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Debunking the Myth of the ‘Oppressed Muslim Woman’ | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine
Israel is Losing - and They Know It | Imam Tom Live

Israel is Losing - and They Know It | Imam Tom Live

How to Fight the Israeli Backlash | Imam Tom Live

How to Fight the Israeli Backlash | Imam Tom Live

On the Gaza Ceasefire | Imam Tom Live

On the Gaza Ceasefire | Imam Tom Live

Courage in the Face of Israeli Censorship | Imam Tom Live

Courage in the Face of Israeli Censorship | Imam Tom Live

How To Become A Strong Muslim Leader | Imam Tom Live

How To Become A Strong Muslim Leader | Imam Tom Live

How to Develop Better Habits | Imam Tom Live

How to Develop Better Habits | Imam Tom Live

Does Protesting Work? | Imam Tom Live

Does Protesting Work? | Imam Tom Live

Michigan Mosques Say NO! | Imam Tom Live

Michigan Mosques Say NO! | Imam Tom Live

Musk's Take, Columbia's Skunk Surprise, Islamic Unity, and India's Ram Revelation | Imam Tom Live

Musk's Take, Columbia's Skunk Surprise, Islamic Unity, and India's Ram Revelation | Imam Tom Live

The Lives of Imams, Hate Crime in Texas, Israeli Humiliation, Ceasefire Resolutions | Imam Tom Live

The Lives of Imams, Hate Crime in Texas, Israeli Humiliation, Ceasefire Resolutions | Imam Tom Live

Israel Bombs Rafah During Superbowl, that Biden Tweet, and Constructive Conversations | Imam Tom Live

Israel Bombs Rafah During Superbowl, that Biden Tweet, and Constructive Conversations | Imam Tom Live

What Will Ramadan be Like in Rafah? A Conversation About Sha'aban and Leadership | Imam Tom Live

What Will Ramadan be Like in Rafah? A Conversation About Sha'aban and Leadership | Imam Tom Live

Unveiling Truths: Aaron Bushnell, NYT's Agenda, & Stopping Military Aid to Israel | Imam Tom Live

Unveiling Truths: Aaron Bushnell, NYT's Agenda, & Stopping Military Aid to Israel | Imam Tom Live

Biryani Diplomacy: The Illusion of Political Influence & the "Flour Massacre" | Imam Tom Live

Biryani Diplomacy: The Illusion of Political Influence & the "Flour Massacre" | Imam Tom Live

Live Revolution: The West Rallies for Gaza | Imam Tom Live

Live Revolution: The West Rallies for Gaza | Imam Tom Live

University Raids, Fake Negotiations, Holocaust Remembrance? | Imam Tom Live

University Raids, Fake Negotiations, Holocaust Remembrance? | Imam Tom Live

Do Influencers Owe their Followers Advocacy? | Imam Tom Live

Do Influencers Owe their Followers Advocacy? | Imam Tom Live

Israel's Ceasefire Rejection, Nurse Fired for Gaza, and the Law of Sacrifice | Imam Tom Live

Israel's Ceasefire Rejection, Nurse Fired for Gaza, and the Law of Sacrifice | Imam Tom Live

