The Importance Of Religion In Islam

Westerners often hear of how oppressed women are in Saudi Arabia. As a result, one might expect these women to be vocal about their challenges living in such a country. However, contrary to the assumption that they are unhappy, they are quick to defend their country, saying that their often overbearing abayas are parts of their tradition. These women say that they still enjoy freedoms and that “[i]t is Western women… who have been manipulated into becoming the toys of men” (Kristof 272). Even so, they still receive unequal treatment from men. Saudi women journalists must stay in their own rooms when they work while men do not. Because of these types of segregated and deleterious practices, Nicholas Kristof argues in his essay “Saudis in Bikinis” that the West is not being paternalistic in trying to advocate for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia; they are trying to free women who have never tasted true liberty. It is

Saudi Arabia is commonly known for its strict moral values and customs regarding religion and women. Gender discrimination is a global conflict but it is prevalently seen in Saudi Arabia. Gender discrimination is so poignant in Saudi Arabia because there are strict sets of moral guidelines and ideologies that Saudi Arabian culture implements on its people. Although Saudi Arabian men impose restrictions on women for the sake of upholding their cultural beliefs and family’s honor, there is no doubt that Saudi Arabian culture is male dominated and holds misogynistic views on women, but progress is being made.

Accustomed to stereotypical depictions, Westerners are told that Middle Eastern women are passive, weak, and always veiled. It is often assumed that the severe conditions in Saudi Arabia—where women are not even allowed to drive cars—represent the norm for women throughout the Middle East and in the larger Muslim world. In reality, Saudi Arabia’s versions of both Islam and sexism are rather unique in their severities, although the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan is now emulating the sexist Saudi model. Women enjoy political and social rights in many Muslim countries, and Egypt has recently granted women the right to divorce their husbands. In Tunisia, abortion is legal, and polygamy is prohibited. Women have served as ministers in the Syrian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Iraqi, and Tunisian governments, and as Vice President in Iran.

It goes without saying that throughout society there exists varying degrees of gender stratification. Although many have attempted to understand why this difference between the distribution of property, power and prestige exists amongst genders, the answer is still somewhat ambiguous. Although the United States isn’t a perfect example of equality amongst genders, compared to a majority of nations across the globe, its conditions for both genders are relatively similar. One country notorious for its massive discrepancy in terms of access to property, power and prestige between genders is Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia and a number of Middle Eastern countries, there exists a great deal of gender stratification. According to the 2008 Human Rights

Only 18% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia consists of females, compared to 48% in Canada. For the 18% of females that do work, they are forced to work in certain shops, such as female clothing stores, where men aren’t allowed to go in. Also, the work they do can’t interfere with their housework, meaning that if their mahram see’s it is interfering, or he doesn’t approve of the job, he can stop the women from going to the job. Women are not allowed to work side by side with men, making it very difficult for them to get a job that they want, that they can manage with their time

Yet, when one considers the life of a modern woman of an Islamic country like Saudi Arabia, this viewpoint is still an issue in today’s world. Arabian women, just as women were in ancient Greece, are put in strata below that of men. This is illustrated by the fact that Saudi women are not allow to have a driver’s license and, therefore, can’t legally drive (washingtonpost.com). Additionally, each woman is lorded over by their male guardian to whom they must permission for anything outside the domain of the

. The treatment of women in these countries were finally being noticed by women worldwide."In September, 1996, a court in Pakistan issued a decision that a woman does not have the right to marry the man of her choice, and that her guardian must approve her marriage." In Saudi Arabia women aren 't allowed to drive cars much less participate in government. In these countries religion is again used as means of oppression, this can be seen in the words of one Religius cleric, "Attacking men 's guardianship of women is an objection to God and an attack on His Book and on His prudent law. This is great infidelity (Kufr akbar) by the consensus of Islam 's `ulama ... It is absolutely necessary that the

First off women in Saudi Arabia face Discrimination from everyone, even the country's highest religious authority its Grand Mutifi, who said that women's involvement in politics would be like “ Opening the door to evil”. In addition the Grand Mutifi also stated that it would be a “dangerous matter” when asked what he thought about women gaining the right to drive driving (Source 1). In my opinion the religious leaders are the ones most responsible for the discrimination of women in Saudi Arabia. In, fact I believe that they are more responsible than the top government officials because of the fact that in many aspects the religious leaders have more power than the majority of government officials. However the political leaders don't get a break

Many people have the chance to be great citizens, however their actions of oppression towards others defines them as evil. These horrible events are often seen in areas with poor government, religious beliefs, or corrupt laws. In the Muslim culture, women in Afghanistan are highly oppressed because of verses from the Qu'ran; this oppression has violated women's rights for years, and although women have been treated poorly for a long time, there is still hope that women will have better rights than they do now.

women of Saudi Arabia are limited in their whereabouts. Kristof indicates that women in Saudi

Somehow, I knew I was losing Ms. Basha’ir. I could tell she was not the same person. Her energy in teaching was slowly disappearing. Her dream to one day be freed of limitations was getting smaller each day. And I understood perfectly what she was going through. With all those restrictions I would probably feel the same way.  During my free time when I would step outside from school I saw that gender segregation is common in all areas of public life in Saudi Arabia, from the more obvious places, like swimming pools in public clubs, gyms and resorts to the less obvious, such as restaurants, coffee shops and even in ice cream shops. While you will hardly ever encounter a single Saudi woman on the streets, a woman living in Saudi Arabia who would like to dine out alone in the evening can usually do so in the family area of most restaurants.

The women of Saudi Arabia have been oppressed by the men of the country for generations due to the ignorance of the people, their Islamic faith, and the government. They have no rights and they must receive permission from their husbands or fathers to work, travel, and receive medical attention. The memoir Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson, is an excellent example of the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia and the literary devices of characterization and setting help to bring the oppression to life.

When non-Muslims in the United States think of Islam the first things that comes to many their minds are September eleventh, terrorist, the middle east, and oppression of women. Most Americans believe that Muslim women must be oppressed because they have to wear “those veils over their heads”, completely cover themselves, and their husbands are allowed to have multiple wives. A survey last year by the Council on American-Islamic Relations found that more than half of the 1,000 U.S. respondents believe that Islam encourages the oppression of women.( al-Jadda, A veil doesn't mean 'oppressed,1). But are Muslim women really oppressed or do they have a choice? In this paper I will look at the viewpoint of three Muslim women. The first one is Sumbul Ali-Karamali the author of The Muslim Next Door . The second is Aisha Stacey who is an Australian revert to Islam that works as a writer at the Fanar Cultural Islamic Centre in Doha, Qatar. The third is Khalida Tanvir Syed who is the author of Through White Noise , but the source I will be referring to is a paper she wrote called Misconception About Human Rights and Women’s Rights In Islam. I will also look at the viewpoint of Azam Kamguian, who is an Iranian writer and women's rights activist and my final source.

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

"Islam" is derived from the Arabic root salaama meaning peace, purity, submission and obedience. Islam stands for making peace by submitting to the will of God and obeying His law. Jews and Christians view Islam as the latest of the world's great religions. However, worldwide Muslims (sometimes written "Moslems") understand their universal religion as the "final religion" and the "primal religion."