Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
views of women in islam
islam and women's rights
brief essay women in islam
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: views of women in islam
In her newest book, Velvet Jihad: Muslim Women's Quiet Resistance to Islamic Fundamentalism, Faegheh Shirazi brings together a multitude of sources and observations to create an informative look at the contemporary Muslim women as well as the challenges she faces. This book is a scholarly look at many aspects of life for Muslim women with emphasis on contemporary struggles. Shirazi focuses on six main topics, separating them into the chapters for her book. She aims to prove that Muslim women's resistance against patriarchal policies has been historically present and is currently gaining momentum against fundamentalist Islamic practices. Chapter One of Velvet Jihad brings up the issue of honor and virginity as it is seen in the Muslim world. After providing a historical background for the importance of virginity in patriarchal societies, Shirazi moves on to more current problems. She details the concept of honor killings, which still occur regularly in more conservative Islamic countries. Sometimes, when a woman shames her family or tribe in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan, she is killed to reestablish the families honor. Shirazi provides a recent example where children were forced to watch as their aunt was murdered. The violence and startling brutality of the act were surprising in their contemporary setting. Next, Shirazi writes about virginity and its importance to Muslim women. Many Muslim women (along with Christian and Jewish women) are getting hymenoplasties to restore the hymen and become biological virgins again before getting married. Doctors performing these surgeries in the Middle East and elsewhere receive death threats similar to abortion doctors in the United States. Shirazi highlights the expecte... ... middle of paper ... ... excellent read and an even better source of information. Not only was her style effective at conveying her message, she did not write in an academic vocabulary leaving her message accessible to anyone. She covered a great variety of subjects but still kept a balanced level of detail. Her use of contemporary examples and her ability to provide global context make this book an excellent example of research in the field of Islamic women's studies. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a brief, yet thorough introduction to the field. I will close with a quotation found at the end of her book, where Shirazi summarizes her idea of the velvet jihad: “The velvet jihad, then, is a response to the Qur'anic call. Let there arise out of you A band of people Inviting to all that is good Enjoining what is right, And forbidding what is wrong.” [Shirazi, 226]
The World’s Religions by Huston Smith is a novel based on the different religions found around the world. The main area of focus within this book was to expand the knowledge of different cultures and their religions. The chapters that were specified to focus on include Islam, Judaism, Christianity and the Primal Religions. Go into detail about each religion. Smith goes into great detail about each religion, concentrating on the teachings and essential elements of each religion, important people that helped form the religion, and traditions. He specifically discusses how these three religions are very similar rather then how different they are, with the main studies on Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad. Finally he discusses the Primal Religions – meaning the traditions that are passed down through oral communication.
The article “My Body Is My Own Business” by Naheed Mustafa is about an Islamic women’s principle that putting on her usual headscarf, or Hijab, actually empowers her as a female, contrary to the popular principle that the hijab represents male oppressiveness. She ex...
Ahmed, Leila. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1992.
It is precisely this point, which proves the argument of this paper. The well intentioned attempt of Western feminist to write a feminist book in order to help, both women in the East in an exchange of ideas and stimulation of still more ideas and women in the West in providing knowledge with which to further aid the women of the East. On both counts it fails. In the West it gives further ground to the false generalizations and assumptions of women in the Muslim and more generally the developing world who are seen as oppressed and in need of “liberation” while in the East it serves to colonize and dehumanize the women. These good intentions did not create what can be construed as a positive contribution.
“The United Nations estimates that as many as 5,000 women and girls worldwide were killed last year by family members” (Autumn, 2001). Crimes of ‘honor’ are acts of violence perpetuated typically against women who violate broader cultural standards against sexuality and marriage. When a woman violates the sexual or marital standards within a culture, her actions bring shame and dishonor and in order to eliminate the dishonor within the family, killing is the only way. “Honor killings focus on maintaining the sexual exclusiveness of women” (Barker et al, 1999). In most of the cases, honor killings are mostly present in cultures of the South Asian and Middle Eastern Islamic areas. Sadly, this culture is prevalent in some parts of the Indian society as well. “Offenses leading to ‘honor’ killings include leaving home without permission, rumors about premarital loss of virginity, accusations of flirting, and illegitimate sexual contact. These accusations also do not require the consent of the female in the act. Rape victims, for instance,...
For example honor killings, including female genital mutilation, is a traditional patriarchal custom where, male family members subject Muslim women to murder in case they lose their virginity before marriage either by rape, falling in love with the wrong men or the victim of incest they refuse to accept an arranged marriage. This behavior is considered socially acceptable and a dishonor to the family, especially among the underprivileged classes where they can achieve honor more than prosperity. This film encourages the idea that honor killings are linked to Islam, however, it is not mentioned in the Quran and it has occurred in other religions such as Judaism and Christianity as well as in Islam. Women are victimized through established religious restrictions that are neither condoned nor confined by the principles of Islam. Egypt and Jordan witness cases like this, even though they are not motivated by honor. A considerate number of NGOs and legislation succeeded in imposing sentences to people committing these crimes, these acts are still occurring in silence. (Husseini,
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...
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 Women of the Middle East have played substantial roles for their corresponding countries since the advent of colonialism in the region. Middle Eastern women have worked in all types of fields including medicine, education, agriculture, government, private sector, and even defense. They have kept roofs over their family’s heads while their husbands were away in wars, or even in foreign countries to work in jobs that they could not find in their own countries. The roles of women in the countries of Yemen and Oman are no exception, but while they still find ways to contribute to their country, they care constantly stereotyped, discriminated, and ridiculed by men who are known and unknown to them. This paper will discuss the individual contributions of the women living in Yemen and Oman, and will discuss in further state laws and cultural norms that are affecting the women living in these countries today.
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.
“The Harem Within” is a pioneering work that opens discussion of women’s rights in Islamic societies. With her humble life story Mernissi gives not only a voice to Moroccan women, but stands her advocacy for individual freedom and battle against the harem within. The narrative is a literature example that figures the women discrimination and appeal for
As an Arab American, a Muslim and a woman writer, Mohja Kahf challenges the stereotypes and misrepresentation of Arab and Muslim women. Her style is always marked by humor, sarcasm, anger and confrontation. “The Marvelous Women,” “The Woman Dear to Herself,” “Hijab Scene #7” and “Hijab Scene #5” are examples of Kahf’s anger of stereotypes about Muslim women and her attempts to fight in order to eradicate them, in addition to her encouragement to women who help her and fight for their rights.
When one thinks of the role of Muslim and Islam women, the first thought that comes in mind is a victim waiting for the right moment to approach Western Liberation. The ignorance of the people compels the woman to be portrayed as weak, and controlled on what they can wear and how they should act. What most people are not aware about is that the Prophet Muhammad was indeed pro women’s right, as he stated “To seek knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim, male and female” proves that women are treated as an equal. Even though it is been said that women are independent to create their own pathway, society intervenes and challenges with women’s liberty. 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.
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