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Women & Islam
Equality between men and women in Islam is a very sensitive and controversial issue. Many Muslim women oppose equality for different reasons. They believe that it Is a Western concept, and is related to feminism. Feminist movements in the West Lead to many social problems and increase divorce rates. They, also, think that Equality could abolish their femininity and destroy their gender identity. Equality Could destabilize family structure. It threatens their religion and their moral values. Some authors judge Islam by looking at women`s position in Muslim countries. They emphasize that among all Muslim countries, the lowest rates of female education are to be found in those countries which enforce Islamic restrictions. The more conservative the definition of Islam adopted, the more restrictions on Muslim women. They accuse Islam of being responsible for women`s subordination as a result of placing man in a superior position and giving him the right of qiwama, guardianship over women in the family. They add that according to Islamic teachings, women are entitled to inherit half the amount a man inherits. In legal testimony, two women are regarded as the equal to one male witness. All these studies come to the same conclusion that women in Muslim countries, whether at home or at the work place, are absolutely subjugated persons, and that they have no word in decision making. They are excluded from public life and restricted to the private sphere. These authors focus on Islam as a major factor that determines women`s condition in the society, and they ignore other social, economic, and political factors. On the other hand, some Muslim apologists believe that Islam is the religion of justice. Islamic teachings stress that all human beings stand on a footing of equality independent of considerations of race, sex, and nationality. Women are not treated just as a part of the Muslim community. There are many verses in the Quran which are addressed directly to women themselves to explain their rights and duties. They emphasize that as human beings man and woman are given equal rights, and they support their point of view by these arguments: Islam explicitly maintains that both sexes are created from one origin and have the same qualities. In religion, Muslim men and women are expected to perform the same religious duties and have the same rewards. The Muslim woman does not abandon her name when she gets married. Islam guarantees woman her economic independence; whether she is single or married, has the right to maintain her own property without any interference from her father or husband. Men and women should have equal opportunities for education. Male and female are equal in the law and expected to receive the same punishment for the same offenses. Islam gives Muslim woman the right of choosing her spouse, and the marriage contract is not valued without her acceptance. In politics, women have the right to elect and be elected to political parties. Muslim women believe that God creates both sexes for different roles in the family. The Quaran mentions that a woman is not like a man. Men are obliged to work and support their families, while women are obliged to take care of their husbands and children. Women have the right to be financially supported. Even if a woman is rich or has a salary, she is not supposed to participate in the family budget. A woman has the right to have a domestic helper if her husband can afford it. A woman has the right to be protected. At the same time, a husband should treat her kindly as the prophet Mohammed did with his wives. Equality is something relative. God gives men more rights than women for the benefits of women . Islam protects women, and keeps them from trouble. Contrary to the woman in European countries who are vulnerable to be raped and attacked, a Muslim woman is protected like a precious diamond. She is not supposed to support herself. Although, she has the right to have her own property, she is not obliged to support her family. Hard jobs cannot be carried out by women. Men only should work in such jobs. Men's superiority is not absolute in Islam. Men are superior to women in some aspects and women are superior in another. Men have more rights because they have more duties. Women as mothers are more valued in Islam, than fathers. Women's rights in Muslim countries are interpreted by men. Most of these interpretations are affected by customs and traditions in these societies. Also, political leaders determine women's rights and women's participation in the labor force according to their understanding of Islam and their own interests.
I think we have to be cautious in using the word " equality " between sexes in Islam. There is no direct verses in the Quran which said that men and women are equal. However, there are many verses which are literally directed to men and women to show that, they are equal in front of God. As human beings; men and women are given the same rights. But inside the institution of marriage, men are given more rights than women as husbands, and women are given more rights over men as mothers. Many Muslim women do not believe in equality, but in complementary. They emphasize that each sex is important for the existence of mankind. But no-one is superior or inferior to the other. Everyone has his / her role and functions in the society. The man is the head and the breadwinner of the family, while, the woman is the housewife and reproducer of children. Mutual respect and intimacy should be the basis of the husband / wife relationship. Muslim women emphasize that they do not want equality. They just want their rights in Islam. Muslim women in many countries are subordinated, but Islam per se, is not responsible for that. Poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, the conservative interpretation of Islam, the lack of democracy, and the lack of freedom are responsible for Muslim women`s subordination. Islam is used and interpreted according to different political, economic, and social systems.
_____________________________________________________ - Al-Khateeb , Salwa . Muslim Women`s Perception of Equality : Case Study of Saudi Women. Duke University. Mediterranean Quarterly. Vol. 9. Nu.2 1998.
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