risk of inhuman violations, even the threat of losing their lives. Furthermore, its healthy economic environment will enable women to seek respectable jobs and have an active economic life if they wish. For example, they could be doctors, lecturers, journalists, engineers, directors of a companies, civil servants, judges and much more all permitted by Islam.

(2) How the Khilafah "Caliphate" will Protect Women from Violence:

Secondly sisters, how will the Khilafah "Caliphate" protect women from violence and violations of their dignity? Well, within the Khilafah "Caliphate", the protection of women's honour and security will be placed as a key pillar of state policy as obliged by Islam. Article 112 of Hizb ut Tahrir's Draft Constitution for the Khilafah "Caliphate" states, "She (the woman) is an honour (‘ird) that must be protected." So the Khilafah "Caliphate" will use its political, educational and media systems as well as all other avenues at its disposal to promote widely and intensively the view of respect towards women within its society. This is in accordance to the numerous Islamic evidences that oblige men to treat women well, for Allah (swt) says,

((وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ))

"And live with them (women) honourably." [TMQ An-Nisa: 19], and the Prophet (saw) said,

«ما أكرمهن إلا كريم وما أهانهن إلا لئيم»

"None but a noble man treats women in an honorable manner, and none but an ignorant treats women disgracefully." The State's education system that builds the Islamic personality as well as the Khilafah "Caliphate"'s promotion of taqwa (God-consciousness) within society will also nurture mentalities of accountability and responsibility in the manner by which men view and treat women. Additionally, the Khilafah "Caliphate" prohibits any form of violence, exploitation, or objectification of women or any other action that degrades their status. Through its educational and judicial system the Khilafah "Caliphate" will also strive to eradicate cultural attitudes that devalue women or rob them of their Islamic rights, as well as eliminate oppressive traditional practices such as forced marriages and honour killings. It will also prohibit the influx of any ideas, images, books, magazines, or music into its society that cheapen the status of women or promote a hedonistic lifestyle that exacerbates violence and abuse against women.

In addition to all this, the Islamic social system, which regulates the interaction between men and women, provides a framework by which to practically protect the dignity of women: firstly, by preserving a pure relationship between the  genders which establishes a productive, healthy cooperation between men and women in all fields of life; and secondly, by creating a chaste and pure environment where sexual desires are fulfilled in a manner that brings goodness to society rather than harm. All this helps to maintain an atmosphere of immense respect towards women, minimising violence and other crimes against them. And finally, the Khilafah "Caliphate" will implement Islam's harsh punishments for any form of abuse against women including for violence and rape. These penal laws include lashing for slander or the death-penalty for other crimes against their dignity.

(3) How the Khilafah "Caliphate" will Secure the Political Rights of Women:

And finally sisters, how will the Khilafah "Caliphate" secure the political rights of women in the Muslim world which they have been robbed of for decades under dictatorships and democracies alike? Well, under the Khilafah "Caliphate", women will have the same political rights and obligations as men. This is in accordance to Islamic evidences that command Muslim men and women to have an active role in the politics of their society, for example, the Prophet (saw) said, addressing men and women,

«كَلاَّ وَاللَّهِ لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَلَتَأْخُذُنَّ عَلَى يَدَىِ الظَّالِمِ وَلَتَأْطُرُنَّهُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ أَطْرًا وَلَتَقْصُرُنَّهُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ قَصْرًا»

