WE all know the song, Woman is Boss as it is part of the psyche of Afro-Caribbean males and it informs their relationship with women.

This did not happened by accident.

During slavery, male/female relationship was based on sex and procreation. Every new baby was an increase in property for the white master.

Marriage life and fidelity was not encouraged.

This became learned behaviour and culture settling deep in the consciousness of men and women.

In this scenario, the responsibility -- financial and emotional -- fell on the shoulders of Black women.

Placed in this un-natural position, women became boss, bearing this double burden heroically, during and after slavery.

Though not a dominant practice amongst indo-Caribbean men, I have seen a few who hide behind their wives when someone wants to borrow money from them, or for some other unpleasant decision.

I say this in order to put into context my views regarding the leadership of women in the public arena.

This subject has again engaged the attention of the Trinbagonian Muslim community as I was reminded by Maulana Imran Hosein, who recently wrote an article on the issue entitled, Can Muslims choose a Woman to rule over them? In response to the UNC electing Kamla Persad-Bissessar as political head of the party.

Also the appointment in Jamaica of a woman as Prime Minister, and the placing of a woman as head of the Episcopal Church in America.

Admiring his bravery, I decided to add my voice to this vexatious matter as there exists an Islamic position which is extremely unpopular with many Muslims.

In Islam, leadership of the society is the responsibility of men.

This has nothing to do with incapacity or any defect regarding women’s ability to rule.

It is due to Allah not placing that duty upon women according to the Qur’an Al-Ahzab 33:72: Indeed! We offered the trust (Al-Amaanah) unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it.

And man assumed it. Surely! he hath proved a tyrant and a fool.

Nor is it due to any notion of male superiority; in fact, man has proven to be foolish and tyrannical in carrying out the Trust (Amaanah).

Amaanah has a wider meaning: that of having responsibility for the duties placed on humanity by Allah in the primordial organisation of life on this planet.

In another part of the Qur’an men are appointed as the guardian, maintainer and protector of women, hence the reason a man is given twice as much in inheritance than a woman, so that he will be able to carry out his obligations towards the woman.

Also, the Prophet Muhammad (S) his companions and the righteous generation that followed them, did not permit Muslims to choose women as leaders.

Feminist in this country will scream their heads off at this position and this writer: that, I have no problem with.

The Feminist movement has a powerful argument against the historical and current attitudes of men in respect to women, which Islam supports.

But they fail to realise that behind their rhetoric is a sinister plan by evil forces to destroy the family and exploit the female workforce.

Preoccupied with assuming the roles of men, they fail to see that the right to ape man as a reference point will not lead to equality for women.

The unpalatable view articulated here, I do not hesitate to express because of my belief in the supremacy of divine revelation over man-made laws, and ideologies, which our Constitution affirms and hypocritically declares to recognise: The supremacy of God then goes on to negate that by stating, This Constitution is the supreme law of Trinidad and Tobago, and any other law that is inconsistent with this Constitution (and such obviously includes God’s law) is void to the extent of its inconsistency.

Although we are allowed to live in a secular state where one is able to practice Islam and to support the good and resist evil, this does not mean that we cannot differ.

However, we cannot commit Shirk (associating equals to Allah), which is a major sin in Islam.

How then should the individual Muslim act?

We have the Prophet Muhammad (S) in Mecca, Prophet Joseph (A.S) under Pharoanic rule, Prophet Jesus (A.S) under Roman power, as examples.

Also that of the Muslim immigrants who made the first Hijrah (migration) to Ethiopia and lived under the protection of the Christian King of that African nation.