Wa'alaykum Assalam bluecake
Good for you bluecake! I'm certainly not going to play devil's advocate and argue the case for the more literal and harsher views of Islam, but Muslims like you do have their work cut out for them as regards ensuring women are not excluded or mistreated in the name of Islam in Muslim countries. However I wish you good luck.
Hmmm... If you say so.
I struggled with this verse for many years trying to defend it (to others but really to myself). I wrote articles about it trying to explain how it amounted to a virtual ban (i.e. the two previous steps, removal of 'in the spur of the moment' act of anger, symbolic gesture etc...) but frankly it never sat well with me at all.
But again, if you have no problem reconciling this with your heart and mind - then again I wish you good luck.
Peace
which abu bakar are you talking about here,hazrat abu bakar was passed away long time before this battle,and you are wrong,hazrat ayesha was asked to not go in the battle but she rebel against this and went anyway.in any case,im sunni but i believe it was wrong decision she made to do this war against hazrat ali,she was young at that time,and most scholars agree it was bad decision by her,holy prophet pbuh would never allow her.