Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?

“Women and Gender in Islam” by Leila Ahmed was published in 1992, at a time when research on Arab women was a young, newly emerging field of study. Leila Ahmed is an Egyptian American writer and feminist. Her text “Women and Gender in Islam” targets proclaimed feminists, both western and non-western, as the intended audience. The text is involved with the discourse of gender, the discourses of women, the discourses of feminist, and colonial and post-colonial discourses.

“Life is full of unhappiness and most of it caused by women (Harik and Marston 11)”. For women in the Middle East life is faced with great and unequal odds, as their human rights are limited, due to Islamic beliefs and that of patriarchy. From their daily actions at home to their physical appearance, Middle Eastern women are portrayed as quiet, faceless women veiled from head to toe. While this image is just another stereotype, women in the middle do face many obstacles and challenges of creating their own identity as they are frequently denied a voice in their rights. Living in a society dominated by men life is not, but regardless women in the Middle East, predominantly Muslims, continue to fight for

There are many political, religious, and cultural factors that shape the lives of Islamic women many of them are completely different than factors in the lives of American women. Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religions; however, Brooks argues that “Islam’s holiest texts have been misused to justify the repression of women, and how male pride and power have warped the original message of this once liberating faith.” The book also shows these factors have slowly been taking away women’s rights, rather than furthering them.

Published in 2006, prior to Israel’s intervention in Hezbolla controlled Lebanon, An Enchanted Modern: Gender and Public Piety offers academics and scholars a window to observe the ever-changing interpretations and practices of one of the largest world religions. Lara Deeb, a cultural anthropologist, seeks to bring to light the ideology and beliefs of a group Shi’i women living in a Beirut community. She reports that their modern approach to Islam allows them to express their individuality and piousness at the same time, without diluting or abandoning the faith which is often looked at as extreme and backwards by the Western World.

Feminism can be described as a movement that fights for men and women to have the same resources and opportunities. Colonial feminism is a movement that also fights for men and women’s equality but mostly focuses on some certain areas. In the article “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?” by Lila Abu-Lughod, she explained “This was a selective concern about the plight of Egyptian women that focused on the veil as a sign of oppression but gave no support to women’s education.” There are plenty of examples of changes to local custom promoted by the colonial administration. One example is when Hitler came to power, he blamed the Jews for the mishaps in Germany and he ordered for them to be sent to concentration camps to be killed. Another example is when the Europeans first came to America, they wanted the land and everything that came with it so they forced the Native Americans out.

In her article, “The Veil in Their Minds and Our Heads: The Persistence of Colonial Images of Muslim Woman,” Homa Hoodfar explains that western society’s view of the Islamic veil is one of imprisonment of women by their male counterpart, which limits their daily lives and opportunities, such as studies and jobs. However, Hoodfar states that is a very racist stereotype of Islamic woman. Hoodfar and many other Iranian women see the veil as a religious choice that also beautifies them while keeping them modest. The veil also gives them certain powers over men, which in turn gives them independence from men (Hoodfar, 11).

The article “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Reflections on Cultural Relativism and its others” is based on the cultural practices in the Middle East. A question relative to the cultural practices of Muslim women is “Do Muslim women really need saving?”. I will examine that Muslim women do not need saving when it comes to cultural practices revolving around the way women dress, as well as the ethics involved in intervening into another culture.

The situation of women’s issues in the East and Middle East is vital as it can be harmful to these women, such as oppressing them in the form of cultural imperialism. Feminists Susan Moller Okin and Alison M. Jaggar discuss this issue in their respective texts, however, both through radically different approaches. Okin centrally focuses on the concept of multiculturalism, in the respect that it may be harmful to women, while Jaggar criticizes Okin’s writing, believing that these cultural practices may be voluntary choices.

Around the world the hijab, niqab, burqa, and other veils Muslim women wear are being criticized and made into news stories and or debates about whether Muslim women should be allowed to veil. Muslim Women are taking a stand against Western critiques of veiling by breaking down the critiques positioned by the West and Western feminists; in addition Muslim women are expressing autonomy and their self-determination for their right to choose to veil which leads to critiquing power of the state. (Ferrero)This essay will first outline the critiques of veiling and their historical context, then move to discuss how specific Muslim women see their lives and express their self-determination and finally the essay will conclude will an overall view of how Muslim women are critiquing the power of the state in order to control decisions regarding their

