In order to understand the Muslim community from my western perspective I would have loved to hear a little about the role of women in different Islamic societies.,(reply>), As a Muslim I would’ve loved them to touch on this topic too, because there is too much unfortunate misconceptions about women in Islam. In the Qur’an women have been given such a high status, and have been given so many rights over men too. And in practice, the prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) wife Khadijah (who was a widow before) was in fact a wealthy businesswoman, and he was her employee and she fell in love with him for his sincerity and honesty and she in fact proposed to him. With regards to hijab - it simply means modesty. And men are supposed to abide by hijab as well in their dressing, whilst for men and women, the garments are different. Also on this, Maryam (Peace Be Upon Her), or Mary, whenever portrayed in images in Christianity is also seen with her hair covered, and as is the practice of nuns and also religious Jewish women who often wear wigs. It’s a shame to see so much negative light on women in Islam, and for sure, governments such as Saudi and even Taliban, are enforcing their own laws and passing it as Islam. Women are most certainly entitled and encouraged to have education in Islam, and in fact one of the greatest teachers of Islam was the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) daughter Fatima. As they said in this podcast, we need to go to the sources of the information, and not be guided by the commentators. In our case, the source is the Qur’an, and the biography (Hadith) of the prophet.,(reply>), Islam has always been an advocate for women's rights, even in the past. Just look at the example of Khadijah, the first wife of Muhammad, who was a successful businesswoman and leader in her own right. Also, it's important to remember that interpretation of the Quran and Hadith can vary and may not always be perfect. Just like any religious text, it's open to interpretation and can be influenced by cultural and societal norms. It's important to keep this in mind when discussing the role of women in Islamic societies.