Changing Times and Climes - Women in Bikinis to be allowed at Saudi Red Sea Resorts
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
20 January
2023
Deedat Went On To Dub A Bikini-Clad Woman As Dukhtar-E-Iblees
(Daughter Of Satan), A View, Wholeheartedly Endorsed By His Indian, Now
Absconding, Disciple Zakir Naik.
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“No Muslim country will ever allow bikini-clad
women on its holy land and no Momin will ever look or ogle at women in
bikinis."
-Surat-born, SA Muslim fundamentalist and a
controversial preacher Ahmad Deedat, 1975
What an
irony! Now women in bikinis are allowed at Saudi Red Sea Resorts! Deedat must
be undulating in his grave. That Saudi Arabia, the holiest country according to
all Muslims, has allowed women to wear bikinis, albeit in a restricted area
underlines that, 'Waqt Ke Saath Taqaze Bhi Badal Jaate Hain/Zindagi Naam Hai
Maahaul Mein Dhal Jaane Ka' (With changing times, parameters and yardsticks
also change/Life is yet another name of adaptation).
Deedat went
on to dub a bikini-clad woman as Dukhtar-e-Iblees (daughter of Satan), a
view, wholeheartedly endorsed by his Indian, now absconding, disciple Zakir
Naik.
That Islam
is slowly waking up to the modernism is a heart-warming change. But there're
still people like the Turkish Mufti Ahmet Unsal who says that wives mustn't
defy their husbands' 'invitation to bed.'
Years ago
in NY, I met one young lady Rebecca Shepherd. She came to meet the legendary
orientalist Dr Edward W Said at Columbia University regarding her doctorate in
Women in Islam. Her words, which I jotted down, still echo in my mind, “To a
majority of Muslim men, women are still doormats and this is not a cliche or a
refrain, oft-quoted by the detractors of Islam. This is a reality that has
existed since the beginning of Islam. To a great extent, Muhammad's own views
about his wives and sex slaves contributed greatly to creating this derogatory
perception about women in Islam."
Muslims must understand that a woman is not a
procreational machine but a human and whether she's wearing a bikini or
nothing, she still has her individuality and identity as a woman and that must
be valued by any means.
Coming back
to Deedat's claim that no Momin will look at a scantily-clad woman is also
erroneous. Aren't Muslim men humans? And what's wrong if a man furtively looks
at a woman (other than his wife) esp. when she's unencumbered with clothes? A
man can remain a good human, not just a Momin, even if he occasionally ogles at
beautiful women, whether fully or sky-clad. All religions must go beyond
condemning permissible voyeurism.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/women-bikinis-saudi-red-sea-resorts/d/128916
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