The rights and responsibilities of women are equal to those of men but they are not necessarily identical. We should understand this as men and women are different, in their physical and psychological make-up. With these characteristics in mind, there is no room for a Muslim to imagine that women are inferior to men. Perhaps it is more correct to comment that the Islamic approach on gender relations, is one of “equity” rather than the commonly used word “equality”, which could be misunderstood to mean equal in every aspect of life, rather than overall equality. Thus, in the Islamic tradition, a woman has an independent identity. She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations. A woman has the right to accept or reject marriage proposals, and her consent is a prerequisite to the validity of the marriage contract. A marriage is based on mutual peace, love and compassion. Dr. Jamal Badawi, a Canadian Islamic scholar, states in his book Gender Equity in Islam: “The husband is responsible for the maintenance, protection and overall leadership of the family within the framework of consultation and kindness. The mutuality and complementarity of husband and wife does not mean ‘subservience’ by either party to the other. This means that he should consult her in family matters such as raising the children. If she works outside the home, she has the right to her earnings, to save or use as she pleases, as the husband has the full responsibility of financial support for the family. She has the right to own property, divorce, inherit from the birth of Islam. A little forgotten fact is that these rights did not become law in Europe until the late 1800s. Islam was far ahead of the times.