Although one cannot deny the existence of a patriarchal based religion with the emphasis of men in power, there lies provisions in Islam which give and protect women’s rights. This fact is contrary to the popular western belief that Islam the religion is to blame for the oppression and discriminatory treatment of women.
While looking at the topic from a logical perspective, it is easy to reason that the cases on the mistreatment of women in Islam can be blamed on the followers of Islam and their own misinterpretations of Sharia Law. It is logical to blame the extreme oppression of women on extremists factions that control government in the in the politically unstable nations of the Middle East. It is also logical to believe that what may be viewed as oppression to the western world may be considered morally correct in the Islamic world.
Although we see previously that the oppression of women is not a result of the religion itself and that some of this oppression is actually ethnocentrism at work, this does not negate the fact that women in the Islamic world are being discriminated from many things that men are entitled to such as basic healthcare and education. Women are still being discriminated because of a lack of proper governance and self awareness of the equal rights they have as people given to them by the Qur’an.
To promote equality and to ease discrimination of women in the Islamic world, I believe that the first step toward real equal rights would be good governance on the part of each host nation. The creation and active enforcement of Laws which support women’s rights would allow women to go unharmed as they received education, political power, property, money, etc. Although traditionalists will ultimately try to prevent this from happening, a widespread feminist movement in the Islamic world would bring a new generation of Muslim leaders who understand a need for change in these modern times.
The cultural diffusion occurring between the Muslim and Western world is opening the eyes of men and women alike in Islam. In a case study performed by Leila Ahmed in the UAE, the issue of equal education was of interest at the time. Segregation between the sexes was prevalent during the time frame and Ahmed had passed out questionnaires regarding whether people were in favor of equal education for women. The local men and women both supported equal education.
“Whatever either sex felt about segregation and about women’s pursuing professional lives within a segregated context, they did not want to see women held back intellectually or prevented from pushing the professions they wished.”
Though segregated, both men and women agreed that women should not be discriminated from having the same education as men. Coupled with an organized feminist movement, the day will come when the mindset of Muslims will transcend traditionalist thinking.
Abu-Lughod, L.. Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others. American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 104, No. 3 (Sep., 2002), pp. 783-790 Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the American Anthropological Association. Retrieved on May 11, 2010 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3567256
Ahmed, L.. The Women of Islam. Transition, No. 83 (2000), pp. 78-97
Indiana University Press on behalf of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute
Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3137476
Bailey, R.(2005, November 29). Women in Islam: veiled oppression or stigmatised misconception? BBC. Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A6359123
Edgar, A.. Bolshevism, Patriarchy, and the Nation: The Soviet "Emancipation" of Muslim Women in Pan-Islamic Perspective. Slavic Review, Vol. 65, No. 2 (Summer, 2006), pp. 252-272. The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies
Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4148592
Parrillo, V.(2008). Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations Third Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Ray, R. & Korteweg A. C.. Women's Movements in the Third World: Identity, Mobilization, and Autonomy. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 25, (1999), pp. 47-71
Annual Reviews. Retrieved May 11, 2010 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/223497
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Women in Islam- Is Religion to be Blamed?- Part 2
The question on whether religion is to blame for the oppression of women is one that has had many Muslim scholars defending their faith. The implementation of Sharia law is one based on interpretation of the Qur’an and its teachings relating to gender equality. One example of a skewed interpretation of the Qur’an is the supremacy of men over women according to Al Qur’an 4:34
“Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others… those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping places and beat them.”
Explicitly, this verse from the Qur’an states that men are superior to women and that men have the authority to punish their women with a beating, should they commit a wrongdoing. Implicitly, according to Muslim scholars, the reason why men are considered supreme is because they are physically superior to women and are further expected to be more responsible for the world. The usage of the word “beat” is misinterpreted as the original meaning emphasizes all other forms of reasoning before physically abusing the spouse. Future conjunctions of the Qur’an condone beatings.
The misinterpretation of the law can lead to false social construction of reality by males in retrospect to women. If wrongly interpreted in this case, gender stratification occurs where women are subjected to being dominated by men, an indicator of a Patriarchal based culture.
Islam provides rights to women and states that women have the right to education, political office, money, and the ownership of wealth and property. Although Islam itself provides for the security and rights for women economically, socially, and politically, there lies the argument that the culture and/or law in place beside Sharia Law is the reason for gender stratification and discrimination.
