qatarperegrine (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
qatarperegrine) wrote2007-01-31 02:50 pm
qatarperegrine) wrote2007-01-31 02:50 pm
Islam and Women's Rights
Since Islam's position on women's rights is such a hot topic in the West, I thought I'd post a leaflet on the topic that was given to me by one of our students, part of a packet of materials produced by Qatar Guest Center.
Women's Rights
The following are some of what Islam requires of the individual and society concerning the rights of women.
With these words, I address you, as an intelligent person: Is there any greater honor than this?
* A MAHRAM is a man with whom woman is not allowed to marry.
#23 is my personal favorite: "If a man kills a woman intentionally, he -- under Islamic law -- incurs the death penalty, even if the victim was his wife." The "even if the victim was his wife" seems like a rather telling phrase. Apparently the author assumes that the default position is that men do have the right to kill their wives, and Islam is to be applauded for saying otherwise. Hmm.
Now don't get me wrong, I think that Westerners tend to overstate the oppression of Muslim women. Women's rights are nowhere close to Qatar's biggest human rights problem, and we should never forget that the advent of Islam was radically feminist. Still, I am very much bothered by the objectification of women that underlies brochures like these. I don't want to be a jewel, a rose or a gazelle. I am unimpressed that men are killed for "fail[ing] to preserve the jewel[s] ... in [their] possession." If the author was trying to give me warm, fuzzy feelings about Islam, he failed pretty spectacularly.
Women's Rights
The following are some of what Islam requires of the individual and society concerning the rights of women.
- Have you ever seen a jewel? Why is it that people love it while it is simply a piece of stone? The reason for this is that it is not easy to see or touch without first paying an exorbitant price. Similar is the case of the woman: to retain her honor and purity, Islam does not allow any man who is not a near relative (MAHRAM)* to see her or touch her. She is like an untouched, delicate jewel that needs protection and care.
- Have you ever seen how a rose wilts, withers, and loses its luster and beauty if it is touched too much? Likewise, a woman is not allowed to be touched except by one in a lawful relationship of marriage. And whoever attempts to touch her unlawfully will earn a severe punishment or death.
- Do you know the punishment for one who violates the marriage trust and cheats on his wife? The penalty is death, since he has failed to preserve the jewel that is in his possession in addition to encroaching on the rights of others.
- Have you ever seen a jewel searching for someone to possess it? The same is the case of a woman. Like a precious jewel, she is the one who is sought out. Therefore, it is always a man who seeks her hand. And if she agrees to marry him, he will have to give her a marriage dowry and some portion of his wealth.
- It is obligatory upon a man to spend his wealth for the maintenance (accommodation, food, clothing and general care) of those under his care, including his mother, wife or daughter, even if he does not desire to do so.
- Consider a ruler or head of state. If everyone were able to speak to him directly and sit in his presence, he would not be held in awe, nor would he possess the same prestige and status amongst people around him. Similarly, a woman is like a noble queen. It is not the right of every man to speak to her directly or sit in her presence; this is allowed only to a select few, namely her near relatives with whom it is unlawful to marry (i.e. MAHRAM)
- The Supreme Being created men and provided them with strong bodies so that they may go out and earn their livelihood even in difficult circumstances in order to maintain their wives and children. Women, on the other hand, were created gentle, soft and sensitive in order to educate the future generations and bring them up in the best possible manner. Men go out and work with the world outside, while women deal with human beings (i.e. raising children).
- What do you think would happen if a lion and gazelle were kept together in th same place? Would it be possible for them to co-exist? Obviously not! Likewise, it is only in the interest of a woman to be in the company of a man who is not [sic] a MAHRAM. She is beautiful, attractive and delicate. Hence, an immoral man will certainly try to overcome her, oppress her and even violate her chastity even if she were not willing.
- A woman who performs work equal to the work of a man is entitled to the same salary as a man.
- A woman is allowed to engage in any occupation she is capable of as long as it suits the nature of her physique.
- Just like men, women are required to perform certain religious obligations for which both will be equally rewarded.
- Women are exempt from certain religious obligations during their post-child birth and menstrual periods, since these conditions cause them a great deal of weakness, and in some cases depression, and hence they need rest and relaxation.
- If a woman dies while giving birth to a child, she will be rewarded with the highest station in paradise.
- The person who is killed while defending his mother, wife, daughter or sister will be rewarded with the highest station in paradise.
- It is permissible for a woman to seek a separation from her husband if he fails to fulfill her marital rights.
- Is there anything more valuable to the human being than his life? Well, the honor and dignity of women is more valuable and important to a Muslim than his own life.
- It is permissible for a woman to remarry whomever she desires if she is divorced her husband or is widowed.
- If a woman possesses wealth, she is free to dispose of it in any lawful way she likes without permission of anyone, be he the father, husband or any other person.
- Women have a right to the inheritance of her relative -- at the time of his/her death -- even if he/she does not desire that she receive it.
- A mother has been given preference three times over a father as to their right to kindness and benevolence from their children.
- Whoever truly desires Paradise, know that paradise lies at the feet of the mother, for the one who pleases her.
- Whoever has daughters and treats them well will be screened from Hell-fire as a result on the day of Judgment.
- If a man kills a woman intentionally, he -- under Islamic law -- incurs the death penalty, even if the victim was his wife.
- The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised us concerning women: "Treat women well." He also said, "The best of you are those who are the best in the treatment of their wives." He also said, "No one honors the woman except an honorable man, and no one humiliates her or holds her in contempt except one who is evil, wicked and depraved."
With these words, I address you, as an intelligent person: Is there any greater honor than this?
* A MAHRAM is a man with whom woman is not allowed to marry.
