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.