Women’s Status in pre-Islamic Arabia

This question has often been debated and discussed by many.  We will get into this with an evidence and documentation based post sometime later.  For now, we will listen to this interesting discussion that Ghalib Kamal, an ex-Muslim, has with another ex-Muslim girl from Pakistan.

His reply touches upon the examples of many women whose stories have been shared in various Hadiths and these stories point to the fact that these women were indeed more empowered.  One of the most important story being that of Mohammad’s first wife – Khadija.

She was a business woman who had a bigger empire than many.  Not just that, she is said to have selected Mohammad as her choice.  Women could select their own husbands.  And that she did when she was 40 years old.  Not just that, she used to pay a stipend to Mohammad as well from her earnings.  Ghalib asks the all-important question – how many women post-Islam in the Arab societies have had such rights and freedom?

What do you think of this video and the question it seeks to address?