Islam grants woman equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and possess independently, freedom of marriage and divorce. Her life, her property, her honour are as sacred as those of man.

The Qur'an (2:178;4:45, 92-93).

When we see media reports of men "oppressing women" who happen to be muslim, then the people at fault are the men and not Islam. There are many verses in the Qur'an which clearly state that women are equal to men:

"O mankind, be mindful of your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single soul and form it created its mate and from the two spread many men and women." (4:2)

"He it is Who has created you from a single soul and made there from its mate, so that the male might incline towards the female and find comfort in Her." (7:190)

"Of His signs it is that He has created mates for you of your on kind that you may find peace of mind through them, and He has put love and tenderness between you. In that surely are Signs for a people who reflect." (30:22)

From Islam the nature of a woman is neither inferior to nor deviant from that of a man. Both are members of one another. God says:

And their Lord has accepted (their prayers) and answered them (saying): 'Never will I cause to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female; you are members, one of another... (3:195; cf 9:71;33:35-36;66:19-21).

These verses show that the Holy Qur'an has given women the same status which has been given to man as the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) said:

"All people are equal, as equal as the teeth of a comb. There is no claim of merit of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of white over a black person, or of a male over a female. Only God-fearing people merit a preference with God."

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) knew the essential part women had to play in the development of society, so he laid great stress on the upbringing of females by saying:

"A man who has a daughter or daughters and brings them up and makes no discrimination between them and his sons and educates them to the best of his capacity shall be entitled to paradise"

"It is the duty of every Muslim man and woman to seek knowledge."

The above clearly would give the right to every female to education.