Have you ever tried to enter a university and were told, "No, that's for men only; women are forbidden here"? I have. At a university I've been wanting to visit ever since I learned about its history. The university is called al-Qarawiyyin (also sometimes called "al-Karaouine"), is located in Fez, Morocco, and was founded by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri in 859 C.E.
Last Sunday, July 14th, I went to Fez, Morocco, expecting to visit al-Qarawiyyeen, arguably the oldest university in the world founded in 859 C.E. The university, a major institution of religious sciences, was founded by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri. Disturbingly enough, when I arrived there, I was told, "No, no, women aren't allowed in the uni! You can go to the mosque, though" (there's a mosque attached to the university). In 2013, this is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE--no, no, not that it was ever acceptable since, for God's sake, a woman founded it over a thousand years ago!! Islam isn't for men alone, damnit; Islamic studies and other religious education is not for men alone; learning isn't for men alone! In which world does this make sense to anyone?! Shame on you, Morocco, and shame on you, Muslims, for forbidding over half of the population of the world to enter a university that was even founded by a WOMAN! What a shame! Fatima al-Fihri would be so, so disappointed in you and even more ashamed of you! I'm getting sick of the misogyny here and in most other Muslim societies. Time to do something about it. You sicken me, world, you sicken me.
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| Aerial photo of the university. Source |
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| The University (a google image) |
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| The mosque they told me I could totally enter. I declined. (Pic taken by me.) |
Historically throughout the Muslim world, the university's role was more than just to provide a certain kind of education. It really provided all kinds of education, including religious. Studying philosophy, art, medicine, and other sciences were all an important part of the curriculum, and Muslim scholars were historically more than just religious scholars; their knowledge and expertise were interdisciplinary.
So when you forbid women from even stepping foot into the entrance of a university (that, by the way, a woman founded), what's the message you're trying to convey to me and to the world?
So when you forbid women from even stepping foot into the entrance of a university (that, by the way, a woman founded), what's the message you're trying to convey to me and to the world?
I've tried desperately hard to be positive during this entire trip to Morocco. Most of the things have been good, but the misogyny, displayed in much different forms than in the U.S. and the rest of the Western world, is utterly unbearable. I look back and think, why didn't I insist on entering it anyway? The typical response to this might be the shitty statement that "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," a suggestion I choose to reject most times: I can respect differences of opinion at any given time, but I cannot respect misogyny. Forbidding women entrance somewhere while lauding men who enter the same place is a form of misogyny. Discrimination against women, sexism, and other gendered expectations that are based entirely due to a society's incompetent understanding of women and gender overall are all forms of misogyny. Respect these? Oh hell no! When in Fez, do as I'm expected? Meaning, silently accept the fact that I'm not allowed--SOLELY because I have different reproductive organs than the gods we call men--to enter a university *that was even founded by a woman*? Oh hell no. Qrratu doesn't run like that.
No, it doesn't matter who founded the uni, a man or a woman, and so I shouldn't be emphasizing that. But I choose to do so because there's irony there. And it's shameful. I just can't get over the fact that women aren't allowed to enter a uni that a woman founded.
And, of course, there's the fact that *a Muslim woman* founded the first degree-granting university in the world :) That's something to be so, so proud of, world! Fatima's sister founded the Andalusian mosque that's close by al-Qarawiyyin.
Peace.
Previous Morocco Journals:
No, it doesn't matter who founded the uni, a man or a woman, and so I shouldn't be emphasizing that. But I choose to do so because there's irony there. And it's shameful. I just can't get over the fact that women aren't allowed to enter a uni that a woman founded.
And, of course, there's the fact that *a Muslim woman* founded the first degree-granting university in the world :) That's something to be so, so proud of, world! Fatima's sister founded the Andalusian mosque that's close by al-Qarawiyyin.
Peace.
Previous Morocco Journals:
10: The Food
"Have you ever tried to enter a university and were told, "No, that's for men only; women are forbidden here"?" Yeah exactly many a times I've been told "No, that's for WOMEN only; men are forbidden here" be it a woman medical university or a women college etc heck you were at least offered to go to the mosque adjacent to it , they never ever let me in the cafeteria (poor me haha) but I don't mind as I got plenty all men or co-Ed universities to go to , same applies to you too go to a uni in morocco which allows women or "dil peshori karo" and quit whining all the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd your emphasizing on a female founder.... Hmmmm.. Lets see whats your "wiki alsaheeh" says about it, shall we? So here we go:
"in 859 Fatima al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant named Mohammed Al-Fihri. The Al-Fihri family had migrated from Kairouan (hence the name of the mosque), Tunisia to Fes in the early 9th century, joining a community of other migrants from Kairouan who had settled in a western district of the city. Fatima and her sister Mariam, both of whom were well educated, inherited a large amount of money from their father. Fatima vowed to spend her entire inheritance on the construction of a mosque suitable for her community as a sadaqa jaria for her father.."
