Islamic Women In America Brooks Summary

Historically, “Women and Gender in Islam” discusses the social, political, legal, and religious discourses and structures that have shaped the experience of Muslim women

Brooks’ views show through the tone or voice of the speaker in her poem “Truth”. Poets use tone to convey to the readers much more than what is plainly written on the page. Kirszner explains in Portable Literature: Reading Writing Reacting, “The tone of a poem conveys the speaker’s attitude toward his or her subject or audience,” (436). The tone or attitude of the speaker is earnest about how human it is to want to run and hide from that which we fear. The speaker says, “Shall we not flee / Into the shelter / Of the familiar,” (15-17). In this case people fear the truth because it is unfamiliar. It has been observed by many reviewers that Brooks’ work has remained objective about human nature (Halley). The speaker also has a reflective attitude asking thoughtful questions such as, “How shall we greet him? / Shall we not dread him / Shall we not fear him,” (2-4), to invoke thought in the reader about what their actions might be if they were face to face with a devastating truth. The speaker is suggestive but rather than confronting or scolding the reader by telling them

She cannot write a book without hearing someone’s voice. At the evening reading, Brooks discussed how as both a journalist and a novelist, her life’s work is to tell the stories of the unheard, especially the unheard women around the world, and strives to reveal the full truth of the world. This is a similar mission of mines. As a writer, I aspire to not only tell my story, but to tell the stories of folks like me whose voices are underrepresented in the media (people of color, LGBTQIA and the disabled).

In light of, being an African American woman Brooks wrote her poetry using European and African American traditions. After all, this was totally divergent from what people were used to in that time period. Especially, coming from an African American woman. Also, Brooks attend four school while growing up, and these schools helped Brooks form a profound insight on racial acts that she emulated in her poetry. Not to mention, Brooks had the honor to meet Langston Hughes, and James Weldon Johnson who inspired her to write modern poetry. Brooks won varies awards for her modern poetry that dealt with real issues. Brooks’ readers can tell by the way she spoke that she was very for equality of the race, genders, and classes.

Although they bear some superficial difference, the similarities between Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn story, "Is Islam Misogynistic?" and Anna Vanzan, "The Women of Allah: A Personal Journey Through Islamic Feminisms " are clear, both reveal issues concerning Muslim’s cultural and religion norms depriving women of their equality.

Historically, when Islam emerged in 600 BC, the religion liberated women from the many oppressive laws of the time. However, the present

Take a look around you. You most likely see quite a lot of women talking, laughing, and living freely. Most people would agree that it’s an everyday sight. However, free-living women are a rare occurrence in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, where women are bound by traditions. The oppression of women that rages today in that region is due to the great influence Islam has there. Followers of Islam, known as Muslims, use the Quran as their Holy Book. From this book, Muslims take their guidelines for life, known as Sharia Law. Unfortunately, these laws are the epitome of patriarchy, and aim to subjugate and degrade women. A woman named Jean Sasson has written many books that tell of this oppression, such as the Princess trilogy and it’s sequel More Tears To Cry, which follow the steps of the Saudi Arabian princess, Sultana.

For a long time, Arabic’s women have been seen as downtrodden people on a male chauvinist community, but not always were like that. In pre-Islamic Arabia, women's status varied widely according to laws and cultural norms of the tribes in which they lived. For example, in the prosperous southern region of the Arabian Peninsula the religious edicts of Christianity and Judaism held sway among the Sabians and Himyarites. In other places such as the city of Makkah (Mecca) -- where the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, was born—a tribal set of rights was in place. The Qur’an, which is from century VII, is highly specific as to women’s rights and men’s rights as an unbroken human, independent and believer of freedom.

Religion goes hand in hand with culture, and in the Muslim countries this is very apparent. The cultural importance of men over women may have stemmed from religion, however it was further recognized when imperialist countries introduced capitalism and class divides. “Islam must combat the wrenching impact of alien forces whose influence in economic, political, and cultural permutations continues to prevail” (Stowasser 1994, 5). Now, instead of an agrarian state where both men and women had their place, difficulties have formed due to the rise in education and awareness that women can and do have a place in society beyond domestic living Though women are not equal to men anywhere around the

A Google search for the term ‘Muslim women’ greatly illustrates the impression and image of Islam in western society; the page fills with pictures of women in coverings, most prevalently head-to-toe black with just their eyes visible, with several women depicted in fetters. This shows the way the western eye interprets Muslim women – constantly oppressed by the patriarchal, Islamic religion; however, it is also a representation of the perceived strangeness of a society not entrenched in our beliefs. The controversy of Muslim veiling is highly affected by western ideals, and discourse is often based in Islamophobia; also, veiling’s stance in feminism is often misconstrued as either a guise for racism, or ignorance of non-western interpretations of liberation.

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

Most Islamic women would agree that they are one of the most oppressed groups of people in the world. This is because of the way they are treated and the strict laws that they must follow. The Islamic woman in the picture stands for all women in Islamic countries and emphasizes the oppression they face is unacceptable by raising awareness to the problem. As this problem became well known, the International Society of Human Rights has been trying to stop the oppression of women in Islamic countries.

There are many myths about Muslim women created by the Europeans. One myth is that Muslim women are passive victims of their societies and their religion, the hijab often cited as a sign of their submissiveness. Some women have encountered negative stereotype. (Ruby)

Ever since, feminists have been arguing that Muslim women are being oppressed by their religion and chauvinism present in their countries. However, these traditions that have always been misunderstood as a way to control women’s freedom can be clarified if a person has enough courage to ask them. The hijab, for instance, actually represents their freedom to choose and decide what they want others to see.

In numerous countries, the word of the Quran is followed, and is held to high standards that are honored. With this, rights of human beings are granted, and were made to be all encompassing to all human beings. Even in the United States of America, this sense of basc humans rights are granted, but many associate muslim women in the UNited States as still being suppressed by men. In a male dominated world, women are often held to a lower level of power; but this is not how it is supposed to be according to the word of the Qur'an. This holy book, which has not been changed since its creation, says that all must be just, and that women should be held at equal starts to men. In Southwest Asian countries, this sense of male hierarchy has been introduced, despite not following what is said in the Qur'an. Through the enforcement of the hijab or burka, or male guardianship, it is shown that some Islamic countries are demeaning to women. With western media, and interference into these societies form the United States, this treatment is commonly shown and projected to those in the western hemisphere. From what is shown, the status of women in Islam appears to be inferior and low. However, this is not the case, and the status of women in Islam is much higher than even that of women in western and European societies. Cultural factors that have been shown through the media now delineate a