H. H. The Aga Khan III’s Foreword written for Zaidi’s ‘Position of Woman Under Islam’

Excerpt:
I firmly believe that in encouraging education amongst my religious followers, and in trying as far as possible to give them equality – women with men – I have carried out the spirit of the Holy Message of my Ancestor. Seclusion and purdah are purely Oriental customs which came into lslam, but have no relation with the spirit of that teaching though undoubtedly they became part of the social system which lslam carried on from its neighbouring countries such as Persia, Byzantium and Egypt.