AS if it isn’t bad enough to order jewelry shops not to buy gold from women and not to pay them in cash if unaccompanied by a male guardian, we women are now faced with yet another obstacle. The latest comes from the General Presidency for Girls Education. The presidency has recently banned its administrators and teachers from receiving bank loans for commercial use. The reason the presidency gave, according to Al-Eqtisadiah, a sister publication of Arab News, is the increasing complaints by banks that the administrators and teachers have repeatedly defaulted and failed to repay the loans.
The presidency based its decision on a section in the civil service law which bans government employees from having a private business. Instead of this decision which is certainly an obstacle to employees who wish to improve their standards of living, it would be preferable if the decision had prohibited loans from banks other than those where the employees’ salaries are deposited. Such an arrangement would work because the bank would have the salary and would thus be able to see that monthly payments were made. This would save banks from complaining about women teachers failing to pay their debts since the problem would never have arisen.
As for the presidency’s justification for its action, surely the Ministry of Commerce should have been the one to enforce such a decision. It is after all the ministry which grants — or refuses — licenses to those wishing to open private businesses. We all know that government employees obtain licenses with the commercial registration in the name of any family member.
Are the male employees of the presidency and other government departments really paying their debts on schedule? If the government treats both sexes equally regarding financial matters, why are these decisions directed only against women? The truth is that most of the people sent to prison on financial charges are men. They are men who failed to pay back money which they had borrowed. Yet, no decision was made which prevents male employees from obtaining bank loans. A man can easily go abroad to escape paying installments but a women can’t. How can she do so without the permission of her male guardian? Come on, let’s be fair to women.
A similar decision against women was contained in another circular, also from the presidency. A number of employees, students and mothers contacted me regarding a circular that speaks of sinful behavior. The presidency was referring in particular to a common practice known as “namas” which is plucking women’s eyebrows. It considers such an act to be contrary to Islamic teachings, saying it is altering Allah’s creation. The circular said the practice could lead to the expulsion of those who follow it and would also affect their performance record at the end of the year. Writing about this matter, let me make clear, does not mean I am defending the practice. I myself gave it up years ago seeking the blessings and mercy of Allah. I did not give it up out of fear of any human or from a desire to gain good marks in my performance record. The practice, in case you don’t know, was common among our mothers and grandmothers and was a means of differentiating between married and unmarried women. Today ideas have changed and women now marry much later than was formerly the case. The changes have led to plucking eyebrows being common among unmarried women and school girls as well. Recently, we have seen a kind of religious revival and many women have given up plucking their eyebrows just as men have begun growing beards.
It is a good thing that these circulars have been issued to set us all on the right path. I wonder if it might not have been better if we reviewed our school syllabus, especially what is taught in religious studies. This would allow the young to be addressed in language they understand and which would plant the love of Allah in their hearts plus a desire to live by His commands. The syllabus should also be comprehensive enough to cover subjects that reflect the spirits of our time. This would ensure that following Islamic teachings is based on a genuine adherence to the orders of Almighty Allah and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, rather than a fear of losing marks. It would also guarantee that neither teachers nor students return to old habits as soon as school closes for the holiday.