Women in Islam

Paper Summary:

The paper attempts to show the contrast between the theoretical role of women in Islam and the practical manner in which women are treated. The paper points out that the historical perception of Islam as being unequal or cruel in its treatment of women is founded not upon a faith with precepts of inequality but upon various cultures and contexts where this type of attitude has been fostered. The paper explains that the global war on terror has encouraged many Muslim civilians to aggressively demonstrate male power over women. The paper therefore shows how women, who in the eyes of the Quran are highly regarded, are only the victims of low regard offered by the men of their societies.

From the Paper:

"The Islamic faith represents one of the most widely spread and acknowledged religions in the world. Often misunderstood and even more often exploited, members of the Muslim faith have developed an identity in the modern world which is problematically associated to such issues as regional conflict, global terrorism and internal mistreatment of women. However, an examination of Islam finds it to be a deeply complex faith based in a rich history of tradition and progressiveness. First and foremost to that tradition is the relevance of its theological code of laws to everyday life of observant Muslims, which though today are perceived as only helping to intensify the stigma surrounding the people, are nonetheless a self-contained moral paradigm and, in fact, a slew of promises to such oft-mistreated groups as Muslim women. Though current geopolitical conflicts tend to demonstrate a contrary behavior by many Islamic societies, the core doctrines of the Islamic faith, in the core text known as the Quran and in the accompanying code of laws called Sh'riah, tend to favor the establishment of respect for the familial roles of women and the accord of protections for certain female rights otherwise undermined by unrestrained behaviors of varying pre-Muslim societies and tribal communities."

Sample of Sources Used:

• AI. (1999). Pakistan: Hounour Killings of Girls and Women. Amnesty International.Online at < http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/engASA330181999>
• Al-Uthaimeen, S.M.A. (2006). How to perform the ritiuals of Hajj and Umrah. Princeton University. Online at http://www.princeton.edu/~humcomp/hajjguide.html
• BBC. (June 2003). Pakistan's Sharia Law Is Criticized. BBC News. Online at <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2958316.stm>.
• Birdwhistell, Ray L. (1970). Masculinity and Femininity as Display. Foundations of Nonverbal Communication.
• Ellison, N. (2006). The Distorted Image of Muslim Women. Hadaa Magazine.

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