Afifa Luaibi wrote a substantial article I found on an Arabic website. Nothing is revealed about the personal details of the writer, but the article reveals a lot about her very progressive thoughts, which are bound to ruffle some feathers in the Middle East, but which constitute a breath of fresh air in the ongoing debate about Muslim women and their rights.

Recently, reports surfaced of an Islamic book sold in a Toronto store that contained advice on disciplining one's wife. The book caused an outrage within the Canadian Muslim community. Despite the Qur'anic text on disciplining disobedient wives, it seems that an overwhelming majority of Muslim leaders had rendered the command obsolete. Many faithful Muslims struggle with the Qur'anic verses on women including those that prescribe twice the inheritance share to men and equate the testimony of two women to one man. Several of my religiously observant friends have privately expressed that they would have rejected such prescriptions had they come from a human Imam rather than the Divine Qur'anic text. However, my friends are neither the first nor the only ones to have a "crisis of conscience."

It's been called the Games for everybody. But, this is not true. Women are not equal to men in the Olympics, and it needs to be fixed. It can't be lied about, or glorified for what it isn't. The Olympics are not equal, and to insist they are is insulting to equality and women. We've made strides, but not enough. If it's only a good start, then it should only be reported as a good start.