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8 Barbara J. Callaway The Role of Women in Kano City Politics In Hausa society the social hierarchy, which is male-dominated, is defined in sacred rather than in secular terms. Kano City is 99 percent Muslim. Equality for women in an Islamic society is circumscribed by the teachings of the Qur'an, which defines women's role in both the family and society. The revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Mohammed and the articulation of the shari'a (Islamic law) through the ages by Islamic scholars have contributed to the formulation of certain assumptions concerning the rights and obligations of women. Muslim scholars maintain that the Qur'an explicitly demands the same standard for men and women, and thus the two are equal before God: "And whosoever does a righteous deed, be they male or female, and is a believer , we shall assuredly give them a goodly life to live; and we shall certainly reward them according to the best of what they did" (Qur'an 16:97). In Islamic law, women are afforded explicit rights and protections, particularly in regard to inheritance, marriage, and support, but the general import of references to women in the Qur'an is that women are dependent on men and are fulfilled only through subordination to them. Although the roles of wives and husbands are viewed as complementary rather than "unequal," it is quite clear that relationships within the family are hierarchical and patriarchal in nature. Although "women have the same [rights in relation to their husbands] as is expected in all decency from them, men stand a step above them. God is mighty and wise" (Qur'an 2:228). The Qur'an dictates that women's inheri145 146 Part 2. The Power ofWomen tance rights are less than those of men, that the testimony of two women is equal to that of one man in shari'a courts, and that women should cover their bodies, live away from public view, and speak with no one but their husbands and designated male relatives. In Kano today there is great pressure to conform to the prevailing interpretations of Islamic doctrine: women function in effect as minor wards of their husbands and fathers. Girls marry young, generally at the onset of puberty. Upon marriage, most women enter seclusion (kulle): they do not go out to shop, trade, or visit the market, and they confine many of their activities to the domestic side of human relationships. They observe postures of deference and service toward men. They do not question the patriarchal structure of the family. Public roles for Kano women are conceived of only in relation to Islamic concepts of "justice" and "equality." Kano City Politics: An Overview With an estimated 10 million inhabitants, Kano is the largest state in the Nigerian Federation and the only one with a homogeneous indigenous population (Hausa-Fulani). Kano is also the largest of the traditional Hausa states, and Kano City is increasingly recognized in the twentieth century as an important center of Islamic learning. Explicitly religious concepts of political authority and community have been important in Kano since the time of Mohammad Rumfa, who ruled from 1463 to 1500 and was acknowledged as the first Muslim emir. From 1952 to 1983 two parties dominated political life in Kano (although during the periods of military rule parties were officially banned): the NPCI NPN (the Northern People's Congress, which metamorphosed into the National Party of Nigeria) and the NEPU/PRP (the Northern Elements Progressive Union, which metamorphosed into the People's Redemption Party). Both identified themselves with Islamic concepts of government, and Islamic themes have been strongly in evidence in their political rhetoric. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) was the dominant party in northern Nigeria during the period 1952-66; its successor, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) , won elections at the national level in 1979 and 1983. When addressing an exclusively northern audience, each claimed to represent the consensus of the society, the Islamic Umma (Ar.) and each asserted that not to accept this consensus was in fact heretical and un-Islamic. By the same token, the opposition Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) and its successor, the People's Redemption Party (PRP), stressed the political implications of Islamic concepts of government and sought doctrinal support for their political ideology by emphasizing the Islamic content of their political program. The leaders interspersed Islamic themes in political speeches and poetry by using religious allusions and justifi- [18.216...

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