In many households, religion has become a tool to control rather than guide. Men dictate that women stay home, raise children, and obey, yet when crisis strikes, they rely on the very women they’ve confined. A wife forbidden to work suddenly must have a female doctor. A daughter denied education needs a teacher. This is hypocrisy masquerading as faith.
The problem is not religion itself. It is a warped orientation that glorifies domination and baptizes it as virtue. Silence is not holy. Dependence is not sacred. Obedience should not mean invisibility. True faith uplifts, disciplines, and dignifies. What many practice is fear: fear of equality, fear of change, fear that a woman’s light might outshine their shadow.
History and tradition reveal a different story. Khadijah was a successful businesswoman, Deborah led battles as a judge, Mary carried grace and influence. Fatima al-Fihri founded the world’s first university. Women have always been thinkers, builders, and partners in destiny. Yet countless Aishas have had dreams clipped by fathers and husbands who hide behind scripture.
When crises occur, it is often women who save lives, teach children, and uphold communities—work they were never allowed to pursue freely. Every female doctor, teacher, or nurse exists because someone refused to cage her. Every child educated, every life healed, every family protected, is proof that empowerment matters.
A confident man does not fear a woman’s growth; he celebrates it. Leadership is partnership, not domination. Suppressing women weakens a generation and stalls a nation. Religion should illuminate, not imprison.
Next time you stop your wife from working, remember: when she’s needed, her absence may expose your hypocrisy. Faith without wisdom becomes fanaticism. You cannot despise what you depend on. They build cages and call them commandments.
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