Muslim Influencers Profiting from Apartheid | Imam Tom Live

Muslim Influencers Profiting from Apartheid | Imam Tom Live

The Real Guise of 'Islamophobia' | Imam Tom Live

The Real Guise of 'Islamophobia' | Imam Tom Live

What France & UK's Electoral results mean for Muslims | Imam Tom Live

What France & UK's Electoral results mean for Muslims | Imam Tom Live

No Limits: Israel’s Growing Atrocities and Global Indifference | Imam Tom Live

No Limits: Israel’s Growing Atrocities and Global Indifference | Imam Tom Live

Falsehood is Bound to Vanish | Imam Tom Live

Falsehood is Bound to Vanish | Imam Tom Live

Hypocrisy at the DNC | Imam Tom Live

Hypocrisy at the DNC | Imam Tom Live

Empowering Student Activism | Imam Tom Live

Empowering Student Activism | Imam Tom Live

Remembering Aysenur's Courage | Imam Tom Live

Remembering Aysenur's Courage | Imam Tom Live

Muslim Votes Swing 2024 | Imam Tom Live

Muslim Votes Swing 2024 | Imam Tom Live

All Praise Be to Allah in Every Situation | Imam Tom Live

All Praise Be to Allah in Every Situation | Imam Tom Live

Oct 7th Changed Everything | Imam Tom Live

Oct 7th Changed Everything | Imam Tom Live

Allah Will Ask: What Did You Do With Your Freedom? | Imam Tom Live

Allah Will Ask: What Did You Do With Your Freedom? | Imam Tom Live

Surah Al-Kawthar & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Live

Surah Al-Kawthar & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Live

Atomic Habits: Why Most Quit Early | Imam Tom Weekly

Atomic Habits: Why Most Quit Early | Imam Tom Weekly

Surah An-Nas & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Surah An-Nas & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Why You Can't Resist Cravings (and How to Take Back Control) | Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Why You Can't Resist Cravings (and How to Take Back Control) | Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Surah Al-Ikhlas & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Surah Al-Ikhlas & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Surah Al-Masad & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Surah Al-Masad & Atomic Habits | Imam Tom Weekly

Why Reps Matter More than Time | Imam Tom Weekly

Why Reps Matter More than Time | Imam Tom Weekly

What Does Trump's Second Term Mean for Muslims? | Imam Tom Weekly

What Does Trump's Second Term Mean for Muslims? | Imam Tom Weekly

The Islamic Cure for Overconsumption | Imam Tom Weekly

The Islamic Cure for Overconsumption | Imam Tom Weekly

Doomscrolling is Rewiring Your Brain | Imam Tom Weekly

Doomscrolling is Rewiring Your Brain | Imam Tom Weekly

Trump Wants to Take Over Gaza | Imam Tom Weekly

Trump Wants to Take Over Gaza | Imam Tom Weekly

Will Celebrity Muslims Save Us? | Imam Tom Weekly

Will Celebrity Muslims Save Us? | Imam Tom Weekly

Why Don't Muslims Just Leave? | Imam Tom Weekly

Why Don't Muslims Just Leave? | Imam Tom Weekly

When Did Ramadan Become a Festival | Imam Tom Weekly

When Did Ramadan Become a Festival | Imam Tom Weekly

Muslims Are a People of Principle | Imam Tom Weekly

Muslims Are a People of Principle | Imam Tom Weekly

The Dark Truth About Secularism | Imam Tom Weekly

The Dark Truth About Secularism | Imam Tom Weekly

The Secret Cost of Individualism | Imam Tom Weekly

The Secret Cost of Individualism | Imam Tom Weekly

How Islamic History Was Frozen and Forgotten | Imam Tom Weekly

How Islamic History Was Frozen and Forgotten | Imam Tom Weekly

The Ummah or the Nation? | Imam Tom Weekly

The Ummah or the Nation? | Imam Tom Weekly

Debunking the 'Islamic Dilemma' | Imam Tom Weekly

Debunking the 'Islamic Dilemma' | Imam Tom Weekly

How Music Impacts Your Brain | Imam Tom Weekly

How Music Impacts Your Brain | Imam Tom Weekly

Malcolm X's Legacy We Forgot About | Imam Tom Weekly

Malcolm X's Legacy We Forgot About | Imam Tom Weekly

Hajj is the Great Equalizer | Imam Tom Facchine

Hajj is the Great Equalizer | Imam Tom Facchine

The Multi-Million Dollar War on Islam | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

The Multi-Million Dollar War on Islam | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

How Islam Completed what Christianity Began | Imam Tom Facchine

How Islam Completed what Christianity Began | Imam Tom Facchine

Why the Islamic Calendar Matters | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Why the Islamic Calendar Matters | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How Colonialism Hijacked the Muslim World | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

How Colonialism Hijacked the Muslim World | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

What Activism Is Missing Today | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What Activism Is Missing Today | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How to Stop Chasing Validation | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How to Stop Chasing Validation | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Representation Isn’t Working. Here’s Why. | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Representation Isn’t Working. Here’s Why. | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Is This Da’wah or Entertainment? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Is This Da’wah or Entertainment? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Islam Isn’t Just Therapy | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Islam Isn’t Just Therapy | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

The Hidden Bias in Every History Book | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

