Teen's Death Nothing to Do with Islam

THE recent death of a Mississauga teen has nothing to do with Islam. Islam has some limits in women's appearance, but there is no such verse in the Quran for their followers to murder their daughters who do not wear a head scarf.

As I read in the Bible "The birth of a daughter is a loss" (Ecclesiasticus 22:3). In contrast to this shocking statement, boys receive special praise: "A man who educates his son will be the envy of his enemy." (Ecclesiasticus 30:3).

In Indian culture, many female infants are being killed at birth or are aborted because they think females are a burden. They are even murdered if they are married in a different caste.

The Quran, moreover, makes no distinction between boys and girls. In contrast to the Bible, the Quran considers the birth of a female as a gift and a blessing from God, the same as the birth of a male (Quran 16:59, 43:17, 81:8-9).

The Quran even mentions the gift of the female birth first: "To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female children to whomever He wills and bestows male children to whomever He wills" (Quran 42:49).

The very last Prophet of Islam Mohammad(s) elevated the position of woman by giving his advice to men in their behaviour towards their womenfolk: "Give them to eat of what you eat; do not slap them on the face. If you are displeased with nine bad qualities in her, then try and be pleased with the one good-quality she possesses.

Holy Quran says, "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their bodies (when abroad) so that they should be known and not molested" (Quran 33:59).

"And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations) - Flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors" (Quran 24:4).

The Quran does not suggest women should be kept apart from the world of men. The Quran is insistent on the full participation of women in society and in the religious practices. As every one can imagine by above Quranic verses, the Mississauga teen's murder and the charges against her father had nothing to do with Islam as it was domestic violence.

Also, by above Quranic quotations, the person who attempts this crime is not acceptable in Islam.