Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 164
! ! 164 had been retreating with heavy hearts, turned back around and defeated an army of one million. That victory was solely due to the bravery of women. I was sayin g , European women are always challenging men as to why they are not allowed to work. At a conference I recently attended , the secretary was a woman and she worked very hard. After studying their environment, I have concluded that our country’s men are more intelligent than European men and our women are more intelligent than their women. I have also noticed that those iss ues , which women in general find easy to understand, their educated men find difficult to grasp. In regard to our minds, they are sharp, and so are our women’s minds [also sharp]. Thus, after expressing regret that there remains much to be done to improve women’s edu cation and training , I request the women of our Jama ‘ at to discard the notion that they are weak. T hey should pursue religious and worldly knowledge. They should remember that zeal alone is not sufficient , unless knowledge and skill are also present. I know that many of you have an ardent desire to serve in the cause of your faith, but this desire will only be useful when it is combine d with knowledge and training. If knowledge and training are not present , then no thing can be attained. So , if you wish to serve, then gain knowledge and strive to learn. In the process of acquiring knowledge, you will become familiar with the work process. ( Al - Fazl , February 5, 1925)