"Nay, by Allah, you have to enjoin the Ma'ruf and forbid the Munkar, and to hold against the hand of the tyrant, and to force him on the truth truly and to limit him to the truth really, otherwise Allah will hit the hearts of some of you against others, then He will curse you as He cursed them". The Khilafah "Caliphate" will provide women multiple avenues to raise grievances against the state, account their ruler, or express their political opinions. Article 20 of Hizb ut Tahrir's Draft Constitution for the Khilafah "Caliphate" states, "Calling upon the rulers to account for their actions is both a right for the Muslims and a fard kifaayah (collective duty) upon them." Therefore, within the Khilafah "Caliphate" women can be members of political parties, raise their views in an independent media, or establish media outlets without the need for a license. They will have the right to be elected representatives of councils which advise and account governors and the Khalifah in all matters of the state. Indeed, Islamic history is awash with examples that highlight how the political opinions of women are valued under the Shariah. For example, Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra), the second Khalifah of Islam would gather men and women in the mosque and seek their opinions on various matters. He would also consult a woman called Al-Shifa bint Abdullah on various political matters due to her intelligence and insight, often giving preference to her opinions over others. Additionally, the Khilafah "Caliphate" will give women their Islamic right to elect their representatives and the Khalifah, as well as raise complaints against rulers or officials of the state to the Makhkaamat ul-Madhalim, a special court that investigates negligence or injustice in ruling, allowing women to openly account their rulers without fear.

Conclusion:

Dear sisters, from this description, it is clear how it is only the Shariah of Islam implemented comprehensively under the Khilafah "Caliphate" that can give a bright future to the lives of Muslim women. It is a historical fact that this was the only State able to bring prosperity and security for all people under its reign, including its women. This is to be expected for it is only the application of the Laws of the Creator that can establish for women the high status and rights that He (swt) prescribes for them. So it is a must that we no longer look for solutions to our problems as Muslim women from outside of Islam. Therefore, let us turn our attention, hopes and efforts to the re-establishment of this glorious state which alone holds the promise of delivering real change and a dignified future for the women of the Muslim world. Allah (swt) says,

((فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّڪُم مِّنِّى هُدً۬ى فَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشۡقَىٰ وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا وَنَحۡشُرُهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ))

"Whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. But whoever turns away from My Reminder (That is, neither believes in the Qur'an nor acts on its orders) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." [TMQ Ta-Ha: 123-124]

Iffah Ainur Rochmah

Spokeswoman of Hizb ut Tahrir Indonesia

(1) INTRODUCTION:

• Dear sisters and distinguished guests, in the 1870's, French administrators trying to strengthen France's colonial rule over parts of the Muslim world recommended that French men marry Arab women. A supporter of this policy stated, "It is through women that we can get hold of the soul of a people".

• The colonialists realised that within Muslim societies, women are the centre of the family, the backbone of communities, and the nurturers of children. If you capture their hearts and their minds, you capture the spirit of present and future Muslim generations, creating advocates for your beliefs, and supporters of your rule. Western rulers therefore sought to get hold of the soul of the Muslim woman by shaping her tastes according to their values; convincing her to view her Islamic history through their eyes; and moulding her hopes and aspirations through their dreams.

• And over successive generations, it is the media that functioned as one of their greatest tools in achieving this aim. For it served as a mirror to that soul; not by providing a true reflection of the Muslim woman's status in her Deen - for if it had, it would have shown her as embracing a system which exemplified protection of her dignity and wellbeing, one that elevated her status within societies, and pioneered the political, economic, educational and legal rights she enjoyed, centuries ahead of Western civilizations today.

• No! The secular media concealed this truthful reflection of the position of women in the Shariah. Instead, it constructed a distorted ugly image of her identity as a Muslim woman and her mistreatment under Islam, based upon lies and myths - that she was imprisoned, enslaved, consigned to second-class status, and the subject of violence. The words ‘victim' and ‘veiled' became synonymous; and the covered Muslim woman came to represent to many the visible symbol of Islam's oppression of women.

• This false image led to many Muslim women becoming ashamed of their Islamic culture, despising their Islamic history, and fearing the return of Islamic rule, while also being enticed by the secular, liberal lifestyle, culture and system, viewing it as the path to dignified lives. It also intensified the suspicion and hatred amongst non-Muslim communities towards Islam. All this aided secular governments, in the East and West to pursue their agenda of weakening the attachment of Muslims to their Islamic beliefs and to remove Islam from public life by manufacturing consent amongst their public for hijab and niqab bans and other oppressive policies against Muslims, as well as to invade Muslim lands for political interests - all in the name of saving Muslim women from their so-called ‘oppressive' Islamic culture.

