After the 2001 attack of The World Trade Center on 9/11 the western world has been living in a state of Islamophobia; a form of racism, where Islam is being prejudiced because of certain characteristics from its worshipers who are preconceived as misogynistic. Even though women are being oppressed in most Muslim countries; the religion itself is not the cause of maltreatment. Islam is not what is oppressing women, it is radical Muslim men like the Taliban and Jihad that try to use the Islamic Holy Scripture, the Quran as an excuse for their crimes against women. People who want to understand Islam need to separate the religion itself from Muslim society and cultural norms.
The number one reason why people feel that Muslim women are oppressed is because they wear a burka or a hijab. A burka is a clothing covering the entire body of a woman except her eyes and hands and a hijab is a scarf which only covers the hair, neck and chest of women. Some Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia or Sudan enforce by law that women wear a burka, if they do not they can face legal repercussions (see Fig. 1). The Pakistani minister for social welfare, Zilla Huma Usman, was shot to her death in 2007 by Mohammad Sarwar because her head was uncovered. Her murderer declared "I have no regrets. I just obeyed Allah's commandment. I will kill all those women who do not follow the right path, if I am freed again."(Spencer) On the contrary the holy Quran states that both men and women should dress modestly. Men should not watch women with lust and women should keep their body covered from all men except those who are directly related to them. For instance, their father, husband, husband’s father or sons. Allah is fully aware of everything and willing to forgi...
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Discrimination, prejudice, and racism are all terms far too similar and encountered by multiple cultures. A vast amount of individuals have experienced these different terms, unfortunately some individuals belonging to certain minority cultures experience them more often than others. After the attacks on 9/11, the Muslim culture became a major target for actions such as discrimination. The media, especially in regards to women and their attire, fueled warped views about this culture. There are beliefs that women in this culture are oppressed and forced to wear a veil, or hijab, however their views and opinions are not taken into account regarding these statements that are being portrayed through the media and its watchers who are not aware of the cultural beliefs and traditions.
On September 27th, 1996, the extremist militia, the Taliban, seized control of the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul. Up until that day, women and girls in Afghanistan could go to school, work, and walk freely. Then the Taliban issued decrees banning woman and girls from receiving education, entering the workforce or leaving their homes without a close male relative as an escort, wearing a burqa. The Taliban violently plunged the occupied territories of Afghanistan into a brutal state of gender apartheid in which women and girls have been stripped of their basic human rights. The Taliban claims religious reasoning behind this gender apartheid, using the Muslim faith as their backing, though many critics denounce this logic, saying that The Qur'an condones no such thing. Woman in Afghanistan have become but a shadow of real people. Not only can they no longer enter the workforce or attend school, they cannot choose what they wish to wear, or call to friends in public for fear of being beaten, stoned or killed. The female sex has truly been enslaved by the Taliban, however what rarely comes to light, is that males in Afghanistan have also had strictures of dress and conduct imposed on them. These conditions have roused quite a varied response from the Western World. Western-born Muslims who practice Islam identify with some of the Taliban's strictures, even wearing the burqa or hajib in Canada. Others who do not know the Muslim faith, are outraged that woman can be subjugated so completely and that the rest of the world can sit back and watch it happen complacently. Human rights atrocities are committed towards women everyday by the Taliban in the name of their religio...
Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.
“Perhaps the most commonly heard opposition to the niqab is that women cover up at the command of domineering men, that the veil is a sign of Muslim women’s oppression, as well as a general indicator of the “backwardness” of Islamic culture” (Natasha Bakht, p.10). These stereotypes of Muslim men dominating women confuse Islam with cultural practices and fail to recognize that Islam has empowered women throughout its history. Former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper stated that such a garment is “rooted in a culture that is anti-women,” but never once took initiative to ask the niqab-wearing women if that is in fact the
The constant smear remarks from media headlines are chiseled into the minds of Westerners and no amount of “educated [and] articulate women fulfilling the modest conditions of the hijab can do little to dispel the myths” (Stacey). She writes how even when these women are simply placing their focus on the spiritually constructed values rather than socially constructed ones they still may be labeled as oppressed. Indeed, the majority of the women in the world have the free choice to where a hijab or not. The Gallup Poll mentioned earlier actually concludes that that “most women in the Muslim world are well aware that they have the same capabilities and deserve the same fundamental rights as men”
Fatemeh Fakhraie’s essay “Scarfing it Down,” explains how Muslim women suffer because of what they wear. Fakhraie blogs about Muslim women in her website she explains; “Seeing ourselves portrayed in the media in ways that are one-dimensional and misleading." Several people judge Muslim's by their appearance because they assume they're a bad person. The author of this essay wants the reader to know that Muslim women wearing a hijab are not a threat to the world.
