If women's rights are a problem for some modern Muslim men, it

In the words of Fatema Mernissi, “If women’s rights are a problem for some modern Muslim men, it is neither because of the Quran nor the Prophet, nor the Islamic tradition, but simply because those rights conflict with the interests of a male elite.” we hear a voice both fierce and wise. Mernissi, the Moroccan sociologist and feminist, speaks not with anger toward faith, but with clarity against distortion. She reminds us that the chains which bind women are not forged by divine decree, but by human ambition—by the hands of those who cling to power and fear the equality of others.

The origin of her words lies in her lifelong study of Islamic history and texts. Mernissi, unlike many who criticize from without, looked within the tradition itself. She uncovered passages in the Quran that upheld dignity, equality, and respect for women, and she reminded the world that the Prophet Muhammad himself consulted women, honored them, and raised their voices. What she denounced was not Islam, but the manipulation of Islam by men who feared losing their dominance. In her vision, the sacred was pure, but it was the guardians of privilege—the male elite—who cloaked themselves in false authority to suppress half of humanity.

History itself bears witness to her truth. Recall the story of Aisha, the wife of the Prophet. She was not silent, nor submissive in the way later elites demanded of women. She was a scholar, a political leader, a narrator of hadiths, and even commanded troops in the Battle of the Camel. Her life demonstrates that the early tradition did not silence women—it was later men who narrowed their role, fearing the challenge to their control. Here lies Mernissi’s courage: to declare that what many call “tradition” is often not the will of God, but the will of those who profit from inequality.

The deeper meaning of this quote is universal. It is not only in Islam that religion has been used to serve the interests of the powerful. In Christianity, in Judaism, in countless traditions, rulers and priests have often twisted sacred words into chains for women, slaves, or the poor. Yet, if one looks back to the origins, one often finds a message of dignity and liberation. Thus, Mernissi speaks as a prophetess of discernment: do not confuse the eternal truth of faith with the temporary power of elites. Question those who claim divine authority when their actions protect privilege instead of justice.

There is also a heroic call here, O listener. For if women’s rights threaten the male elite, then that is proof of their power and necessity. Freedom is always resisted by those who benefit from bondage. When slaves were freed in America, the plantation owners resisted. When workers rose for dignity in the Industrial Age, the magnates resisted. And when women today demand equality, those who fear the loss of control resist. Resistance, therefore, is not proof of weakness but of strength—for the oppressor does not fear what is powerless.

The lesson for us is luminous: if you wish to know whether something is just, ask who benefits from its denial. If rights are withheld, it is rarely heaven that decrees it, but men guarding their thrones. Therefore, when you hear voices say, “This is our tradition,” look closely—does it uplift all, or does it preserve the power of a few? Fatema Mernissi’s wisdom teaches us that true tradition, at its heart, is not a chain but a light.

As for practical action: seek knowledge. Read the sacred texts for yourself; listen to the voices of women within every faith, not only the voices of men who claim to speak for them. Challenge the structures that exclude women, whether in mosques, churches, schools, or councils. Teach your children that equality is not rebellion against God, but obedience to the deeper truth of justice. And most of all, do not be silent—for silence is the weapon of the elite, but speech is the sword of the free.

Thus, remember Fatema Mernissi’s words as both shield and beacon. The Quran does not degrade women; the Prophet did not silence them; the true tradition does not despise them. It is the male elite, clinging to their narrow throne, who fear the rise of women. And so let the generations to come walk boldly, knowing that when they struggle for women’s rights, they are not rebelling against faith—they are fulfilling its truest promise.