robertbonnett.com

Well, strictly speaking that should be revert rather than convert, as everyone is, after all, born Muslim (apparently), but The Daily Mail recently asked “Why are so many modern British career women converting to Islam? ” so I’ve merely followed suit.

The newspaper, which is noted for its tolerance, respect and unbiased reporting of Islamic affairs had earlier published an article on Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren Booth, who six weeks ago converted to Shia Islam following a spiritual experience in Iran and has, every day since, been reading the Qur’an within which she’s up to page 60 – yes that does equate to a staggering page and a half daily.

Islam’s status as the world’s fastest growing religion appears at odds with the general hostility towards it in the West, where aside from the belief that it fosters extremism is the perception of it as being distinctly misogynistic, which begs the question of why the majority of its new adherents are female.

The highly influential da’i and apologist Dr Zakir Naik, who’s currently banned from entering the UK thanks to his alleged extremist views (i.e. he compared Americans to terrorists), but whose literature and DVDs are legally and widely available for sale here, has said on the subject of women’s position in Islam that:

“The Western talk of women’s liberation, is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honour and degradation of her soul . . . . The Western society which speaks of upgrading the status of women in Islam, has actually reduced her status to concubines, to mistresses, to society butterflies, which are mere tools in the hands of sex marketers and pleasure seekers, which are disguised behind the colourful screen of art and culture . . . . Women’s rights in Islam should be judged according to the authentic sources, and not what individual Muslims do, or what the Muslim society does . . . .”

“Islam’s radical revolutionary support gave women their due right and status in the days of ignorance 1,400 years ago . . . . Islam believes in equality of men and women. Equality does not mean identicality.”

Ermmm, I’m pretty sure it does – I am assuming, though, that being a neologism of sorts identicality means identical. And whilst Islam undeniably gave women rights when they had none, things have moved on a litle since then. Regardless, it would be easy to suggest that Dr Naik and other proselytisers have been remarkably successful in duping women into a vision of Islam which sees it as granting females an elevated rank in society – something that remains a debateable and subjective issue.

Such patronising thinking, though, assumes considerable ignorance and naivety on the part of the newly converted. Far from being submissive fools who’ve converted on a whim, the white, predominantly middle-class, successful career women to whom Islam often appeals usually fit the well-educated, thinker mould. Glossing over “celebrities” like Lauren Booth, whose sudden conversion is more likely the result of media whoring and taking up the latest fad than any serious religious enlightenment, the answer to why so many women embrace Islam is rooted in the dissatisfaction many hold towards current Western values.

The sexualisation of women, resulting – as far as many in the Ummah are concerned – from the feminist movement, which they view as a form of colonialism, has, together with irreverent attitudes and decadent, consumer driven and selfish lifestyles turned many Westerners towards alternative ways of living, amongst which is Islam. Spiritual beliefs to one side, the conservative moral values and strong sense of family and brotherhood/sisterhood present in Islam clearly appeal to many who are disillusioned with the status quo.

The question then of why so many modern British career women are converting to Islam is somewhat irrelevant. The important thing is that they choose to. No one forces them . . . .