Despite Sarkozy’s political opportunism, his ideological contradictions expose his conscious ignorance, and some may say, out right hatred for the Islamic way of life. Sarkozy who advocates and propagates liberal secularism has forgotten his intellectual heritage. Liberal secularism rests upon the premise of individualism, in other words, viewing the self – the human being – as an abstract entity divorced from social attachments. Two key values are built from this premise, individual freedom and individual rights. According to individual freedom, also explained as freedom of choice, the Burqa shouldn’t be a problem and should be tolerated under French liberal values. So why the contradiction?
Sarkozy is a liberal secular ideologue who doesn’t want to understand or discuss the Islamic way of life. The Islamic way of life is not based upon the false premise of individualism, rather it views the human being as an entity with social links and obligations. This correct view on mankind develops and builds sublime values, which include honouring and protecting women.
In the Sarkozy paradigm these values do not exist hence he wants to fight against their emergence, even if it means contradicting his own ideological beliefs. For example in a liberal secular context, individual freedom allows and, in the case of Sarkozy (his wife is an ex-nudist model), promotes pornography. However pornography has been shown to facilitate rape. According to academic research by Diana E. Russell in her publication ‘Pornography & Rape: A causal model’ she states,
“ My theory about how pornography – violent and non-violent – can cause rape…drawn on the findings of recent research….I believe there are many factors that play a causal role in this crime. I have not attempted here to evaluate the relative importance of these different causal factors, but merely to show the overwhelming evidence that pornography is a major one of them”[2]
In this study journals and academic research were cited which concluded that 56% of rapists implicated pornography in the commission of their offences, 66% of rapists claimed they were incited by pornography and 30 % of college students would rape if they could get away with it.[3]
Sarkozy’s world view would not ban or criminalise pornography. This is because society itself is not considered or taken into account due to the core value of ‘individual freedom’. As a result Sarkozy’s values have contributed to the increase in sexual crimes in France. There are more than 25,000 rapes a year in France alone, and before Sarkozy points the finger at the Muslims or immigrants, 91% of those convicted are of French nationality.[4]
France is not alone in failing to protect and honour women either, in the UK 167 women are raped everyday[5] and in the US a woman is raped every 6 minutes and battered every 15 seconds. [6]
However in Islam, pornography is banned and is viewed as a dishonor to women. Islam protects women by honoring and providing mechanisms in its social model to protect them. The noble Qur’an highlights the immense responsibility men have towards women. The Qur’an says “Men are qawwamoona over women”[7]. The key word here is qawwamoona which comes from words such as qiwaamun meaning means of support, qaama almarata meaning he undertook the support of the woman, qaama alaiha meaning he looked after her, and qaama bihi he supported it. Therefore the Qur’an tells society to look after, protect and honour women.
But Sarkozy would rather flaunt that his wife was an ex-nudist model.
[donationbanner]
.
Notes:
Source: www.islam21c.com
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8112821.stm
[2] Diana Russell. Pornography and Rape: A Causal Model, in Feminism and Pornography. Oxford Readings in Feminism. 2000.
[3] Ibid.
[4] http://www.sosfemmes.com/english_rape/rape_statistics.htm
[5] http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=10309
[6] Broken Bodies, Shattered Minds: Torture and Ill Treatment of Women, Amnesty International, 2001
[7] Qur’an 4:34
alhamdulillah
Muslims follow culture more than Islaam, take a look at your parents….who do they truly follow…
Mulsims keep going on about how Islaam protects women but its doesn’t. What they don’t realise your not going to change men who have sexual desires to mess about. I know of so many men who claim to be good pious muslims, from the outside they look decent the whole family, but within their are secrets. Lots! I understand the dislike of prostitute and those that go with them but how many more rapes, incest and child abuse would they be if it wasn’t for these women who give it out for money. They do us a favour even if it is not their intention. Those men that don’t go with these women are too worried about keeping their images clean as muslim men go with their daughters while their wifes turn a blind eye for fear of the shame and being outcaste. They don’t get outcaste because the problem is much larger than people are willing to see. Go home ask your mum who in the family messes with their daughters 9 out of ten they don’t tell the growing lads, they don’t want them to turn against their own kind or change their path due to this.
The ones I know about are huge….what about the ones who haven’t let it out. What about the ones who its going to happen to next because their are always follow on. These women have no courage to stand up to their husbands,because I society says a man is always right even when hes wrong.
These stupid women and victims let it carry on to their grandchildren, neices nephews, nothing improves or changes as the abuser is always protected as hes an elder and a man. These men go then to paint their victims as harlet for years just incase she should ever dare to speak out. No one will believe her because her own father says shes a harlet to everyone and why would a father lie. In our peoples mind children can be bad but a parent can’t be. Its even happening with lads young boys, they are made to supress what happened because the abusers is a relative. How selfish are these people, how stupid they are rather than prevent any more victims they care more about their own images. I would rather protect the and prevent more victims.
You got muslim men going out grooming decent women who are divorced because they know their society frown on divorcee, makes them feel they are bad because they don’t want their daughters or daughterinlaws getting any ideas of single life without their husbands. Women aren’t permitted to be free while they allow their sons to wonder about breaking all the rules of Islaam, they don’t worry about offending Allah do they so do they really believe if they keep this show and act on that they believe but their actions prove otherwise.
Women in hijab get raped too. Lets face it most muslim men only want a women in hijaab because of jelously not because of Allah.How many men who have slept all over with modern women and still find no one wants to marry them. Then all of a sudden I am looking for a women in islaam or who wants to be in islaam and she must wear hijaab, they know nothing about the religion and aren’t even in it. I know of some mismatched couples and these hijab womens life are ruined and they are miserable married to men who commit haraam and just married them because they want both worlds and they know their wife won’t do what they do as she fears allah. Check on shaadi.com check on muslimmatrimonial networks….its digusting. Men who have been around like that are not right for women like this.
If Sarkozy (or his wife) might have adopted some of the elements of muslims’ values, maybe his marriage wouldn’t be where it is now? so much for ‘liberal secularism’?
Jazakhallah…I really liked this article. It reminded me of a discussion about the place of religion in politics. I think the point you made about libreral secularists is a very important one. There is a most definate contradiction….Liberalism…supposedly fairness for all and secularism…a distaste for faith and religion. Secularism is intolerant and dangerous despite the illusion it gives out.
MashAllah!
excellent! as a Muslim woman who has had an western education i found this article to be extremely relative, not only to the unwise, unneeded and ignorant commentss of Sarkozy, but generally for our society as a whole. so many people contradict themselves when they say niqaab is not in line with modernism. but what about the freedom of choice…
MashAllah!
excellent! as a Muslim woman who has had an western education i found this article to be extremely relative, not only to the unwise, unneeded and ignorant commentss of Sarkozy, but generally for our society as a whole. so many people contradict themselves when they say niqaab is not in line with modernism. but what about the freedom of choice…
Nice Comment
Nice comment. To the point, nice angle, assertive and not apologetic.