Hassan Hathout

Hassan Hathout maintains in the following viewpoint that the Taliban, a so-called Islamic group that seized power of Afghanistan in 1996 and has since curtailed the rights of women, acts in complete opposition to the beliefs of Islam. Specifically, the Taliban’s refusal to allow women an education defies the Qur’an’s assertion that the pursuit of knowledge is obligatory for both genders. Hathout, a medical doctor, is the director of outreach at the Islamic Center of Southern California and the author of Reading the Muslim Mind.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What rights does Islam give women, according to the author"

2. What proof does Hathout offer that the Prophet Muhammad supported women’s rights"

American Muslims were saddened and shocked by the news. This is one...