

Women’s Rights or Male Authority?
In late January 2026, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman told Al Jazeera that women can never lead his party because of purported “God-given differences” between men and women. His remarks spark a critical question: Are claims of “women’s empowerment in Islam” rooted in genuine equality - or are they rhetorical cover for maintaining male authority under religious-sounding language? From a secular, atheist standpoint, the latter is closer to the truth. Reform
Ashiqur Rahman Khan
Jan 29










