Muslim Women’s Rights and National Development

Re “Women Must Be Freed From Koranic Brutalities,” Commentary, Aug. 21: Kudos to Frida Ghitis for calling a spade a spade! In defense of his modernization efforts in Turkey, Kemal Ataturk made a prescient observation nearly a century ago. He said that as long as Islamic societies continued to deny their women basic rights, such as social emancipation, equal opportunities in education and, most important, complete equality under the law, generations of Muslim children would be born to mothers or nations that were, in effect, half-paralyzed. Thus, the rights of women are inextricably linked to the development of nations.

It is critical that an honest dialogue on the issue of women’s emancipation begins in the Islamic world, otherwise it risks becoming that proverbial cripple.

Saeeda Wali Mohammed

Los Angeles

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Ghitis’ commentary accurately reflects the dismal state of affairs faced by many Muslim women around the world.

Many Muslims, men and women alike, reject the narrow interpretation of Islamic texts that results in gross injustices that clearly violate basic rights guaranteed by Islam.

However, The Times, by your choice of headline for this piece, mistakenly blames the Koran, which does not, in any verse, call for capital punishment of the adulterer.

It is true that adultery is a major sin in Islam, as in other faiths, and in an Islamic state it constitutes a sex crime. But the requirements for proof of adultery are nearly impossible to meet (four eyewitnesses to the act of intercourse). The majority of jurists do not consider pregnancy alone as valid evidence of adultery, nor is it referred to as such in the Koran. Unfortunately, the religious leadership in Nigeria subscribes to the minority view, resulting in an unjust interpretation of Islamic law.

Laila Al-Marayati

Spokesperson

Muslim Women’s League

Los Angeles

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Re “Woman’s Stoning Sentence Is Upheld,” Aug. 20: As the former director of the National Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., allow me to make clear that there is no such dictum in the Koran to allow the stoning death of an adulteress; the penalty the Koran prescribes is lashing. It is unfortunate that many of those who profess to be Muslims are unaware of what the Koran prescribes; thus, this alleged Sharia court in Nigeria is staffed by people who are following tribal customs, not Islam.

Sam Hamod

San Marcos