Can a Muslim woman find a place for running in her faith?
By Asra Q. Nomani
I have been frequenting Runner's World, a website that I have found most uselful for articles related to running. I have found plenty of good advice, lots of information and a forum to read and discuss issues related to running. Tonight I found an article by Asra Q. Nomani about whether the fact that she is Muslim stops her from enjoying a healthy and fun activity.
I am no fan of Asra Nomani, I find her to be angry about her upbringing and blaming it on religion. She may have a few (very few) valid points of some of the issues that Muslim women go through in North American society but I don't find her balanced or scholarly at all, even though she poses as someone who is. I have read quite a bit of her work , have seen interviews with her, and frankly, she's annoying.
Anyway I don't agree with her article at all. She says that in her culture (she is from the Indian Sub continent) it is frowned upon for women to run or play outdoors. She blames Islam for this. But, I don't think so honey, because even Ayesha (R.A) the wife of the prophet used to run with her husband. So actually, not only is it completely halal (permitted) for Muslim women to run, it is encouraged!
Asra doesn't wear the hijab, and that is her choice. I do. I have no problem wearing a hijab and dressing as a Muslim woman and running at the same time. You won't see me on the streets with short shorts and a tank top, you will see me with a pair of loose fitting pants, a hoodie on my head and some kind of scarf to keep my head covered. It isn't always easy or cool (literally and figuratively) to dress this way, but I have no problem with it. As for running being immodest, as Ms. Nomani claims is the Islamic view, well, she has no case. The actual physical act of running is not immodest, if anyone wants to say anything to that effect, they have to provide textual proof, otherwise they have no grounds for their 'argument'. The Islamic principle is that everything is mub'ah (permitted) unless otherwise stated.
Ms. Nomani: Please don't blame religion for your conservative, sexist culture.
Until then I will keep running.
By Asra Q. Nomani
I have been frequenting Runner's World, a website that I have found most uselful for articles related to running. I have found plenty of good advice, lots of information and a forum to read and discuss issues related to running. Tonight I found an article by Asra Q. Nomani about whether the fact that she is Muslim stops her from enjoying a healthy and fun activity.
I am no fan of Asra Nomani, I find her to be angry about her upbringing and blaming it on religion. She may have a few (very few) valid points of some of the issues that Muslim women go through in North American society but I don't find her balanced or scholarly at all, even though she poses as someone who is. I have read quite a bit of her work , have seen interviews with her, and frankly, she's annoying.
Anyway I don't agree with her article at all. She says that in her culture (she is from the Indian Sub continent) it is frowned upon for women to run or play outdoors. She blames Islam for this. But, I don't think so honey, because even Ayesha (R.A) the wife of the prophet used to run with her husband. So actually, not only is it completely halal (permitted) for Muslim women to run, it is encouraged!
Asra doesn't wear the hijab, and that is her choice. I do. I have no problem wearing a hijab and dressing as a Muslim woman and running at the same time. You won't see me on the streets with short shorts and a tank top, you will see me with a pair of loose fitting pants, a hoodie on my head and some kind of scarf to keep my head covered. It isn't always easy or cool (literally and figuratively) to dress this way, but I have no problem with it. As for running being immodest, as Ms. Nomani claims is the Islamic view, well, she has no case. The actual physical act of running is not immodest, if anyone wants to say anything to that effect, they have to provide textual proof, otherwise they have no grounds for their 'argument'. The Islamic principle is that everything is mub'ah (permitted) unless otherwise stated.
Ms. Nomani: Please don't blame religion for your conservative, sexist culture.
Until then I will keep running.
4 comments:
Yeah, she's an idiot. She is just riding the "I am a Muslim so I hate myself" train for all of the money it's worth.
This is the lady who had sex and a child out of wedlock and wondered why other Muslims had an issue with it, or her calls for sex outside of marriage to be made halal.
She needs to get a clue, and get back to her old job. Some day there will not be money to be made for self hating Muslims.
keep on fighting the good fight!
i love you so much
people really need to learn to distinguish between culture and religion...it is so easy for everyone to blame religion when in fact culture should be blamed...i didn't know who she was until i read abu sinan's comment. sadly it's people like her who end up getting their articles published.
Abu Sinan, I hope that day comes soon. I am tired of women like her thinking that they are some type of saviour of Muslim women, when in fact they are oppressive in their own right and annoying to no end. I hadn't thought of her as a self hating Muslim before, but it does make sense when I think about the work she has done and her writings.
Iris: I will keep fighting indeed! I just signed up for a 42.1k marathon on Sept 9 in Montreal, so a-running I will go. I love you too! I am all for breaking down stereotypical views on Muslim women.
Mav: Unfortunately, it seems that we are often on the defensive, and have to distinguish culture and religion from those that don't understand the difference. I just wish people wouldn't say that their sexist culture is religious.
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