And We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: His mother bore him by bearing strain upon strain, and his weaning was in two years: “[Hence, O man,] be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the eventual coming.” (Qur’an, 31:14)

Mother’s milk is a matchless compound created by Allah to meet the baby’s nutritional needs and protect it against possible infections. The balance of the nutriments in mother’s milk is at ideal levels and the milk is in the ideal form for the baby’s immature body. At the same time, the mother’s milk is also very rich in nutrients which accelerate the growth of brain cells and the development of the nervous system. 1 Artificial baby foods prepared with present-day technology cannot replace this miraculous food.

The list of advantages to the baby provided by mother’s milk is being added to every day. Research has shown that babies who are fed mother’s milk are particularly protected against infections concerning the respiratory and digestive systems. That is because the antibodies in mother’s milk provide a direct defence against infection. Other anti-infection properties of mother’s milk are that it provides a hospitable environment for “good” bacteria called “normal flora” thus constituting a barrier to harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites. Furthermore, it has also been established that there are factors in mother’s milk which arrange the immune system against infectious diseases and allow it to function properly. 2

Self Defense: A Necessity for Women

Whoever thought that the world would become a better place in due time and with technological advancements and modernization was wrong. The world is still as hostile a place, and the only thing that has changed is the weapons. Crime has become more sophisticated in nature but the sad part is that women are still considered as soft targets.

Crime on women has in fact, increased over the years in developed countries like the US and UK and across the world. Let us first take a look at the worldwide statistics for crime on women:

• 1 in every 3 women across the world has been subjugated to rape or sexual assault. (Data: 2001)
• In some developing countries, at least one-third of the adolescent girls have been forced into sexual initiation (Data: 2002)
• Sex crimes in South Africa take place every twenty seconds. (Data: 2000)
• Major incidents of rapes have been reported in 12 African provinces. The rate has increased considerably from 182 in 2001 to 270 in 2002.
• 14,000 of the 331,815 reported crimes committed against women in the Russian Federation were rapes.
• According to a survey in the United Kingdom it was found that 19.4 % of the women there have been victims of some kind of sexual violence. (Data: 2001)
• 40% of girls in South East Asia are being forced into prostitution as a means to feed their families.