[Position of Women ]    [Obstacles]   [Challenges ]    [References ]  References: 1. Several books, articles and lectures have been produced on this subject in several languages in several parts of the world. Here in Nigeria some of the books easily available include: Aisha Lemu’s Women in Islam, Ibraheem Sulaiman’s Women in Society, and Hassan Turabi’s Women in Islam and Muslim Society. Proceedings of the International Workshop on the ‘Role of Muslim Women in Africa’ organised by the Islam in Africa Organisation, is currently being edited in preparation for publication. 2. This debate took place in the 18th century in France, a country which prouds itself as the champion of progress and liberalism in Europe. 3. It will be recalled that it was only in 1945 that the ‘Married Women Property Act’ was passed in Britain by the British Parliament. This is the act which among other things conferred on the married women the right to own her own separate property, a right Islam had given women, married or otherwise, some 14 centuries earlier. 4.Aliah Schleifer, ‘Muslim Women and Education: Historical Foundations and Twentieth Century Egypt’ in Muslim Educational Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 3, 1994. The Islamic Academy, Cambridge, U.K. P. 7. 5. See Imam Zarkashi, Al-Ijaba li ‘irad ma Istadrakathu ‘A’isha ala al-Sahaba, 2nd edn. Beirut: Al-Maktab al-Islami, 1980. This is a collection of the refutations and corrections that A’isha made to certain ahadith, which according to her, were misreported by the companions. For details , see Fatima Mernissi, Women and Islam: An Historical and Theological Enquiry. Oxford, Blackwell. 1991. 6. See Ibid. for more details. 7.Ibid. Pp. 7-8. 8. Uthman b. Fodio, Nur al-Albab. The Shehu had written a number of words in which he took up these issues. 9. See Abdullahi b. Fodio’s Lubab al-Madkhal and several other works in which he took up the issue of women education. 10.The book was written by Prof. Mervyn Hiskett, titled, Some to Mecca Turn to Pray: Islamic Values in The Modern World. It was reviewed by M. H. Faruqi, under the tittle ‘Turning Xenophobia into a Social Policy’, published In Impact International, March, 1994, P. 36-8. 11.See Muhammad al-Ghazali, al-Sunnatu-l-Nabawiyya Bayn Ahl al-Fiqh wa Ahl al-Hadith, Cairo, Dar al-Shuruq, 9th Edition, May 1990. Pp. 44 - 69. 12. Yusuf al-Qardawi, Kaifa na Ta’amul ma’a al- Sunnah. 13. See his writtings, especially his Women in Islam and Muslim Society, (the English translation of the Arabic original) which has recently been publihsed by the I.E.T. Minna. 14. Fatima Mernissi, Women and Islam: An Historical ad Theological Enquiry, Oxford, Blackwell, 1993. [English Translation, fist published 1991] 15. Some of you may recall the recent experience of American women who had had silicon transplant to boost the size of their breasts, many of whom today are having to live the rest of their lives in an excruciating pain from a disease that has not yet been understood. The case has already gone to court and the latter had already awarded costs in millions of dollars, but these dollars cannot buy them back their natural breast nor relieve the pain. Such is the consequences of hedonism and the folly of this civilisation. 16. Barbara D. Whitehead, ‘Dan Quayle Was Right’, in The Atlantic Monthly, April 1993. Pages 47-84. The gist of the article: "The social-science evidence is in: though it may benefit the adults involved, the dissolution of intact two-parent families is harmful to large numbers of children. Moreover, the author argues, family diversity in the form of increasing numbers of single-parent and separated families does not strengthen the social fabric but, rather, dramatically weakens and undermines society." P. 47. 17. Ibid. P. 77. 18. Ibid. 19. Newsweek, January 10, 1994. Pages 37-43. Some of these statistics include: "Single-Parent Homes - There has been a 200% growth in single-parent households since 1970; Working Mothers - The number of married moms leaving home for work each morning rose 65% from 10.2 million in 1970 to 16.8 million in 1990; Television Violence - The average child has watched 8,000 televised murders and 100,000 acts of violence before finishing elementary school; Child Abuse - The estimated number of child abuse victims increased 40% between 1985 and 1991; Violent Crimes - Children under 18 are 244% more likely to killed by guns than they were in 1986." P. 38. 20. The Daily Telegraph, November 28, 1994. P. 5. The article was titled ‘America Shocked by Mothers Who Murder’ . Miss Aulton, 26, was the mother, this came soon after another case by one Mrs Smith and the paper reported, "Like Miss Aulton, Mrs Smith allegedly told the police that she was trying to keep a boyfriend who had told her that he did not want a family." The paper also reported the assistant state attorney, Mr Scott Cupp, to have said, "We’re burying too many kids who die at the hands of their parents. We need to be taking more of them out of these homes before this happens. I’m tired of it, sick of it."