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Question
Assalamu Alaikum We are living in a time that the opponents of Islam spreading wrong information about the freedom of women in Islam. But I am amazed to notice that wherever in the world occures any communal problems, the Muslim women are abused and molested by the opposite community but the Muslims are rarely doing the same to the women of other religion. Is it a result of the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s a s) to respect women? Can we use this matter to the Dawa purpose? Jazak allah khairan
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There is no doubt that there is no other civilization that respected the status of the woman as did the Islamic civilization. This is highlighted in the teachings of Islam in its two authentic sources: the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet .
Similarly, Islam advises its followers to be kind to the non-Muslims and to deal justly with them as long as they are not in war with the Muslims; Allaah Says (what means): {Allaah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes — from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allaah loves those who act justly.} [Quran 60:83]. There is no difference in this respect between their males and females, young and old.
Even at war, the Prophet forbade killing a woman unless she is a fighter. Ibn ‘Umar 
narrated that a woman was found killed in one of the battles of the Prophet so he disapproved of the killing of women and children. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Moreover, Imaam Maalik 
reported in “Al-Muwatta’a” that Abu Bakr used to advise the leaders of his army telling them: "Do not kill a woman or a child or an old aged person, and do not cut down fruitful trees. Do not destroy the inhabited places. Do not slaughter a sheep or a camel except for food. Do not burn palm trees or drown them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly."
There is no doubt that this is from the good traits of Islam whose followers abide by in most of their cases, and this is evident from their conduct as well.
Indeed, such good traits should be highlighted by the Muslims and used in calling non-Muslims to Islam and in their dealings with the non-Muslims.
Allaah knows best.
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