Tribune. As a Muslim woman and feminist, born in Pakistan, raised in the Netherlands, both in my life and in my work, I have always been guided by my firm belief in universal human rights. My own life and that of many other migrants is living proof that Islam has its place in the democratic constitutional states of Europe and that Islam offers a place for human rights.
Extremists want to create a breach, thus destroying the possibility of consensus. Whether they are xenophobic, denying freedom of religion, and more particularly the freedom to believe in Islam, or Islamic fundamentalists, not supporting any compromise, not letting go of their patriarchal and repressive rules. And they see you and me as opponents.
An ally
I, a Muslim from the Netherlands, recognize you, Mr. President of the French Republic, as an ally. An ally in favor of the human rights of every citizen, man or woman. An ally against all extremists, whether far-right or fundamentalist.
With our organization Women for Freedom, we have been fighting for ten years for the equal rights of women from patriarchal communities. It is not by chance that we have chosen the word “women”. A tribute to France.
We recognize our own struggle in the proposals you have made to combat Islamic extremism. We endorse the measures proposed to fight injustice in the private sphere – ban on doctors issuing virginity certificates for girls; tough actions against forced marriages; rigorous approach to polygamy. These measures contribute to the improvement, application and respect of the fundamental rights of Muslim women.
There is one more measure that European Muslim women demand and which needs to be implemented: the fight against “ conjugal captivity By any means possible. Because it is an untenable situation, in which women are held hostage and which can turn their lives into hell – sometimes even resulting in violence or death.
Adultery or bigamy
The values of the Republic and the human rights of these women are seriously violated. Conjugal captivity is a situation in which the wife wants to dissolve her religiously concluded Islamic marriage, but the husband does not cooperate. However, a divorce is only possible with its cooperation. The reverse situation never arises, because a man can always divorce if he wishes. This constitutes a considerable legal inequality.
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