Hmm... Her fathers money, a MALE, not her hard earned money...Psst! AND she built the MOSQUE interestingly where you were allowed to go haha.... And the remaining complex was built later on gradually by different MEN the most extensive construction took by Ali ibn tashfin , yousaf bin tashfins son.
P:S whats the use of putting "dare to opine" if you won't publish what we dare to opine ? Like what I replied to your reply on muslimah marrying non muslim
EXACTLY my point!! Doesn't discrimination stink as hell? It's never okay to discriminate against any gender--women, men, homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals - or against any religious or racial/ethnic minorities/groups. It's never acceptable at all. However, realistically speaking, many things that we Muslims allow to men, we forbid to women and among them is something like a good education (according to some Muslims), marriage to People of the Book, leading mixed-gender congregations in prayers, or even something so simple as entrance to a university *that a woman founded*.
DeleteThere's a park in Swat that's for "ladies only" - but I presume that's because virtually everything that's public is for men only, so the least we women get is a park. I should appreciate it, but I'm not satisfied enough. As a human, I demand and expect more. Naturally.
Thanks for sharing your experience about being discriminated against every now and then, too. I know how ya feel, and it totally sucks.
P.S. I've never rejected a comment on my blog, although my policy is to reject any that have certain curse words or are abusive overall. I have accepted all comments on my blog that you've posted, and it's a flaw on your part to assume that I wouldn't accept it instead of assuming that perhaps I didn't see it or didn't get a chance to log in to publish comments?
Peace!
Common! It was sarcasm , you didn't even get that and you'll be re-interpreting Quran for us, how cool... Well let me explain myself again, what I meant was , why do you feel that you are so "special" that for you all rules and regulations should be bulldozed ? If they didn't allowed you in that's their policy , and in this reference I told you that we (men) are restricted from lots of places which are women only as yet again it's a " policy" and I don't mind it at all ,I respect that, we don't have to be nosy about that Capisce?
ReplyDeleteYou wrote and I quote:"It's never okay to discriminate against any gender--women, men, homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals - or against any religious or racial/ethnic minorities/groups. It's never acceptable at all. However, realistically speaking, many things that we Muslims allow to men, we forbid to women and among them is something like a good education (according to some Muslims), marriage to People of the Book, leading mixed-gender congregations in prayers..."
Who in their right mind can argue that ? there should be no discrimination against men , religious or ethnic minorities, and above all women, whom are our mothers sisters daughters, ( regardless of religion) I don't think any Sane mind would do so. And I believe we should raise our voices against all the ill treatment done to the people in the name of religion. BUT here comes the parting point and the difference of understanding the definition of "feminism" between you and me. According to me working for woman right is accepting all the rights which were/are bestowed upon women by their God Allah the almighty wholeheartedly. Which are ... Right to good education and what I understand is that a girl education is much more important then a boy because an educated mother will give us an educated nation... Female inheritance... Which I don't see happening on the ground in accordance with the Quran. They get defrauded 90% times and in some instances get married to Quran for life just to keep a piece of land in family, now that's something genuine to raise ones voice for. Female infanticide ,a major sin , a murder of a human being, Muhammad PBUH equates daughter to Gods Rahmat and we so eagerly willingly kill that rahmat...Rape, forced prostitution , honor killing , FGM, domestic violence,harassment , disfigurement.... I can go on and on. However, considering my self pro-feminist I can never ever lower myself to your level of filth and start cheering and promoting lesbianism homosexuality in the name of some retard feminist ideology of yours which is in direct contradiction with the Quran.......and i will definitely not quote evidence from Quran and Hadith to back up my argument ,though there are numerous , because I know your twisted "miss"-interpretations , specially that regarding qaum e lot , how pathetic!
contd
And regarding female imams leading mix gender congregation ... It is NOT ALLOWED, and I got at least 5-6 authentic Hadith as evidence but once again I see no use presenting them to you... And secondly if a man wants his prayers to be invalid , multiplied by zero by praying behind a female imam , by all means he should do so, what goes my father?
ReplyDeleteNow to quench your thirst of poetry and make my point more clear I'll conclude in a poetic way:
Kehta Hun Wohi Baat Samajhta Hun Jise Haq
Ne Abla-e-Masjid Hun, Na Tehzeeb Ka Farzand
Apne Bhi Khafa Mujh Se Hain, Begane Bhi Na-Khush
Main Zehar-e-Halahil Ko Kabhi Keh Na Saka Qand