Welcome to Ahmadiyyat, The True Islam — Page 443
− that her foremost responsibility is to her husband and children. However, it does not restrict her to that role; she has the right to go out and work if she needs to, but she is not obliged to shoulder the financial responsibility for the household. She is encouraged to seek higher education for her own improvement, and subsequently for her offspring. The institution of Purdah (Veil) provides her with an environment of respect and dignity. In no way does it limit her pursuit of a professional career, a business or other kind of profitable activity. Some misconceptions concerning the role of women in society are prevalent because, unfortunately, some "Muslim" countries do not practice the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. In these societies, the education and − training of Muslim women is very much neglected. This may be due to political reasons; or to the fact that some of these societies live in abject poverty, where women are deprived of their right to education. Lacking this tool, they are unaware of the status Islam has given them and are still − submitting to conditions similar to the time before Islam was born. However, Within the Ahmadiyya Muslim , one will find Jama'at ± − that women are well aware of the rights that were brought to them by the Holy Prophet of Islam. Most Ahmadi women are well-educated, and sa − ± − active in many spheres of life, while maintaining their dignity through Islam. One of the beautiful aspects of Islamic teaching is that by defining − − the role of women in society, and then by giving dignity to that role, Muslim women feel fulfilled in themselves. This is a great blessing from God Almighty. (The Ahmadiyya Gazette, January 2002, pp 17-19; Pathway to Paradise, Lajna ± Ima’illah, USA, pp. 37-38) − − Segregation of the Sexes People in the West grossly misunderstand the Islamic social system − of (Lit. Veil), which is seen as the segregation between the two 'Purdah' sexes. The misunderstanding partly arises out of a misapplication of the 443