One of the biggest anomalies among current events today is the topic of Muslim women. Islamic women have been in the shadows for years, hidden by their spouses, therefore resulting in the reason why so many of them have been the subject of abuse. The devastating incident that led to many deaths on September 11th of 2001, could possibly be the most recent event that has sparked interest with the Muslim population (Daba-Buzoianu et.al 148). Even then, however, Americans were more concerned for their own safety rather than the safety of Muslim women. In the past, these women have had a history of abuse as a result of their disobedience and unfaithfulness to their religion. For example, in Pakistan, “...men, soldiers, and civilians have used rape as a strategy of terrorism against Pakistan’s women, particularly those who dare to transgress existing social hierarchies or who belong to stigmatized social groups (Sharlach 95).” Two of the most recent victims of authoritative Muslims that have managed to get their stories heard have been Mukhtaran Mai and Malala Yousafzai. Mai was raped as a result of her brother’s crimes and Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban as a result of merely wanting an education (Afzal-Khan 153). Although it seems that free will is an option for these women, few are brave enough to let their own opinions on issues concerning their lives surpass the demands of their religious leaders, who can possibly even be considered their masters. Women of this culture are

There are still a lot of problems that arise in the Muslim community that feminist theory could help to address, which might be able to cross borders. There are still mass atrocities that are committed against women and restrictions placed upon them that prevent them from exercising individual choice and self-determination, all of which are largely reinforced by the male-dominated society that they live in. The practice of honor killings, rape, forced veilings, and home and workplace restrictions on women exist, but not all of these problems can necessarily be fixed by the application of U.S. thought patterns to the region. Instead, as Abu-Lughod so pointedly states, Western feminist thought can only really make an impact when it realizes that it needs to take into account and “be aware of differences, respectful of other paths toward social change that might give women better lives, and recognize that such options are set by different historical experiences.” (45) Therefore, feminist thought should not try to find ways to impose blanket solutions to all areas of the world. Some of the recommendations that have been made in the Western world to provide for the advancement of women should be implemented, or at least explored, like workplace protections and recourse for domestic abuse victims, as

I want to point out the minefields-a metaphor that is sadly too apt for a country like Afghanistan, with the world's highest number of mines per capita-of this obsession with the plight of Muslim women. I hope to show some way through them using insights from anthropology,the disciplinewhose charge has been to understand and manage cultural difference. At the same time, I want to remain critical of anthropology's complicity in the reificationof culturaldifference. CULTURAL EXPLANATIONS AND THEMOBILIZATION OFWOMEN It is easier to see why one should be skeptical about the focus on the "Muslim woman" if one begins with the U.S.

Present day, there are numerous social problems affecting many world regions and their inhabitants. Of these problems, there is one in particular that is prevalent and emerging: women’s rights. Often times, women are looked down upon in society and are considered subordinate to males. This is especially true in the Middle East, where females battle to keep their unalienable rights and achieve gender equality. Relative to other regions, the Middle East specifically is facing crucial conflicts regarding women’s equality; this is mainly due to the massive wars taking place. Even though all citizens are impacted during a war, the effect has impacted women quite severely. Women have been brutally raped in their homes, kidnapped off of the streets, and even murdered as honor killings.

Approaching research without applying a critical theories and critical methodologies is to some degree a product of the training of mainstream sociology, which often undermine the experiences of marginalized groups. As Paredes (1977) suggested, mainstream sociology, and sociologists, often times approached studying other countries with a Eurocentric views. Even in critical approaches, we often see feminist research that looks at the experiences of women in places such as the Middle East in a very monolithic way. These women are often seen as objects in their environments where they lack agency and control over their action. Similarly, mainstream research that looked at tribes and tribal laws and structures in the Middle East often had very orientalists views on these structures. They are seen as backward, anti democratic, anti feminists and anti modern. And in that way, they ignored the important role these tribes had played in fighting against colonization and aggression from western powers. Students

As a seasoned anthropologist, Abu-Lughod conveyed her experiences with Muslim women, in diverse demographics, comprehensively. Effectively, communicating the lives of Muslim women, the author shed light on the truth that difference does not always equal deficiency. I appreciated getting Muslim women’s perspectives on religion, politics, and culture. Interestingly, these perspectives are very different from those which are presented to the Western world on these topics. Moreover, Abu-Lughod conveys the importance of considering intersectionality when assessing Muslim women and their rights. Shedding light on Western and Eastern cultural philosophies, the author was very helpful in relaying that what may seem oppressive to one is liberating to another. Additionally, Abu-Lughod imparts the significance of ensuring that advocacy begins with querying those to be advocated for; this is a rudimentary, yet often overlooked component of humanitarianism. Consequently, colonialism was also underscored and explained throughout the text illuminating questionable underlying motivations of seemingly admirable