Those who are making a noise over the women rights today should know that Islam conferred rights on women 1400 years ago, while west gave right to franchise to women in 1929. The presence of evils customs such as the marriage with the Holy Quran, deprivation of right to inheritance and other forms of exploitation owes itself to the fact that we have turned our back on our original values. It is a particular mindset, which is holding up the progress of women.

Mohtrama Fatima Qurat-ul-Ain Qadri, daughter of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views while addressing a seminar organized in connection with the International Day of Women under the banner of Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League in Lahore today.

Mohtarma Fatima Qurat-ul-Ain said that Islam has given prestige and honour to women in every role as a mother, daughter, wife, and sister. She said that the women are free to contribute to national development in accordance with the teachings of Islam. She said that no society could progress without women playing their due role in educational, political, and social fields. She said that though the government has introduced a number of reforms, yet a lot needed to be done in order to translate these policies into concrete actions.

Ms Noshaba Zia, Secretary General of Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League, said that veil was not a hindrance in the way of women’s progress. She said that rather it was a protector and facilitator helping her to play her role confidently. She said that women faced a number of problems in practical life and there was a need to raise awareness in this regard. She criticized the campaign of making women the subject of advertisements. She said that Islam conferred equal rights on women like their male counterparts and considering them inferior was an anti-Islamic practice, which needs to be discouraged. Other speakers also spoke on the occasion.