Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 301
! ! 301 say, “W e can tell you from our own knowledge and e xperience that Islamic teachings are superior and most beneficial , ” then they will be affected. If th is movement among women is confronted by women, it will be more successful than if men confront them. If women tell them that they receive all their rights by following Islam ic teachings, then others will wonder, ‘If these women are taking advantage of this, then why should we not do so also? ’ It was for this reason that I raised the question of women’s right s to representation in the Majlis - e - Mushawarat. I wrote a letter from England in 1924, in which I said a movement against p u rdah would arise in India. A t that time , my articles were published in Al - F azl , including this letter. S everal years earlier , I had warned of this movement against p u rdah , which began two years ago. For this very reason, I had brought up the issue of women ’s rights to representation in the Majlis - e - Shura. It is our responsibility to give women whatever rights the Shariah has accorded them, so that they become incli ned to Islam ic teachings. Un less they themselves are passionate about this, t hey cannot invite others to follow Islam ic teachings or preach to other women. No one from among you could declare that Madrassa Ahmadiyya or Jami ‘ a Ahmadiyya [a religious school] should be eliminated , for we all know that unless there are missionaries , there can be no propagation. Therefore , pressure is being put on the Majlis - e - Shura to increase the number of missi onaries. H ow can one believe that this movement among women against Islam ic teaching can be halted , un less women take up the work of tabligh ? However, how can a woman preach to others, if she views herself as a victim? Therefore, both aspects are important: women must be provided with an education, and they must also be given their rights. We should ourselves give women the rights accorded to them by Islam , so that they develop a passion to fight the battle of Islam as if it is their own battle. I n women’s gathering s, men cannot deliver speeches , o nly women can; and only women can record what is said in women’s meetings. Therefore, we should prepare women for this task, and they should be granted the rights allocated to them by Islam. In recent days, a young man came here from out of town,