The term “Jahiliyah” is familiar to most Muslims. It is derived from the Arabic verb “jahala”, meaning to be ignorant. “Jahiliyah” therefore refers to the “Days of Ignorance”, which is used in Islam to describe pre-Islamic Arabia.
In a book about the state of women in those days, I came across these lines from a popular poem: “And for every father of a worthy daughter, three sons-in-law are worthy of mention. The first is a house to hold her. The second is a husband to protect her. The third is a grave to enclose her. And the best of all three is the grave”.
In those “Days of Ignorance”, female infanticide was commonplace. If girls and women were deemed worthy of living, they had no rights and were treated mostly as objects to possess, vessels for breeding and outlets for pleasure. Growing up, I was taught that Islam came to liberate women from the dark ages. In many of its verses, the Quran outlines the roles and responsibilities of men and women as separate and whole entities, each with their own standing. For women in the highly patriarchal and perverse “Jahiliya” culture, Islam was a revolution.
Therefore, it is particularly painful to watch Islam being vilified on account of the state of Muslim women. We hear some positive stories of Muslim women in the economic, political, literary and sporting field. But there are far more negative stories. I find bookstores stuffed with collections on the oppression of Muslim women similar to that from the “Days of Ignorance”.
One of my most notable memories from a lecture on the early days of Islam is that Prophet Mohammed dedicated the first 10 years of his mission to preach values, morals and behaviour. He did this long before he spoke about the roles and responsibilities of individuals, civil society and the state under Islam. This underscores how critical mindset shifts are to the sustainability of any ideology. Perhaps the Muslim world, which is battling with crises on all fronts, can only be saved by going back to these basics. The resurrection of those values and behaviour may be the only hope if we are to turn the tide against extremism, barbarism and chaos reminiscent of the “Days of Ignorance”.
Justice, equality, mercy, tolerance and forgiveness are fundamental values that Islam advocated. A campaign to return to those values would help tackle some of the biggest problems that Muslim women face – honour killing, child marriage, domestic violence and sexual harassment. These crimes and forms of abuse are embodiments of cultural and historic values that Islam originally sought to end. Empowering Muslim women through a campaign that calls for a renewal of values is crucial.
Empowered women, who are treated equally, will raise equally empowered individuals. Hundreds of female religious guides in Algeria have assumed a leading role in their country’s battle against youth radicalisation. These women, who are well versed in their religion and more importantly in the message of tolerance that embodies the spirit of Islam, are helping families to turn radicalised youth. They do this by reaching out primarily to the mothers of these young people.
Islam is probably one of the most misunderstood religions today. There are valid reasons for some of the misunderstanding, notably the response of some Muslims across a wide spectrum of issues. But another key reason is fear and ignorance of the faith.
It would be futile to argue with those who have no desire to gain a deeper understanding of Islam, or with those who lack understanding of historical context and who can’t differentiate between the literal and analogical interpretations of the text.
It would be far more powerful to embody the values for which Islam stands.
Rana Askoul is a Dubai-based writer focusing on women and Middle East issues
On twitter: @Ranaaskoul
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
The National selections
Al Ain
5pm: Bolereau
5.30pm: Rich And Famous
6pm: Duc De Faust
6.30pm: Al Thoura
7pm: AF Arrab
7.30pm: Al Jazi
8pm: Futoon
Jebel Ali
1.45pm: AF Kal Noor
2.15pm: Galaxy Road
2.45pm: Dark Thunder
3.15pm: Inverleigh
3.45pm: Bawaasil
4.15pm: Initial
4.45pm: Tafaakhor
Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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more from Janine di Giovanni
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