The Muslim faith is defended by claims that extremist regimes, such as the Taliban, are bringing attention to Islamic world with their unfair treatment of women. The Taliban in fact are not representing the true beliefs and intentions of Islam and are not following proper Sharia Law. In the examples of genital mutilation for women and rape used earlier, these are explained as examples of remote events out of the jurisdiction of the centralized government and are not true reflections of Islam.
Though Muslim Scholars and Muslims alike defend their faith through reasonable explanations on the treatment of Muslim women, one cannot ignore that, “The men who wrote the foundational texts of official Islam were living in societies and eras where men believed that God had made them superior to women and that God fully intended them to have dominion over women.”
While there are truths to the extreme segregation of women from men in Islam, westerners are often criticized for judging Islamic customs as unjust and not acceptable in terms of western standards. An example of this misunderstanding of oppression is the use of a hijab (covering scarf) and/or niqab (veil). Westerners believe that oppression is at work and the Islamic dress devalues women, when in fact the reasons deal much more with equality then oppression. This is an example of ethnocentrism because of the fact that western women do not have to cover their faces and are free to dress in whatever they please.
Due to religious and social customs, Muslim men and women cover up in order to hide the physical aspects of lust and desire. This ensures that when members of the opposite sex meet, they are allowed to talk to each other without the question of physical appearance coming to mind, allowing women and men to be treated in the same way as the Qur’an dictates.
“Protected on her own symbol of dignity (her dress), the woman can feel free to take whichever role in her society that she wishes to do without the added burden of having to constantly look beautiful…”
Categoric knowing is an important issue as the oppression of women in the Islamic world is often misconstrued as a widespread phenomenon that is based on the religious teachings of Islam. When presented with the facts as to why women are discriminated; misinterpretations of the Qur’an, misunderstandings between the western world and the Islamic world, the lack of self awareness of rights by Muslim women, and a lack of proper governance protecting women’s right, it is evident that the teachings of Islam do not devalue women as is assumed by western society.
“Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others… those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping places and beat them.”
Explicitly, this verse from the Qur’an states that men are superior to women and that men have the authority to punish their women with a beating, should they commit a wrongdoing. Implicitly, according to Muslim scholars, the reason why men are considered supreme is because they are physically superior to women and are further expected to be more responsible for the world. The usage of the word “beat” is misinterpreted as the original meaning emphasizes all other forms of reasoning before physically abusing the spouse. Future conjunctions of the Qur’an condone beatings.
The misinterpretation of the law can lead to false social construction of reality by males in retrospect to women. If wrongly interpreted in this case, gender stratification occurs where women are subjected to being dominated by men, an indicator of a Patriarchal based culture.
Islam provides rights to women and states that women have the right to education, political office, money, and the ownership of wealth and property. Although Islam itself provides for the security and rights for women economically, socially, and politically, there lies the argument that the culture and/or law in place beside Sharia Law is the reason for gender stratification and discrimination.
The Muslim faith is defended by claims that extremist regimes, such as the Taliban, are bringing attention to Islamic world with their unfair treatment of women. The Taliban in fact are not representing the true beliefs and intentions of Islam and are not following proper Sharia Law. In the examples of genital mutilation for women and rape used earlier, these are explained as examples of remote events out of the jurisdiction of the centralized government and are not true reflections of Islam.
Though Muslim Scholars and Muslims alike defend their faith through reasonable explanations on the treatment of Muslim women, one cannot ignore that, “The men who wrote the foundational texts of official Islam were living in societies and eras where men believed that God had made them superior to women and that God fully intended them to have dominion over women.”
While there are truths to the extreme segregation of women from men in Islam, westerners are often criticized for judging Islamic customs as unjust and not acceptable in terms of western standards. An example of this misunderstanding of oppression is the use of a hijab (covering scarf) and/or niqab (veil). Westerners believe that oppression is at work and the Islamic dress devalues women, when in fact the reasons deal much more with equality then oppression. This is an example of ethnocentrism because of the fact that western women do not have to cover their faces and are free to dress in whatever they please.
Due to religious and social customs, Muslim men and women cover up in order to hide the physical aspects of lust and desire. This ensures that when members of the opposite sex meet, they are allowed to talk to each other without the question of physical appearance coming to mind, allowing women and men to be treated in the same way as the Qur’an dictates.
