The traditional place of women in Islam is a high one. Modern biography of Muhammad stress on the improvement he brought about in their position and rights. Restriction on the position of women have arisen out of national custom, not religion itself.
          Egypt has led the way to greater freedom for women. In 1923 an Egyptian women returned from from a conference in Rome without her veil. Able, intelligent, beautiful and of good family, Hoda Sha'arawy had a considerable following in the campaign for women's freedom and opportunity. Removing the veil symbolized a change that had long been coming, and accelerated the pace of that change. Within a few years women gained entry to secondary and university education, and they rapidly took their places as pioneers in  the modernization of their country. -