That is how it was that over fourteen centuries ago Islam forever nailed the three interrelated concepts of Gender Neutrality, Gender Respect and Gender Inclusiveness in all forms of human communication.

And Islam did so using a single word that the Qur’an called Annaas, which means a perfectly gender-neutral concept: “People.”

Not the exclusively and heavily male-gendered expression “Mankind,” which created such havoc in the world at so many levels of human thought, discourse and behavior for so many centuries.

And which subjected women, one half of the human race, to serfdom and second-class status throughout the world.

The Qur’an uses instead the expression “People” that, unlike “Mankind,” includes, in equal measure, both genders: male as well as female; men as well as women.

And the Qur’an uses that expression Annaas – People – not just one or two or 10 times, but close to 250 times.

And not once does the Qur’an use the male-centered “Mankind.”

Not once!