Women imams!

By Mohamed S. El-Awa

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Much has been said lately about women acting as imams. One finds the matter mentioned in different venues simultaneously but addressed only vaguely, raising more questions than answers. One claim is that there is a difference of scholarly opinion on the issue; hence Muslims can make up their minds as they please.

This is certainly untrue, both scientifically speaking and religiously. The criterion of judgement is not merely defined by the existence of multiple viewpoints. Neither do such issues follow norms or customs. Islam has been around for 15 centuries and not once have its followers approved of women as imams. This view is an invention alien to the faith and as such is a breach of Islamic jurisdiction. The Prophet, some claim, allowed a woman to lead men in prayers. This never happened.

What is the fuss all about, then? Who is responsible for spreading sedition on such a scale, distracting us from our usurped political rights, our stolen financial rights, from our usurped land, from our duty to younger generations and from our knowledge that has been lost? Who has an interest in making us forget the ignorance in which we are bogged down, the military advance and progress of our enemies?

This sedition achieves another important objective -- to strike at Islam from within. To break the traditions of prayer is to dismantle an edifice of our faith.

Two groups of people are involved in this controversy. The group taking the lead has its own agenda and is difficult to reason with. The other is following without understanding. The latter - the majority - are those who have gone for the fad and need enlightening and dialogue. I do not imagine that a confrontational approach is best, nor is it enough to simply tell them that they have been misled and are now misleading others. We have to find other ways to speak with these people. We have to find means to get through to them, and thus limit the damage. We must keep explaining the truth to the best of our ability.

This week's Soapbox speaker is chairman of Egypt for Culture and Dialogue and secretary- general of the International Union for Scholars.