Women Holding Public Positions
As-Salamu `alaykum! I was recently the president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at our local university. My term just ended last week because of our new elections. When I was president, our MSA brothers all dropped out. Though they never mentioned anything to me directly, I received repeated hints that they dropped out because I am a sister and not a brother.My proof that this was the main reason for the brothers leaving the MSA came when the new president emailed me that he did not want me to think that was why he ran for election and when the Sheikh we invited to our picnic out of the blue mentioned that in Islam a woman can be in a public po sition.Basically, I wish to inform my brothers that they were wrong. I would appreciate if you could email me anything in the Qur'an or Hadith that would support or deny a women's right to be an active leader in the community. I know that as long as she is not the caliph she can hold a position; so please email me the supporting evidence.