• Gema Martin Munoz, Professor of Sociology of the Arab and Islamic World at Autonoma University of Madrid wrote in an article entitled, ‘Islam's women under Western eyes', "The media not only constitutes almost the sole source of information for the images and attitudes that they create. They also perpetuate historically inherited stereotypes and cultural imaginaries that form part of the national collective memory bank."

• Dear sisters, these inherited stereotypes and false cultural imaginaries of Muslim women and their status in Islam cannot go unchallenged. Such lies should not be the dominant voice in the media discourses on women and Shariah. They must be dismantled and discarded. To do this requires for us to first recognise the main sources from which the media fiction regarding the Shariah's subjugation of women arise.

(2) BREAKING THE ORIENTALIST MYTHS REGARDING WOMEN UNDER THE UTHMANI KHILAFAH:

• One of these main sources is the age-old Western orientalist myths regarding the treatment of women under the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate" state.

• For centuries, the writings and paintings of Western orientalists, historians, and politicians portrayed the position of women under the rule of the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate" as one of servitude, imprisonment, and enslavement to men. Sensationalist, fictitious books such as "1001 Arabian Nights" - as well as the works of European travellers and artists presented Ottoman society as a lustful place, where women were helpless chattels of their husbands, captives in their homes, and treated as mere objects to provide pleasure for men. Nowhere symbolised this more for the Western mind than the ‘Harem' that became the most fertile space of orientalist imagination. Scenes depicting it as a place of sexual indulgence, with women imprisoned and paraded for male gratification were played out on the pages of books and the canvases of paintings- all of which was attributed to the Shariah and Islamic rule.

• For centuries, these European descriptions of the ‘Exotic East', shaped Western attitudes towards the status of women under the Shariah laws. They were repeated endlessly and perpetuated on the cinema and TV screens of the 20^th and 21^st century, becoming part of popular culture and ingrained into the psyché of many in the West as well as many Muslims.

• It is these depictions that came to define many of the modern-day media accusations against specific Islamic social laws. The niqab for example, that has been described by the media as a garment of imprisonment and seclusion, that makes the woman voiceless and invisible - is viewed as almost an extension of the walls of that jail-like harem as pictured by orientalists, as is gender segregation that has been labelled as ‘gender apartheid' and as another means of secluding women from society.

• However, in truth, these orientalist depictions of the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate" were mere figments of European imagination. They were in the main, works of Western male writers and artists who were never allowed to have close interaction with Ottoman women, nor enter the harem due to the strict segregation of the genders that was implemented under the State. It was therefore virtually impossible for male foreigners to give a first-hand account of women's lives in an Ottoman harem or household.

• However, the writings of female European travellers who were able to have closer contact with Ottoman women and enter their harems to witness directly their lives, paint a very different picture to the descriptions of these male orientalists. They rejected the idea that women under the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate" were imprisoned, enslaved, and degraded human beings; rather they witnessed the converse. M. De M. D'Ohsson, an Armenian woman who worked for many years in the Swedish Embassy in Turkey during the 18^th century stated regarding the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate", "Anyone who behaves badly towards a woman, regardless of his position or religion, cannot escape punishment, because religion generally commands women to be respected. For this reason both the police and judges deal very severely with anyone who ill-treats women."

• These female European writers also refuted the claim the harems were places where women were imprisoned, describing them instead as simply the living quarters of women within a household, and detailing how women were free to leave them for leisure activities or to seek redress of violations to their rights through the courts. They also disputed accusations of harems being places of sexual depravity where women were displayed for male pleasure, describing instead the piety and high regard for purity in the interaction between men and women in the Muslim Ottoman household. They told of how men strictly adhered to rules relating to the female-only environment of the harem to the extent that the husband of a Muslim woman, even if he was the Khalifah would not think of entering into the harem of his own home if he saw women's slippers at the harem door, which indicated that there were female guests visiting.