“Protected on her own symbol of dignity (her dress), the woman can feel free to take whichever role in her society that she wishes to do without the added burden of having to constantly look beautiful…”
Categoric knowing is an important issue as the oppression of women in the Islamic world is often misconstrued as a widespread phenomenon that is based on the religious teachings of Islam. When presented with the facts as to why women are discriminated; misinterpretations of the Qur’an, misunderstandings between the western world and the Islamic world, the lack of self awareness of rights by Muslim women, and a lack of proper governance protecting women’s right, it is evident that the teachings of Islam do not devalue women as is assumed by western society.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Women in Islam- Is Religion to be Blamed?- Part 1
In the eyes of the western world, Islamic women appear as the faceless, voiceless, and helpless figures of the male dominated Muslim culture. The issue of face coverings, veils, genital mutilation, gender stratification, honor killings, forced marriages, are all examples of how cruel and extreme Islamic culture can be to women.
Islam, a religion founded on a patriarchal standpoint by the prophet Mohammed, does have its provision for male and female equality. As stated from the Al Qur’an 3: 195
"So their lord accepted their prayers: I will not suffer to be lost the work of any of you whether male or female. You precede one from the other."
While religious doctrine states equality between men and women, the Qur’an also allows for provisions which take into account a woman’s physiological make up and physiological changes. However, in these nations which are Islamic in nature and practice Sharia Law, the discrimination of women is still apparent in the current day.
Women in some countries such as Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive, leave the country, leave the house in improper dress, or hold high ranking jobs, and/or hold government office.
Women in the UAE are not entitled to the same right to education as men are. Only a handful of women have a formal education. The issue of equal education is still hotly debated as the men who oppose the equality of women in terms of education were Arab men “who belonged fully to the oral, living culture of the region.” Men who had a traditional Islamic view towards women in society were the very ones with the oppressive attitudes.
In Pakistan are stories of Honor killings, the killing of a female by her relative on the suspicion of adultery. This can be as simple as a female being seen in the company of a male who she is not closely related with. These crimes go unnoticed in the global community because the crimes are not reported, are ignored, or if caught and sentenced, only a light punishment is given to these offenders.
Gender equality has made its way to the forefront of in the Islamic world as western influence and thought has made it a primary human rights issue in the past few decades. In 1981, the Egyptian government passed the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. This act sought equal access to education, employment, pay, social security, and land ownership. Sadly however, although this law protects women’s rights, these laws are not being fully implemented as the restrictions in tradition, lack of government enforcement, and the lack of awareness of their rights on the part of women, contribute to the continued discrimination.
The unfair treatment of women in Islamic society can be seen in numerous examples in different Muslim countries. This leads to the question on whether the Muslim religion is to blame.
Islam, a religion founded on a patriarchal standpoint by the prophet Mohammed, does have its provision for male and female equality. As stated from the Al Qur’an 3: 195
"So their lord accepted their prayers: I will not suffer to be lost the work of any of you whether male or female. You precede one from the other."
While religious doctrine states equality between men and women, the Qur’an also allows for provisions which take into account a woman’s physiological make up and physiological changes. However, in these nations which are Islamic in nature and practice Sharia Law, the discrimination of women is still apparent in the current day.
Women in some countries such as Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive, leave the country, leave the house in improper dress, or hold high ranking jobs, and/or hold government office.
Women in the UAE are not entitled to the same right to education as men are. Only a handful of women have a formal education. The issue of equal education is still hotly debated as the men who oppose the equality of women in terms of education were Arab men “who belonged fully to the oral, living culture of the region.” Men who had a traditional Islamic view towards women in society were the very ones with the oppressive attitudes.
In Pakistan are stories of Honor killings, the killing of a female by her relative on the suspicion of adultery. This can be as simple as a female being seen in the company of a male who she is not closely related with. These crimes go unnoticed in the global community because the crimes are not reported, are ignored, or if caught and sentenced, only a light punishment is given to these offenders.
Gender equality has made its way to the forefront of in the Islamic world as western influence and thought has made it a primary human rights issue in the past few decades. In 1981, the Egyptian government passed the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. This act sought equal access to education, employment, pay, social security, and land ownership. Sadly however, although this law protects women’s rights, these laws are not being fully implemented as the restrictions in tradition, lack of government enforcement, and the lack of awareness of their rights on the part of women, contribute to the continued discrimination.
The unfair treatment of women in Islamic society can be seen in numerous examples in different Muslim countries. This leads to the question on whether the Muslim religion is to blame.
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