The Hidden Bias in Every History Book | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

How Your Victim Mindset is Destroying You | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How Your Victim Mindset is Destroying You | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Modesty Is More Than What You Wear | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Modesty Is More Than What You Wear | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Will Recognition Help Palestine? | Snapshots by Imam Tom Facchine

Will Recognition Help Palestine? | Snapshots by Imam Tom Facchine

Israel’s Link to U.S. Anti-Terror Policy | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Israel’s Link to U.S. Anti-Terror Policy | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Living Up to the Prophet’s ﷺ Final Speech | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Living Up to the Prophet’s ﷺ Final Speech | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How Should We View Gaza’s Celebrity Support? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How Should We View Gaza’s Celebrity Support? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How to Stop Falling for Fake Mahdis | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How to Stop Falling for Fake Mahdis | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Columbus Wasn't Just After Gold – He Wanted Jerusalem | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Columbus Wasn't Just After Gold – He Wanted Jerusalem | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Why Some Scholars Critique Resistance | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Why Some Scholars Critique Resistance | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Why You Can’t Escape Organized Religion | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Why You Can’t Escape Organized Religion | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Kings Chased Thrones. He ﷺ Chased This Instead | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Kings Chased Thrones. He ﷺ Chased This Instead | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What Islam Reveals About Socialism and Capitalism | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

What Islam Reveals About Socialism and Capitalism | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

What Real Masculinity Looks Like | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What Real Masculinity Looks Like | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Amazon's Kill System & the Network Behind Sami's Detention | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Amazon's Kill System & the Network Behind Sami's Detention | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

The Truth About AI’s Intelligence | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

The Truth About AI’s Intelligence | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What the Qur’an Says About Christianity | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What the Qur’an Says About Christianity | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How Does the Qur’an View the Bible? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How Does the Qur’an View the Bible? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What ‘Allahu Akbar’ Really Means (And Why It Scares Them) | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What ‘Allahu Akbar’ Really Means (And Why It Scares Them) | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Debunking the Myth of the ‘Oppressed Muslim Woman’ | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine
Playing

Debunking the Myth of the ‘Oppressed Muslim Woman’ | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Why Not Every Seat is One Worth Taking | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

Why Not Every Seat is One Worth Taking | Focal Point with Imam Tom Facchine

What Sharia Law Actually Means | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

What Sharia Law Actually Means | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Does Islam Actually Oppose Science? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Does Islam Actually Oppose Science? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How ‘Taqiyya’ Became an Islamophobic Talking Point | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

How ‘Taqiyya’ Became an Islamophobic Talking Point | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Who's Your Real Enemy? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Who's Your Real Enemy? | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

The Promise and Paradox of the Islamic Republic | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 1 |  Imam Tom Facchine

The Promise and Paradox of the Islamic Republic | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 1 | Imam Tom Facchine

Iran vs. Saudi Arabia: Who Represents the Ummah? | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 2 |  Imam Tom Facchine

Iran vs. Saudi Arabia: Who Represents the Ummah? | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 2 | Imam Tom Facchine

Should We Show Solidarity with Iran? | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 3 |  Imam Tom Facchine

Should We Show Solidarity with Iran? | Deep Dive: Iran Ep. 3 | Imam Tom Facchine

Unforgettable Stories From Hajj | Imam Tom x Shaykh Elshinawy

Unforgettable Stories From Hajj | Imam Tom x Shaykh Elshinawy

Epstein and the Double Standard of Justice | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Epstein and the Double Standard of Justice | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

Imam Tom Live

Debunking the Myth of the ‘Oppressed Muslim Woman’ | Snapshots with Imam Tom Facchine

One of the oldest accusations in the books, “Islam oppresses women,” is built on stereotypes, cherry-picked Qur’anic verses, and political propaganda. So, why does this claim refuse to die? Imam Tom breaks down the Islamophobic argument to show who really benefits from this lie and what Islam actually says about Muslim women. 

