EGYPT: A woman’s voice equal to a man’s
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A deputy speaker in the Egyptian Parliament has challenged orthodox Islam by suggesting that a woman’s voice is equal to a man’s.
Zeinab Radwan, who is also a professor of Islamic studies, argues against mainstream interpretation of Sharia law, which holds that in business transactions and legal affairs a man’s testimony is equal to that of two women.
Radwan sparked further outrage in Cairo by suggesting that non-Muslims should have increased rights regarding inheritance of property. Human-rights groups have long criticized Islam for discriminating against non-Muslims.
Radwan contends her claims are based on different juristic interpretations of the Islamic faith. However, her arguments elicited a storm of criticism among Islamist parliamentarians and senior clerics.
‘No scholar or jurist said that a woman’s testimony is considered equal to that of a man in all matters in the Islamic Shari’ah. This is a matter of consensus among all scholars,’ said Mohamed Raafat Othman, a prominent professor at Al-Azhar University. Another scholar dismissed Radwan’s claims as ‘a miscalculated risk.’
— Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo