In chapter 3 of Aslan’s No God but God I was able to get a deeper understanding of where the roots of women being subordinate to men came from within the Islamic religion. It was not necessarily the words of Muhammad but rather the supposed words of Muhammad and other leaders’ interpretations of the Qur’an that led to women being treated as lesser than. For example Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi claimed in the 12th century that “women were created like animals….woman is weak, silly, and in one sense like a child” (Aslan 69). However, this interpretation was not in line with what the Qur’an intended and most likely not in line with what Muhammad believed.
I think this is great example of how leaders should be hyperaware of the weight that their words carry. The misogynistic words, beliefs and interpretations of Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi are still present in some Islamic parts of the world. Global leaders today need to realize that their actions can have lasting impacts way beyond what they originally intended. This is a extremely relevant topic right now as we struggle with what leaders and news outlets to believe regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.