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. Islam, in fact is a religion that gives women more rights than men within the Quran. Women are protected by the words of Allah that fill every line within the Holly Book, the Quran. So Islam is not what causes the underrepresentation of women in the workforce and in the government within the Middle East.
Women learn their rights and how to be independent outside the comfort of their homes. In order for them to gain independence they must enter the labor force and interact with others; however, if they do not need the money that comes from their job they will prefer to stay home, raise their children, and live on the high salaries of their husbands. Reduction in the presence of women in the labor force and the few economic opportunities for Muslim Women lead women to support fundamental Islam (Ross 107). They are less likely to be educated because education is seen as a means to make an income and women in oil rich states do not need an income. Since women stay home, reproduction rates increase and the dependency of women on men also increases. When women enter the wo...
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... (Ross 120). Every line within the Quran disproves the culturalists’ opinion that Islam is what oppresses women in the Middle East, making Ross’s argument that oil in the Middle East is what oppresses the Women in the Middle East completely valid and indisputable.
The argument that oil is the cause of women’s underrepresentation in government and in the workforce is valid and proved in the article, “Oil, Islam, and Women” written by Ross. As the oil industry becomes increasingly better, women will disappear from the workforce and in return disappear from the government. The production of oil is good only to the economy of the states with oil; however, it is increasingly threatening to women’s independence. For women to gain any independence, they must start by entering the workforce.
Works Cited
Michael Ross “Oil, Islam and Women” APSR (February 2008): 107-123.
After the first part of the Hughes chapter on Middle Eastern Muslim women, the emphasis shifts, from Quranic doctrine regarding women to how Muslim law and scholarship have interpreted the Quran’s direct admonitions to women. However, this shift is unfortunately subtle. The authors fail to make a clear distinction between the Quran, a sacred text believed to be the verbatim word of God; and Muslim law, which was formulated by (male) Muslim jurists who consulted the Quran and whose consensus was later declared infallible (Ahmed 58). Such a distinction is necessary because the Quran itself is vastly different from a legal document; Ahmed observes in “Early Islam and the Position of Women” that “Quranic precepts consist mainly of broad, general propositions chiefly of an ethical nature, rather than specific legalistic formulations” (59). Indeed, the Qura...
...enging Myths of Muslim Women: The Influence of Islam On Arab-American Women's Labor Force Activity. Muslim World, 92(1/2), 19. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Western, David. “Islamic ‘Purse Strings’: the Key to Amelioration of Women’s legal Rights in the Middle East” Air Force law and Review Vol. 61. 0094-8381(2008): p79-147.
Haghighat, Elhum. "Social status and change: the question of access to resources and women's empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa." Journal of International Women's Studies 14.1 (2013): 273+. Global Issues In Context. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
The first religion and its views on women that will be discussed in this essay is Islam. Islam is a religions founded in Saudi Arabia almost two thousand years ago, by the prophet Muhammad. 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...
This essay shall undertake a critical evaluation of the changes Western culture has had on Muslim woman in Morocco and how it has impacted their cultural norms. This shall be achieved by examining the changes in the areas of health, marital life, and education. Consideration shall be given to traditional Muslim life in Morocco and the changes that have been experienced in this country, before examining what may be described as a toxic infestation of Western culture and its effects and a conclusion reached.
In the book, Women in the Middle East, a Saudi Arabian proverb states, "A girl possesses nothing but a veil and a tomb" (Harik and Marston 83). The key words, "veil" and "tomb" lend evidence to the fact that many Middle Eastern women lack identity symbolized by the “veil” and lack the right of ownership except for their veil and the tomb. This statement further enforces the notion that many women in the Middle East are expected to serve and tolerate the oppression of the men in their lives throughout their lives on this earth. Moreover, it confirms that many of these women do not get the opportunity to obtain education, join the work force, and even participate in the political affairs of the country. This arrangement further helps the Middle Eastern men to view women as their properties, servants, or even as slaves. Ultimately, there are three main reasons why Middle Eastern men engage in the act of oppressing their women.
The Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 created a lasting affect on the societal role of women through modern day Iran. Women in Iran before the revolution were not entirely treated equal to men, but despite some cultural perceptions of women being inferior to men, they had made progress to become socially equal under the Shah. Several misconceptions and theories have been published and studied to show the inequality of women versus men because of Islam. However, contrasting theories have also been made to show that inequality has little to do with the religion, but instead with the forceful nature upon which it was implemented in the revolution. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the Islamic and political history of Iran and its social implications over Iranian women.
Deeb, Mary-Jane. Freedom House. Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa-Oman, 2010. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=179 (accessed August 14, 2010)
Lila Abu-Lughod’s article titled, “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” takes a closer look at the problematic ethnocentric approach many have when trying to gain an understanding of another culture that may be foreign to that individual. In this analytical paper, Lughod looks at women in Islam, specifically the treatment of women and how it might be utilized as a justification for invading into a country and liberating its people. The country Lughod refers to in her article is Afghanistan, and Lughod points out the misunderstanding from the people to the Bush administration like First Lady Laura Bush who believed that intervention was necessary to free women from the captivity of their own homes. It is important to consider the role that different lenses play into all of this, especially when one’s lenses are being shaped by the media. Depictions of covered women secluded from society leave a permanent image in the minds of many, who would then later support the idea of liberation. This paper will discuss that the practice of using propaganda when referring to the lifestyle in the Middle East is not exclusive to the U.S; rather it has been utilized throughout history. Additionally, we will take a closer look on the importance of symbols, such as veils in this case; help to further emphasize the cause to liberate. Finally, we will analyze Lughod’s plea towards cultural relativism and away from liberal imperialism.
Female’s oppression in the Islam religion and Islamic states is a valid concern. Violence between the sexes and strict decrees for cleanliness seem for Westerners to create an abnormally large schism between the sexes. Is such a perception true
The political realm in the Middle East has traditionally always been conceptualized as one which is dominated by the socio-political elite of the region. Challenging this essentialist notion, Asef Bayat’s Life as Politics offers an alternate paradigm where subordinate groups- such as women and the working poor- are capable of, and indeed responsible for, bringing about social and political change in the region. By positing his theory of “social nonmovements”, Bayat not only successfully articulates how such changes can occur, but also simultaneously disputes the classical Orientalist stereotype of the politically passive Middle Eastern society.
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
Women who have the misfortune of living in predominately Muslim societies often are confronted with adversities concerning their rights in marriage, divorce, education, and seclusion. Consequently, many Westerners seeing a lack of equality towards women in these societies consider it as a confirmation of their own misconceptions about Islam itself. Islam is often rejected as being an intolerant and violent religion that discriminates against and subjugates women, treating them as second-class citizens. From a Muslim’s perspective, Islam’s stance on women can be approached by two opposing views. Scholars amongst the Muslim apologists have claimed, “The verses in the Qur’an represented Muhammad's intention to improve a debased condition of women that prevailed during the Jahiliya, the time of ignorance before Islam came into being.” (Doumato, 177) If inequalities still exist between men and women, they cannot be attributed to Islam, but are a result of the misinterpretation of Islam’s true meaning. Others have entirely denied the notion of inequality between men and women in Islam, claiming that the alleged inequalities “are merely perceived as such by foreign observers who confuse seclusion and sex difference with inequality.” (Ibid.) Many Muslim apologists defend the Koran as noble for the very fact that it raises women to an equal status of men despite their inferiority.
The role and place of Women in Islam has changed drastically, in a positive way, over the past millennium: the changes can be greatly attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, and the Qur’an. To understand the changes in women’s rights and freedoms, one must understand their role and place before Islam was created, which happened in the Arabia Peninsula, now Saudi Arabia (Angha). Before Islam was formed women lacked many of the basic human rights, and they were treated as more of a burden in their culture then someone who should be respected, but that is not the case today. Though women in Islam have gained many rights, there is still some controversy over whether or not women are still being oppressed and treated like second class citizens compared