Yasmine, like so many other Muslim women, did not enter the hospital intending to have problems with anyone. She simply wanted to have her baby in the normal manner and go home. But one request from Yasmine (that no men be allowed to enter her room or examine her without her permission) triggered sensitivities among staff members who not only felt that she was asking too much but that she was also questioning the right of a man to practice medicine (not Yasmine's intention!)
Yasmine says that she has always been modest and that she also used to request female doctors before her conversion to Islam. "Unless there is a real emergency, why should I let a strange man touch me for any reason?" she asks pointedly. While it is allowed in Islam for a male doctor to examine a female patient when there is a genuine need for it, every attempt should be made to find a qualified female first. Furthermore, if a woman has to see a male doctor for some reason, she should take care not to uncover more of her body than necessary for the exam. This is to preserve the woman's sense of modesty and dignity as well as to prevent any possibility of molestation by the man.
Yasmine was assured by the head nurse that only women would be allowed to examine her and that her baby would also be delivered by a woman. But she had not settled into her room for more than five minutes when a man and a female nurse burst in unannounced. This was very embarassing to Yasmine who had never let any man other than her husband see her without her Islamic attire. Shocked, she did what she could to cover herself while her husband exploded in anger. Moving everyone outside of the room, he demanded to know what had happened to the assurances of privacy for his wife.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to A Abdullah's Muslim Women topic, please visit the Discussions page.