Since the September Eleventh attacks by Islamic extremists at the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, Islamic culture has come under scrutiny by Americans more so than at any other period in the history of the ancient religion. One area that is often criticized by the American main stream media is the role of women in Islamic culture; it is almost common knowledge now that Islam subjugates women to a degree not seen since the Medieval Ages, and is backwards in all aspects of gender relations. Like many stereotypes, this one is overblown, exaggerated, and often completely incorrect. Women have been a fundamental part of Islamic culture since the founding of the Muslim faith. Women have had tremendous influence in all areas of Islamic culture including education, politics, economic concerns, and religious interpretation; by examining each of these four areas, it become clear that women have tremendous opportunities within mainstream Islam. Of course, certain hardline regimes like the one currently holding power in Iran will always oppress women, as well as gays and other minorities. It is important to not focus on the few areas where Islamic culture is practiced and women are subjugated, but to look at the broader Islamic culture where women are a critical component.
As people of the Islamic culture, women are devoting themselves to a religion that they know of, and know well. They understand what is to be done, and not done, and know what it is that the religion asks of them. Women know their part in society, and it is up to them to decide how they want themselves to be treated. If they obey their religion, they will be treated well, but if they go against their religion or their husband, they will be punished. On the other side, Muslim women are respected overall as well looked after, and protected. They are not treated as some women all over the world are treated; like objects. They are treated as women should be treated and seen as women should be seen. They are not belittled but uplifted by both society, and their religion.
In the pre-Islamic Arabian society a family’s honor depended on the honor of its females which led to the belief that the group was vulnerable through the girls and women. Females were seen as a burden and many were the victims of infanticide because they were in need of protection from capture and were seen as a drain on the family’s meager resources. The most common form of ridding the family of an unwanted girl was to “bury her in the dust” which was done while the child was still alive. Once established, Islam condemned this practice and required that “…those who had killed their daughters in the time of the j¬¬¬ahiliyyah make expiation for their heinous act.” The Prophet said, “Whosoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, [God] will enter him into paradise.” The words of Muhammad sharply contrast with the commonly accepted portrayal of women’s importance in Islamic society. The search for the truth behind the stereotypes and misinterpreted ideas is an eye-opening voyage into the lives of Muslim women.
As a result of these issues, many Westerners wanted to help allow these women to improve their status in the world and to help them be viewed equal, but Westerners didn’t listen to the issue they went right to making assumptions; and as a result, many of the Muslim women didn’t want their help. Westerners didn’t understand that these reforms that the Muslim women wanted were to increase their opportunities and weren’t going against men. Many of the Muslim women enjoyed being protected by the males in their family.
299). The study consisted of having in-depth personal interviews to share their experiences of being a Muslim American woman (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 300). Veiling to these women was a way of freedom while also having a Muslim identity (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). It was also a source of behavior control, to not be sexually objectified, a way of commanding respect from others and even a source of checking their own behavior (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). One of the women interviewed said, veiling to her was a way to feel connected to other Muslim woman who veil (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 302). Veiling can be a way to feel connected to your religion and God as well as being connected to those who practice the same faith, it can be considered an act of membership. Many of the women interviewed noted they have been removed from planes, been treated unfairly, and have had strangers shout at them all for just being Muslim and being more visibly recognized from veiling (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 303). This is an example of how media can affect the general population. When the media only shows radicals and compares all Muslims to being terrorist or dangerous they are actually putting Muslim people at risk of being assaulted in public. Muslim woman in particular are more at risk for being assaulted as they are more identifiable. So while veiling can be a source of empowerment and freedom for women it is a double-edged sword because it also puts them at further risk of being
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.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
Okin states that a culture “endorses and facilitates the control of men over women in various ways of life” (12). There are several rituals, matrimonial cultures, and property ownership that make it nearly impossible for women to live independently. Although certain cultures have myths that justify control over women, or “to blame and punish them for men’s difficulty in controlling their own sexual impulses,” (14) several global cultures do not suppress women. Okin does not provide readers with the women’s perspective on their supposable suppression through their culture. An example of how Okin’s claim is incorrect pertains to Middle Eastern women that participate in Islamic culture. Women are required to wear the Muslim headdress, also known as the hijab. Although most individuals would assume that women wearing the hijab are oppressed, treated poorer than Muslim men, and are a symbol of modesty, when in fact the Muslim women wear the hijab to affirm personal identity. Leila Ahmed, author of the Veil debate- Again, interviewed different American Muslim college students regarding whether they personally believe the hijab is required in the Qur’an or not and their personal feelings towards it. A particular opinion from a woman states that wearing the hijab “is a way of affirming my community and identity,” (153) and another women states, “I believe it’s a choice not an obligation. I wear it for the same reason that
Today, people think that women were liberated in the west and that the women's liberation movement began in the 20th Century. Actually, Islam preceded all the existing systems in introducing women's rights more than fourteen centuries ago. The women's liberation movement was revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the seventh century. A whole package of new rights was given at once to women by their creator without their having to strive to get them. The Qur'an and the Traditions of the Prophet (Hadith and Sunnah) guarantee every Muslim woman certain rights and duties.