Woman Between Islam and Western Society
1. A Survey
~ 69 ~
the division of labor is a deviation from nature: the
solution to the ensuing problems lies only in a
reversion to nature. They can never be solved while
continuing on the path of rebellion from nature.
A flower, for instance, finds a prestigious position
for itself as part of a bouquet, but if the same flower
is placed under a rock, it will get crushed beyond all
recognition. The same is true of a woman. In her
own natural setting — the home — she is in a
position of honour and prestige, and all her qualities
shine forth as a result. But the moment she steps out
of it to enter a crassly competitive world, she
descends from the pedestal on which her family has
placed her, and sinks deep into the mire of
masculine oppression. Instead of her feminine
talents coming into play quite naturally within the
domestic framework, and bringing joy to herself and
to her nearest and dearest ones, they become the
object of the lustful exploitation of total strangers,
and sources of frustration and stultification to the
woman herself. The humiliations of the office, the
shop and the factory are no fair exchange for the
honor of family life. Outside the home, a woman
feels constantly under siege.
