An Angry Woman's Prayer Poem by Mariam de Haan

Go back to the beginning
When Adam and Hawa committed the first sin
Did Allah punish Hawa and protect Adam?
Both received equal blame
So he punished them the same.
Yet you tarnish our name.

You say a woman can't drive
It will make her unfaithful
Does that mean,
A man can't cheat on his wife?

I agree Shariah is right.
For it was made by he who has might,
And it was followed by the Prophet,
Yet you decide to forget
That he believed in equality.

He did not subject
The women to neglect.
He said in fact
That you should respect
'Your mother, your mother, your mother and then your father.'

The words the angel said
'Read.'
That made him a prophet
'Read, in the name of your lord.'
First he said 'I can't'
For he was illiterate.
Just like those girls you choose not to educate.

And on his deathbed
He cried
'Look after your women.
Look after your women.
Look after your women! '
Three times!
Just for that
We should be able to hold our head high,
Say he remembered me before he died.
Instead you lock her inside
Call her a housewife,
For freedom she begs day and night.

Does it not say,
A man is not complete
Until he has a woman in his life,
Someone to call his wife.
And her he should treat
With utter fairness.

Look back
First person to accept Islam
Khadijah!
First martyr of Islam
Sumayyah!
Greatest scholar
Aisha!
Greatest warrior
Khawlah!
One thing in common
All were women,
Just like the lady you stone.

Open the Qur'an
Chapter number four
Al-Nisa', the woman
Dedicated to her only.
Flip on to chapter nineteen
See their another woman, Mary.

So don't blame the West
When they say we are opressed,
Call Islam sexist
Blame the laws that you enlist.
And the killings that you persist.

I know I have no authority.
I am not an imaam
Nor am I a leader.
Just a woman full of anger.
May Allah take this as my prayer,
For I know no rank exists there.
And where I'm wrong
May he correct me.
I pray that your deeds
He will make you see
That the chains are set free.
And with that I say ameen.