Some blame only Eve, but . . .Both genders fell from Paradise [Archives:2004/788/Community]
By Khadija al-Mahdi
For The Yemen Times
My teacher of chemistry at school once insinuated, out of his utter abyss of ignorance, that women are the sole reason of our loss of Paradise, and what's more, the source of every evil in this universe.
To your surprise, that teacher is a Muslim holding an opinion going against what's mentioned in our Holy Book. We were taken aback by our teacher's mistaken and tough stand. We attempted to convince him, but it was in vain.
In my opinion, I don't believe that woman, or Eve, is the only one to be held responsible for our temporary loss of Eden. To tell the truth, Adam shares the responsibility equally, as well. Clearly enough, humankind's loss of Eden and descent to earth were, above all, God's punishment for both Adam and Eve's sin.
Reading the Holy Qura'an, you find that Satan whispered to Adam and Eve and induced them both to eat from the forbidden tree. Consequently, they yielded to temptation and acted on his instructions innocently, and the Lord called out to them saying: “Did I not forbid you that tree?” God, in his censure, was rebuking them using the Arabic dual plural meaning 'you both', that's Adam and Eve.
Oddly enough, some Christians believe Eve to be the culprit behind our loss of Garden of Paradise, because they say Satan whispered to Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. Having found her eating, Adam decided and resigned to join in her fate, ate also. This clearly and obviously shows the extent to which the true account of the story has been distorted. I mean no offence and I beg to differ.
That's on the one hand, but on the other I can't really imagine how people calling themselves woman rights preservers disgrace woman by claiming that. Isn't this going against her right of dignity? Don't they abuse her rights rather than preserve them? Isn't this baseless and groundless account? If they continue to believe so of woman, they can easily attribute to her every evil act. Besides labeling her as a source of wrongdoing and wickedness, she will constitute a constant reminder of their loss of Eden. What a life hers would be, of course, intolerable. Suffice it to say that they call woman a “necessary evil”.
Dear teacher, I say it again and again; what shame is there in confessing the truth? I really wonder whether you still have that low opinion of women who are your dear mother, wife, daughter and sister. I hope that you've changed your opinion since then. Instead of violently arguing about it, why don't we strive and do every good to gain back Paradise.
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