On Friday 7 May, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar (the world’s leading Islamic Sunni authority) Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, released a statement on his official Facebook page stressing women’s equality in various areas, including in employment, inheritance and more. Employment In his statement, El-Tayeb said that Islam allows women more rights and independence in various fields, such as employment. “Women are allowed to hold important positions in general including in the judiciary field and Iftaa,” stated El-Tayeb. Iftaa is defined as the eligibility to issue a religious opinion regarding various topics from an Islamic perspective. Travel He added that women are allowed to travel without “mahrem” (any person whose relationship is tied with a) blood ties b) breastfeeding relations c) marriage). Many Muslim women in the Middle East often encounter challenges when attempting to travel independently, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Among the other issues the Grad Imam touched upon is divorce, where he stated that arbitrary divorce by men is “haram” and not allowed in Islam without a reasonable reason. “Beit El-Ta’a” El-Tayeb denied the validity and existence of “Beit El-Ta’a” in Islam which stipulates that in case of separation between…
‘Women Are Allowed To..”: Azhar Grand Imam Announces Renewed Statements Over Women’s Rights
May 9, 2021
