http://azzahsultan.com/Fibre-Art
A lot of the misconceptions directed at Muslim women pertain to false ideas about how Islam treats women. In my art piece Strings, I created portraits of five different Muslim women from different ethnic backgrounds and embroidered a pattern that they gave me from their culture.
Many of the cultural customs practiced by some Muslim women are mistakenly thought to be part of Islamic teachings, but rather they are reflections of traditions that stem from a particular region. The oppressive practices that do effect Muslim women often come from local cultural traditions that in actual fact contradicts the rights of women in Islam.
Islam gave women equal rights 1400 years ago. The rights of women are highlighted in several Hadiths, sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammah (may peace be upon him), who further acknowledged that “[one’s] Heaven lies under the feet of [one’s] mother.”
Those who claim that Islam mistreats women are confusing the cultural practices with religion. By presenting five unique portraits of different Muslim women from various cultural backgrounds, Strings is commenting on the intertwined relationship between faith and culture and the importance of differentiating cultural practices from religious practices.