• An examination of the judicial records of the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate", also paint a very different picture of the lives of women under its Islamic laws than that depicted by the fantasies of Western orientalists. In the 1970's, an American history professor, R. C. Jennings conducted extensive research on more than 10,000 Ottoman court records from the 17^th century. They reveal that women used the courts regularly to defend their personal and property rights, that they were protected from violence and forced marriages, were financially maintained by their husbands and families, could initiate divorce, and had their dowry and inheritance rights protected. In addition, they had the same economic rights as men and were able to manage their wealth and economic affairs independently of male relatives. This included the right to buy and sell property, run a business, form contracts, invest their wealth, and hold managerial positions in businesses run by others.

• Despite all this sisters, the century-old lies of the oppression of women under the Shariah laws of the Uthmani Khilafah "Caliphate" continue to form the basis upon which numerous journalists and media formulate their arguments regarding Islam's mistreatment of women. They are also replicated in modern-day dramas, films, historical documentaries and writings - even in Turkey where a number of recent shows regarding various sultans have gained great popularity and have been exported across the Muslim world, even though their scripts are cut and paste of the myths of Western orientalists and colonialists.

• These historical portrayals of Muslim women's subjugation by Islam are also echoed in another modern-day phenomenon - the birth of a genre of memoirs written by Muslim and ex-Muslim women accounting their personal stories of escaping oppression for which they blamed Islam. The narratives of historical works of fiction have therefore today been etched into the storylines of what are being marketed as works of fact! These books and films have exploded in popularity over the last 2 decades, flooding bookshops and selling in their millions in the Muslim and non-Muslim world. Whether it's Ayan Hirsi's, ‘The Caged Virgin', or the ‘Princess' trilogy about the subjugated life of a Saudi Princess, or the book ‘Sold' that tells the story of 2 girls forced into marriage in Yemen, or even the biography of Malala Yousafzai - it's the same message that is amplified again, and again, and again - that Muslim women need saving from Islam. And it's the secular media that is providing the megaphone. Indeed, such media have created celebrities of this genre of authors, providing them extensive airtime and huge press space to peddle their stories and publicise their books, giving them a free reign to present their individual personal experiences resulting from non-Islamic customs as the general norm of women's lives under the Shariah, and that vast numbers of Muslim women resent their Islamic culture. And all this has been re-enforced by the relentless sensationalist media coverage of forced marriages, honour killings, and other oppressive non-Islamic practices in Muslim communities which have been linked to the Shariah; or stories of women's subjugation under non-Islamic regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Sudan which are falsely paraded as templates of Islamic governance - re-iterating the dominant narrative that the Shariah oppresses women.

• The truth therefore appears to have been branded as irrelevant in all this.

• Sisters, this new age literature and media productions based upon gender orientalism and historical fabrications and fantasies do not belong in the bookstores or TV screens of our lands. They belong in the dustbin of history!

(3) DISMANTLING SECULAR ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE ISLAMIC SOCIAL LAWS:

• Dear sisters, the other main source from which the media fiction regarding the Shariah's subjugation of women arises is their whole approach by which Islamic social laws are examined and judged. Individual Islamic rulings are cherry picked, their context ignored, and then their meanings misinterpreted using a host of wild assumptions to come to the conclusion that the Shariah oppresses women; while conveniently overlooking the high status and unrivalled rights Islam affords women, as well as the positive impact that Islam's social laws have when implemented as a whole upon women, children, family life, and society.

So for example, the media says that Islamic inheritance laws are discriminatory against women because the sister receives half the share of her brother - while ignoring the fact that in Islam the man is obliged to provide for his wife and children, as well as his sisters and extended family if required while the woman is not expected to spend a penny of her wealth on others, even if she is rich - yet Islam still grants her a share of the inheritance! Subhanallah! Or they say that polygamy is unjust to women, even though a man is obliged to take financial and physical care of each of his wives equally, and to treat them with kindness and love. However, there is no condemnation that adultery has become the norm within liberal states, where it is perfectly legal for a man to have relations with countless women while taking no responsibility for them or the children they father.