This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings.
One of the oldest accusations against Islam is that it oppresses women. It's a claim pushed by pundits, politicians and self-appointed experts on Islam. But the
accusation rests on mere stereotypes, cherry-picked verses from the Qur'an and a deep misunderstanding of how Islamic law actually functions. Today we're going to clarify what Islam teaches about women, where Islamophobes
get their false ideas and why some people benefit so much from portraying Islam as anti-woman. Islam teaches that men and women share the same spiritual worth, the same moral responsibility and also the same capacity for righteousness.
Allah says in the Qur'an [Al-Hujurat 49:13], The most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. Not men, not women, not the richest, not the strongest. It's the most righteous and that is
something that is open to everybody. Women in Islamic law have the right to own property and wealth independently. They have the right to consent to their own marriage. They have the right to seek divorce under defined conditions and
they have the right to inheritance. And all of these rights were guaranteed at a time when in Christian Europe they were treated just like property. They weren't even considered legal persons. These are classical Islamic rights recognized by
scholarship, recognized by courts, recognized by Muslim societies for over a thousand years. Islam does however distinguish between roles and responsibilities for men and women. It doesn't pretend that men and women are
identical. But distinction is not oppression. Every legal system recognizes distinctions. What matters is justice, dignity and accountability. And Islamic law's record is far more protective of women than the cultures that are
criticizing it. So where do these ideas come from? Critics of Islam, they rarely study Islam. They rarely speak Arabic. Instead they rely on flawed sources. We're gonna go over just three. One, cultural practices that are mistaken for
Islamic law itself. Whether that's forced marriages or honor killings, these things have no basis in Islamic scripture. They're pre-Islamic cultural values and we could say cultural abuses that Islam tried to actually eliminate. But critics
often treat these local problems as representing Islam itself, ignoring that Muslim scholars across the world condemn them. The second is selective readings with zero legal literacy. Islamophobes isolate one verse. They rip it from its
context, from its legal methodology. They ignore the Prophet's commentary upon it (ﷺ). And they read everything through a modern Western lens. They quote without understanding how context or juristic procedures shape
rulings and how they're carried out. It's the same as if someone were to take one line out of the Constitution, ignoring the Supreme Court and declaring yourself a constitutional expert. The third is bigoted propaganda, recycled since
colonial times. European colonial powers, they spread the myth that Muslim women need saving to justify invasion and domination. Today's anti-Islamic propagandists, including Zionists and Israel first influencers, they recycle
the same tactic. They say that Islam is backwards, that it's violent, that it's anti-woman in order to rationalize discrimination and surveillance. None of this comes from Islam. It comes from politics. So what do people benefit by
spreading these lies? Painting Islam as anti-woman accomplishes three goals for their opponents. One, it delegitimizes the entire faith. If Islam is inherently oppressive, then anything that Muslims say about war, about justice, about
Palestine, about human rights, it can be easily dismissed as coming from some immoral backwards person. This is whataboutism. Oh, well you want to talk about Palestine? Well what about how you treat your women? We've seen this
actually unfold during the genocide of the last two years. Two, is that it justifies foreign policy and military intervention. For centuries, empires have claimed that they are saving Muslim women while bombing, occupying, and
destabilizing Muslim societies. It's a propaganda strategy dressed up as a moral concern. Three, it keeps Muslim women as props instead of participants. Islamophobes don't actually care about empowering Muslim women. If they did, they
would support Muslim women's religious freedom and their safety and their dignity, not banning hijab or banning mosques or trying to restrict immigration. Their goal isn't liberation, it's actually control. So what do Muslim women's
voices actually say? Here's the part that critics always ignore. Muslim women themselves, the great majority of them, whether scholars or activists or lawyers, the mothers, the students, they consistently say the same thing. Islam
gives me dignity, not oppression. They find empowerment in the Qur'an's recognition of their intellect, of their piety, and of their agency. They know that modesty is not the same thing as degradation. They know that marriage is
not the same thing as ownership, and they know that limitations are not misogyny. Islam gave women rights when the rest of the world denied them even personhood. Islam still gives meaning, structure, and empowerment to millions, if not 1 billion,
women of the world today. So the next time someone says that Islam oppresses women, ask them, which Islam are you talking about? Are you talking about the Islam of the Qur'an or the Prophet (ﷺ), or the Islam that's
invented by pundits and politicians or online conspiracy theorists? Because the truth is simple, Islam honors women. Islamophobes distort Islam to justify their own agenda, and real empowerment comes from understanding, not from
propaganda.