#23 is my personal favorite: "If a man kills a woman intentionally, he -- under Islamic law -- incurs the death penalty, even if the victim was his wife." The "even if the victim was his wife" seems like a rather telling phrase. Apparently the author assumes that the default position is that men do have the right to kill their wives, and Islam is to be applauded for saying otherwise. Hmm.
Now don't get me wrong, I think that Westerners tend to overstate the oppression of Muslim women. Women's rights are nowhere close to Qatar's biggest human rights problem, and we should never forget that the advent of Islam was radically feminist. Still, I am very much bothered by the objectification of women that underlies brochures like these. I don't want to be a jewel, a rose or a gazelle. I am unimpressed that men are killed for "fail[ing] to preserve the jewel[s] ... in [their] possession." If the author was trying to give me warm, fuzzy feelings about Islam, he failed pretty spectacularly.
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"Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" If you don't know that, it's because it's an old fashioned Sunday School song and I encouraged its non-use.
Listen to the Pope ( any pope) on the glory of woman as being like the Virgin Mary, in all her accepting, passive and suffering roles. That is the "glory of woman."
Hey, out there. WE are just PEOPLE .
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The analogy does lead to questions, though. I mean, wild roses only have five petals, but modern hybrids have, what, between 25 and 50 depending on variety? What are the implications for avoiding a "bare stem"?
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Lions and gazelles?
It's impressive how much people can reveal when they're trying to say something else.
Re: Lions and gazelles?
I love the second line of your comment- so true!
Re: Lions and gazelles?
Indeed.
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Try thinking of the egg more as a symbol of a chicken period.
Lucky bastards don't even need pads or tampons, they get shells.
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#6
But beyond all that aspect of it, I find #6, with its' metaphor of "a ruler or head of state" the most interesting and unintended revelation of the underlying culture - a ruler is supposed to be inaccessible and aloof from the people he governs?? Uh-oh! A ruler's "prestige and status" are derived from how remote they are? Speaking directly to them, or even, save our souls, sitting in their presence is "not the right of every man". Does one still ask the Emir for permission to sit?
What is an even greater irony, is the attempt to "soften" this impression by using the modern term "head of state".
[A meta-comment/question of sorts for you: As one who teaches people to properly use language in an academic setting, do you think my casting of the metaphor back the other way (re: sitting), is "acceptable" in the context of this debate. ]
Re: #6
My first thought when I read #6 was along different lines. It's weird to say that both rulers and women have their "power" preserved by not letting anyone meet with them. However, rulers presumably have at least some control over who they meet; Joe Schmoe may not be able to approach Queen Elizabeth, but if Queen Elizabeth wants to meet Joe Schmoe then nobody's going to stop her. So if women were really queens, they wouldn't be told that they aren't allowed to be in the same room as a non-mahram. They'd have that choice. Otherwise the "status and prestige" mean nothing.
Re: #6
I encourage you all to write to them and try to explain how these metaphors and whatever else just aren't convincing in the least bit to a Westerner and why!
Thanks!
Courtly Love
Even the comments of putting a woman on a pedestal (presumably not so you can see up her dress) are very much tied in to the courtly love idea.
Although courtly love isn't where modern western culture is at the moment, I don't know that it's a bad stage to strive for. Women may not be equal but they're not subordinate. In the culture of medieval Europe when this was so popular, rich women were often at least as powerful as their husbands, particularly as men went on crusade and the women ran the businesses - and also when they were home, since women were often better educated than men. In complement to that real but understated power, the ideals of courtly love gave women an idealised and romanticised power that may have been overstated, but in some ways the two areas balanced each other out...
Hm. Having just mentioned the men going off on crusade, I wonder if Islam had these sorts of ideals at that time and whether that may have influenced the development of the courtly love concept in medieval Europe?
Anyway, interesting stuff, Rose-Gazelle! Just don't worry your pretty little head over it too much.
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Qatar has a problem with #17
What are women's rights in Islam?
In a truely Islamic society women have the following rights in Islam:
1. The right and duty to obtain education.
2. The right to have their own independent property.
3. The right to work to earn money if they need it or want it.
4. Equality of reward for equal deeds.
5. The right to express their opinion and be heard.
6. The right to provisions from the husband for all her needs and more.
7. The right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice.
8. The right to obtain divorce from her husband, even on the grounds that she simply can't stand him. (pls note that God deeply frowns upon divorce as a solution unless there is hardly any other alternative but it does not mean that men have more right to divorce their wives than women do.)
9. The right to keep all her own money (she is not responsible to maintain any relations).
10. The right to get sexual satisfaction from her husband.
11. custody of their children after divorce.
12. to refuse any marriage that does not please them
and more...
Re: What are women's rights in Islam?
I do still have some strong reservations, though. I am not fond of the fact that men can divorce their wives summarily while women have to petition to do so. I am not fond of the amount of control men here have over their wives' and daughters' lives; I recognize that Islam requires men to be fairminded and treat their womenfolk well, but it seems problematic to me not to provide actual societal structures that ensure people's rights are protected even if their husbands/fathers choose NOT to be fairminded.
However, I really don't understand the issues well enough to know which of the laws/customs here are Muslim and which aren't really religious at all.
Re: What are women's rights in Islam?
On a more positive note check out WISE;
http://www.asmasociety.org/wise/
The muslim women the world over have decided to tackle these issues, head-on.
They've even "broken ground" and decided to implement women's councils all over the world for interpretation of Islamic Law!
HUDGE stuff, alhumdulillah.
Peace-
Nur
Re: What are women's rights in Islam?
(Anonymous) 2010-12-02 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)