Islam & Europe - Peace, Identity & Integration — Page 77
ISLAM & EUROPE - A CLASH OF CIVILISATIONS? 77 instructed Muslims to love, cherish and respect their daughters and to never consider them lesser to their sons. Moreover, in a famous saying, the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that “paradise lies under the feet of one’s mother”. 5 These words illustrate the momentous role women play in society and their unique and distinguished status in society. Primarily, it is the role of mothers to nurture their children through their formative years and so they play the leading role in ensuring that the coming generations grow into morally upstanding citizens who contribute to their society. Mothers are the people who have the power and influence to turn their nations into a heaven on earth and who can unlock the doors to an eternal Paradise for their children. Furthermore, in chapter 4, verse 20, the Holy Quran has stated that Muslim men must treat their wives lovingly and respectfully. In Western countries, not a day goes by without reports of the police or the courts being forced to intervene and deal with horrifying cases of domestic abuse. Various studies and reports, such as the 2018 report by the Office for National Statistics in the UK, prove that such crimes are not linked to any religion and another recent report has shown that the same is true here in Germany. Thus, it is entirely unjust to brand Islam as a misogynistic religion. As I have outlined, Islam is a religion that bestows honour and dignity upon women and any man who treats a woman cruelly is guilty of grievously violating Islam’s teachings.