It is time they realized they have much common ground” by Arzu Merali, the author points out what feminists have assumed of Muslim women. “The Islamic Human Rights Commission receives case after case of employers and educators using this image of the downtrodden Muslim woman to excuse discrimination. Muslim women are denied many opportunities on the assumption that they will- if not on a whim then by force- get married, or have many children. Or they face the horrendous dilemma of having to choose between employment and their Islamic garb.” We are not prepared to enter a discussion on Muslim women if we do not understand that our stereotypical images are not accurate. The purpose of this project is to bring light to the facts of Islam, of women, and of the Qur'an.
Women in Islam have rights and are not oppressed. The veil is widely misunderstood and many do not know what it represents. In many ways, men and women are equal as much as they are not; and this is in every religion. In Islam women are given many rights, such as owning properties, having an education, working, and marrying who she wants. In the Holy book, the Qu’ran, it explains that women are allowed to own inheritance or properties.
Islam In recent modern times, the Islamic faith and culture has been scarred by bad publicity and criticism worldwide concerning terrorism, fanaticism, and the treatment of women. All these issues have existed in most religions throughout time, but the treatment of women is different in which most other cultures and religions have minimized the issues and Islam, under its attempts to also end it, has failed to create a society in which the treatment of women is equal to that of men. The treatment of women, beginning from the time when they are born, to the time of their marriage, to the moment of their death, has not been equal to that of men despite the actions taken to end the injustice. The Islamic faith rose during the life of Muhammad the Prophet (570 - 632 C.E.) who was born in Mecca, an area that was mostly Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian.
In the article, “Oil, Islam and Women,” Michael L. Ross argues, “that women in the Middle East are underrepresented in the workforce and in government because of oil-not Islam” (Ross 107). On the other hand it is commonly thought, by the culturalists, that Islam is what is oppressing women in the Middle East because Islam is the common factor between all the States in the Middle East. The Middle East is, also, known for their strictly religious citizens also proving the culturalists’ view point. The logical thought then is that the Islamic views that men in the Middle East have is what keeps women from progressing in society. Michael Ross, however, proves otherwise.
Core concepts of Islam combined with ancestor’s cult, belief in omens, and belief in fire power formed new liberal Islam in Central Asia. This transformation is evident in ibn Sina’s works, which promoted Islam as a religion hospitable to science, in Ferdowsi’s “Shahname”, which offered an example of new form of Islam containing local elements, and in the Turks’ conversion to Islam. Overall, it can be assumed that main principles of Islam remain the same; however, people adjust religion to their lifestyle by introducing local features, and, apparently, these transformations positively affect actuality of Islam.
There are certain stereotypes associated with women in Islam, none of which actually reflect what Islam aims to establish or the actual value and status placed on women in Islam. At the time Islam was introduced, baby girls used to be buried alive at birth because they were considered a shame and if left to live were considered as a property of their fathers and allowed to be sold, were not allowed to have any rights or opinions in what was done with their lives. Islam was a revolutionary force in a time like this, it elevated women’s status in the society, provided them protection from the harsh realities of their society, gave women rights and identified them as human beings with equal rights to that of men. Since then, the value of women in society has changed dramatically, with significant differences in the status, value and role of women between pre and post Islamic periods. (Badawi, n.d.) (Why Islam, n.d.) Gender Equality It is a wide spread believe that women’s liberation and equality is a fairly new concept which has just evolved over the last century or so but the fact is that Islam gave women equality and rights in the seventh century, years before it became known as one of the western’s society movements.
Women are judged by what they wear and what they do. Islam and Muslim have gotten the right to comply with her beliefs but she will not be accepted if she is not the traditional woman. Media captures the stereotypical views of Islam/ Muslim women, they do have the right to go against the traditional woman's role, but the reality is that history counters the fact that Islam and Muslims are civilized therefore women has not reached a high status in their society. In “The Media and Its Representation of Islam and Muslim Women” by Sairra Patel argues that the media always stereotypes women in Islam/Muslim are being oppressed by men. Media has taken a large portion as the reason why Islam and Muslims are characterized as men superior to women, “In television, films, books, newspapers and magazines Islam is presented as being a backward and barbaric religion”, media had affected them unjustly since what is being said in the media is not accurate.
In fact, Muhammad dedicated much attention towards women in the Koran, the holy book of Islam. However, even though much was dedicated to women in the Koran, it was not dedicated to them in the sense of equality. Women in Islamic culture were apparently much lower on the totem pole than men, "The men are made responsible for the women, since God endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners...If you experience opposition from the women, you shall first talk to them, then [you may use such negative incentives as] deserting them in bed, then you may beat them (129)." Excerpt... ... middle of paper ... ... it states, "Men are to be punished more severely for adultery than women (137)." This is an incredible law due to the fact that it was the exact opposite in many other cultures throughout history.
Is religion made for human or only for man? Religion is often the most vital and considerable aspect in most of the people’s life throughout the world but often plays a negative role for women empowerment. Women are suppressed, disregarded and abused by every religion in the world. Most of the religions consider women as the second class human that refers men are the first who will be benefited by the religion (Tanzim). The patriarchal society is structured in such a way where women actually have less power to raise their voice against the society which is dominating them and always being an obstacle in their way of freedom and prosperity.
Although the woman’s involvement in society has improved throughout the decades, patriarchy in society and oppression toward women are still prevalent through the social ideologies widely taught and believed throughout America, which has limited women and stereotyped them consistently. Since the beginning of society in America, women have held a subordinate role. Arranged marriages were prevalent in early America as well as widely practiced forms of gender roles. Women could not hold an education, work, or dress for themselves. Husbands ruled the family and their wives, and acted in ways as if they owned them.