Zainab Ghasib Al-Hayat I went to the branch office of a local telecommunications company to buy a SIM card. When I got to there, I discovered that it was closed for Isha prayer for some 45 minutes. When it opened, a number of women, including myself, entered. However, the security guard insisted that only women with their male guardians (mahrams) could go any further. Most of the women who were waiting were not with their mahrams who were busy elsewhere; some did not have mahrams at all. All of them were dropped off by their drivers and accompanied by their children who were no older than 10. I was going to call my driver and ask him to accompany me as my guardian. After all, he is the one who usually accompanies me when I go on errands. As I stood there, a women who was next to me whispered in my ear that I should perhaps go inside with her as her son was with her and he could act as mahram for both of us. When we finally entered, the women inside were furious. One woman told me that she had no mahram, she was orphaned at a young age. Another said she has many mahrams but none of them wanted to come and she could not beg them. A third said she has sons but they are always busy with their own families. One woman pointed to a little boy sitting next to her and said he was not her son but someone who was selling towels on the street. She bought all his towels and asked him to come with her as her mahram. She said she had no other choice. Almost every woman sitting there had a story. The manner in which women are discriminated against is sheer madness. How long will women continue to suffer like this? There is no precedent for this in Islamic history. Our faith honors women and does not imprison them. It does not prevent them from going about their daily duties outside the home. What harm could a woman possibly come to inside a public place where there are many people? Those who doubt women should think again as they simply do not trust themselves. They should know that if a woman intends to do something bad, then she would not be able to do so in a public place without someone noticing. They know very well that women are able to protect themselves, their honor and dignity, and that they do not require guardians. However, those who have extreme views always find excuses in the name of religion to make problems for women. Our faith denounces their lies and thoughts. The issue of women has been debated for quite a long time and to such an extent that we have become a laughing stock. Our society in the past was pure. It has, however, become contaminated with ideas that have harmed our religion and ethics. Our society has deprived men of their self-worth and turned them into beings who only have one task—to chase women everywhere. It is as if men have nothing else to do except fulfill their desires by any means necessary. This type of behavior, in fact, harms the reputation of men more than anything else.