• Or some journalists say that the differences in certain rights and roles of men and women in Islam - for example in testimony, marital duties, or the woman not being permitted to be a ruler - implies that Islam views women as being inferior to men in worth or intellect, while ignoring the fact that Allah (swt) said,

((وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا))

"And Allah has made for you mates of your own nature..." [An-Nahl: 72]

And that the Prophet (saw) said, «إِنَّمَا النِّسَاءُ شَقَائِقُ الرِّجَالِ»"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." They disregard the fact that numerous women transmitted hadiths from the Prophet (saw) which form part of the Sunnah - one of the four main sources of extracting Islamic rulings. Historically under Islamic rule, women played an essential role in the development, transmission and preservation of Islamic sciences, fiqh and hadith, contributing to the richness of Islamic culture and scholarship; that there were thousands of female scholars under the Khilafah "Caliphate" some of whom were teachers of eminent male scholars such as Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and Ibn Taymiyyah, and that they lectured in the prestigious colleges and mosques of their time - such as Umm Darda in the 7^th century AD who taught hadith at the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the capital of the Khilafah "Caliphate" at the time, one of her students being the Khalifah of the state, or Aishah bint Abd-al-Hadi who in the 9^th century was appointed to the post of principal teacher of Sahih al-Bukhari in the Grand Mosque of Banu Umayyah - so after all of this, how do they dare to claim that the Shariah views the worth and intellect of the woman to be deficient to the man?

• And finally, the media claims that the Shariah orders women to cover up, and enforces gender segregation, and other social laws that limit the relationship between men and women because it views women as evil, sexual temptresses that are a cause of fitnah for men and need to be secluded from society; while they blindly ignore the fact that within capitalist liberal states, the beauty, entertainment, and pornography industries have marketed the idea of the woman as a sexual temptress, exploiting her feminine charms, and presenting her as a seductress for the sake of profit.

• Islam in contrast, describes the woman as ‘muhsana' - a fortress against Shaytan, who is able to keep her husband upright in his behavior and completes half his Deen. Additionally, under Islamic rule, countless eminent male scholars held their female teachers in high regard, praising them for their piety, virtuous conduct, and integrity. This is because, unlike Western Christian societies historically, Islam rejects the view that women are ‘sexual temptresses' or ‘instruments of the devil' causing men to go astray. No! Rather the Qur'an states,

((وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬‌ۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ))

"And the believers, men and women, are guardians one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong" [TMQ At-Taubah: 71], thereby holding men and women equally responsible for protecting society from corruption. And as for the accusation that these social laws encourage the seclusion of women, then how do they explain the fact that women had an active role in the politics, economics, education and general life of the society under the rule of the Prophet (saw) while also abiding resolutely to their Islamic dress and other Shariah rulings?

• Indeed, what such media seems determined to ignore is that unlike the irrational liberal ideology, Islam recognizes that men and women have the potential of provoking the sexual desire in each other. Therefore it sets down strict laws and limits, to direct the fulfillment of the sexual instinct to marriage alone and hence to that which benefits rather than harms society. So the Islamic social laws, rather than secluding women, or hindering the interaction of men and women, facilitates it by ensuring healthy cooperation between the genders in all spheres of life, based upon mutual respect and not marred by sexual distractions. This is in addition to protecting the family unit, and hence the rights of women, men, and children alike. What a stark contrast this is to the ‘free-for all' liberal societies with their personal and sexual freedoms that have devastated family life, ruined the lives of children and reaped social and moral chaos within their societies.

CONCLUSION:

• In conclusion sisters, the secular media has created its own prison for the Muslim woman, unwilling to hear our voices, attempting to cage and contain us within the four walls of an outdated false narrative that we feel oppressed by our Deen, seek protection from our Islamic culture and Islamic rule, and yearn for salvation through the Western liberal lifestyle and system. It is therefore down to us dear sisters to break the bars of that jail, to no longer accept for others to speak on our behalf about how we think and feel about Islam; or to allow these lies to continue to be the lens through which the world views us and our status in the Shariah - lies which are used to implement oppressive anti-Islamic policies, or invade our Muslim lands, or fight the resumption of the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" state - all supposedly in our name!

• Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister once said, "Sometimes the truth is so precious, it must be accompanied by a bodyguard of lies." So sisters, let us not let the truth about the beautiful, unrivalled status that the Shariah affords women to be concealed by this blanket of deceit, nor accept for our Deen to be condemned and accused without coming to its defence. Let us strive to get our voices heard and our opinions known in the mainstream media - in discussion shows, in the papers, and in news outlets; or set up and support our own Islamic media - in real life or online, as well as effectively utilize social media to fight this propaganda and make the truth known. But in a manner where we never ever become apologetic for our beliefs, or shy away from being frank about our values, or let others steer the direction of the discussion. But rather to dismantle the absurd accusations, while also raising a 21^st century debate, away from pieces of cloth and isolated Islamic laws to the true causes of women's oppression and what set of values and laws can truly secure respect and rights for women. And never, ever underestimate what your contribution to this debate can achieve sisters - for just the image of a Muslim woman raising her opinions confidently in the media, saying that she feels empowered and respected by her Islamic beliefs, is enough to undermine a mountain of lies. So sisters, the media may want to use us in the frontline of their propaganda attack against Islam; but it is us who can and must be in the frontline of the struggle to present the truth of our Deen. Allah (swt) says,

((يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطۡفِـُٔواْ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفۡوَٲهِهِمۡ وَيَأۡبَى ٱللَّهُ إِلَّآ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ ۥ وَلَوۡ ڪَرِهَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ))

"They desire to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will not allow it to happen, for He seeks to perfect His light even though the disbelievers may dislike it." [TMQ At-Taubah: 32]

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz

Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir

Muslim women were granted their full rights without having to resist and fight, and without carrying out marches and strikes for them. Islam and its rulings are equitable to women as human beings first and foremost. She was able to contribute positively and effectively in all aspects of life: political, economic and social, as well as in education and employment. This was at a time when women in the West were suffering the ravages of humiliation, marginalization, and contempt, and did not have any rights to be mentioned, not to mention the poor male treatment of females in the family, society and the church. This prompted women in Western societies to establish a movement for women's rights and the rejection of the so-called male domination. Therefore, what is now known as feminism emerged. One of its definitions is "The theory that calls for equality for both genders, politically, economically and socially, and seeks as a political movement to achieve women's rights and interests and to eliminate gender discrimination and male domination suffered by women."

Some have tried to imitate the solutions for this injustice suffered by Western women through importing feminist ideas and attempting to Islamicize them. This "Islamic feminist theory" seeks to update the view on women by reviewing Islam from a new modern perspective. Margot Badran was the first researcher to use this term in 1999, where she pointed out that religion is not a problem for women, but the problem lies in the way the religion is misinterpreted and misapplied.

Yes sisters, what they call "Islamic feminism" distinguishes between the Qur'an and the Hadeeth. It believes that the Qur'an is more equitable for women regarding the gender, and accuses the Hadeeth of being biased against Muslim women. Therefore, these feminists use the term "Ijtihad" in order to dismantle the religious texts and extract rules and Fatwas that they can resort to, in what they claim is the defense of all women's rights. I.e. they work within the framework of Islam, depending on many linguistic approaches in the interpretation of religious discourse. And here lies the danger my sisters; it is more difficult for Liberal and secular feminists to achieve a similar change, simply because of how they are viewed by others; that they are carrying the thought of the West who came to destroy the principles, morals and religion of the East. Thus the Islamic society is cautious of them, it may even place obstacles in front of any women's project coming from them and will view it with suspicion and mistrust. However "Islamic feminists" are working to impose western feminism but in a very savvy manner; where they are seeking to convince the Muslim men and women that Western feminism is the essence of what Islam calls for, and that therefore there is no reason to resist or criticize it. They claim that these values are a collection of humanitarian modern progressive ideas, which correspond with what was brought by Islam. Several female academics are spearheading this discourse, they have invented this new term in order for it to be accepted and promoted in the Islamic countries, and this is why we now hear of so-called "Islamic feminism".

Here we recall Amina Wadud who lead worshipers, men and women in prayer in America. She views Islam as not incompatible with freedom, that it does not prohibit thought and does not force women to wear the head cover! In other words, they praise Islam in order to destroy it, and so avoid being accused of treason and being agents of the West. They draft several proposals for the reform of the situation of women, but they use the same language and context so as to fall within the religious framework. As a result of this we are currently witnessing a global movement for the reform of the so-called Islamic personal status laws in favor of women, or so they claim. For example, one of them says, "The rights of women were amputated because of the predominance of the male perspective for several centuries, particular interpretations of the verses of the noble Qur'an that are popular were not always complete and accurate, but were influenced by the male perspective. That is why women are calling upon themselves to strive to read the Noble Qur'an again from a female perspective with a view to defend their rights!"

As for Islam, it is Allah's eternal and final Deen, as it is well known; it is highly concerned with women's issues, even naming one of the longest Chapters "The Women" (Surat An-Nisa'). According to an integrated balanced view, Islam has decreed a number of rights matched by a set of obligations and responsibilities. This criteria was introduced by Islam to view the world as neither masculine nor feminine, but as a divine criteria placed by Allah (swt); it means that the human being - male or female - views any issue with this criteria: Is this matter loved and pleasing to Allah or is it detestable and not acceptable to Him?

The discussions about the differences between men and women, and attempts to interpret the verse: ((وَلَيْسَ الذَكَرُ كَالْأُنْثَى)) "And the male is not like the female" [Al-i-Imran: 36], exploration of the causes of differentiation between men and women in matters such as inheritance, in being a witness, blood money, work, education, dress code... and so on, are just irrelevant sophistry of thought. Islam views men and women as equal, without distinguishing between them in terms of both being human, and of which two types were created, male and female:

((يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً))

"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women" [An-Nisa: 1]

Women are not inferior or superior to men, but they are equal in obligation and in reward and punishment,

((فاستجابَ لهُمْ ربُّهم أنِّي لا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عاملٍ منكم من ذَكَرٍ أو أُنْثَى بعضُكم من بَعْضٍ))

"And their Lord responded to them, "Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another" [Al-i-Imran: 195]

Islam has set for both men and women roles and responsibilities, and each seeks to carry out this role to the fullest in order to please Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says, ((وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثَى)) "And the male is not like the female" [Al-i-Imran: 36]. And He (swt) says,

((أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ)) "Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?" [Al-Mulk: 14]

We must silence all tongues calling for equality by human standards, whether male or female. A woman's rights are granted to her by Allah Azza wa Jal, women did not demand or fight for their right. There are Ahkam that Allah specified for women and there are Ahkam that Allah specified for man, for a divine reason not mentioned by Allah Almighty. But these differences are definitely not due to any so-called deficiency in the mind of women, meaning that she is incompetent; if this was the case for women, why did the Prophet (saw) order us to receive our Deen from Aisha (ra)?

From the early days of Islam, women understood their role and objective in life; they were always trying to compete with men to gain the pleasure of Allah Azza wa Jal to win paradise. They concerned themselves with nothing except being careful of not missing or being deprived of an opportunity to gain reward. Competition was not for the greatness of literary prestige, God forbid, these people left all that is precious for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. Some of them emigrated, forsaking prestige and money, and were greeted by their brothers to share with them their possessions, however large or small, so that the Glory remains to Allah and His Messenger and the believers.

Since the early days of Islam, women were not concerned about the Islamic view towards them or thought that men were preferred over them, because Islam honors women. But when they distanced themselves away from Islam and did not find the system of Islam completely implemented, many misconceptions were able to prevail. We ask Allah Almighty for the return of the rulings of Islam to be implemented in the State of the guided Khilafah "Caliphate" on the method of Prophethood and to eliminate everything that is contrary to Islam.

Wa Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu