Religious Rights of Women in Islam and Western Culture - Research Paper Example

?Religious Rights of Women in Islam with Common Misconceptions of Islamic Women in Western Culture Rights of women in Islam have been exercised in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, these rights are only applied with reservations due to implementation of Islamic principles; as a result, a number of crucial rights are denied to women (Hashmi 589). In addition, Islamic women’s religious rights are applied selectively due to legislation on gender equality that is slow on implementation of constitutional requirements. Women’s rights are crucial in several areas that include marriage, divorce and child custody. In Islamic nations, and according to Sharia law, these have been conserved in a bid to empower women despite having secular western laws. As for marriage, women can either agree or refuse to marry, and the man has a responsibility to be the protectors of their wives according to the Islamic laws. Western laws have infiltrated most aspects of rights about criminal, financial and criminal law. Therefore, women have retained personal rights on a number of crucial issues that affect them. Islam, according to the Quran, advocates equality of both man and woman as God’s creations and grants women several rights that include the right to inherit property and own it. It also provides for women to be recognized as individuals with a legal personality unlike thoughts of Islamic women in the western world (Hashmi 591). This is because the western world’s has misconceptions of Islamic women being slaves to men in their households are greatly contradicted. However, Islamic women have a degree of inequality to men according to Quranic provisions that are followed in the Islamic world. The Islamic world allows for a patriarchy society where men are the leaders and are regarded as the financial providers. Moreover, Islamic religion stipulates that inheritance of women to be half of that which men receive from their parents (Hashmi 591). Thus, the misconceptions towards Islamic women in the western culture to a certain degree are justified, as the rights of women in Islam are sometimes discriminatory. In addition, women are considered to be worth less than men; this is evident concerning bearing witness, where only the testimony of two men can hold against that of a single woman (Hashmi 592). This proves how much the religious rights of Islamic women are used against them. In western culture, Islamic women are viewed as oppressed and have no say in issues that affect them in the society. To many, this may be viewed as a misconception by the west whereas it has a degree of truth in it. This is because those who understand the Islamic religion argue that inequality in gender issues is deeply rooted in Islamic religious literature. Moreover, rights movements are seen as products from the west and are considered secular and to have no effect in Islamic society. Therefore, Islamic women who participate in rights advocacy perceive themselves as facing oppression from their own religious beliefs; hence, they are alienated from the society.  However, there are groups of Islamic women who attempt to rewrite the religious rights granted to them by the same Islamic faith they profess (El-Mahdi 380). This is in a bid to have “normal” human rights applied to them similar to men; in addition, religion is taking a big part in influencing politics, therefore, affecting the religious rights of Islamic women. For example, Islamism is gaining ground in social politics, which, in turn, subordinates women’s rights in society concerning political safety and legitimacy (El-Mahdi 382). Thus, Islamic women have enjoyed religious rights for a long period especially during colonization when secularization had allowed women to campaign for their rights, and for them be involved in the control of the patriarchal society (El-Mahdi 383). This was due to the weakening of the religious hierarchy and rise of secular institutions. In Islamic societies, Islamic religion does not bar or hinder the education of women; as a result, women have become empowered and informed of their rights. This knowledge has brought about several radical changes in various structures of the Islamic society. Therefore, women have been advocating against forced marriages, honor killings and confinement in one’s household in accordance with societal norms and customs. According to religious rights granted by the Quran, Islam takes priority over other customs, laws and norms, therefore, Islamic women are entitled to all the rights granted unto them. However, social structures are unwilling to recognize the level of empowerment that religion has imparted to women despite Islam taking precedence over all other laws. In spite of this, these women have been denied most of the very fundamental rights granted to them. As a result, there are numerous misconceptions and misperceptions by the western culture directed towards Islamic women concerning their religious rights. In the western culture, misconception relating to Islamic women rights is based on the information people receive from the media. This is because Islamic women from different parts of the world receive different treatment, for example, westerners view Islamic women as those whose religiosity denies them positions of authority and power. This is in contradiction to the Islamic law as it allows for both men and women to be equal in almost all aspects. Therefore, some Islamic states allow their women to hold political leadership positions, despite the exploitation they face from men (Ashraf 1). Because of having Islamic literature advocating equality, governments have sought to include more women in political positions and as religious leaders. The other common misconception against Islamic women in the western culture is that by virtue of their religion, they must follow a given dressing code. This means that they must cover their entire bodies, face included, whenever they are out in the public. Concerning this misconception, Islam defines the terms of dressing clearly in that only specific parts of the body need to be covered, and only when the situation calls for it (Mir-Hosseini 41). In addition, Islamic women are viewed as highly oppressed by their religion. The basis of this is that they are dressed in a veil most of the time. However, Islam portrays Islam women as individuals with the freedom to participate in any activities as they see fit. In addition, this misconception is negated by the fact that Islamic women are allowed to keep their names, and not take up their husbands as opposed to most western cultures. Instead, women have roles different from those of men, as Allah created men and women with different biological functions. As a result, the religious rights of Islamic women are preserved. Religious rights for Islamic women in some states have no value whatsoever because leaders use women to garner votes and nothing more (Monshipouri 5). For example, in Pakistan, Islamic religion allows women to vote and vie for political seats. However, they end up as stooges for their male counterparts. This is in that they only gain the power to positions to meet the constitutional requirements of their respective countries. In addition, concerning marriage, women have religious right to be taken up by other men as second wives, which is meant to allow women to enjoy a normal life as any other woman. In this kind of marriage, the man provides for the woman financially, and this means that women are entitled to liberties such as deciding on remarrying (Stevens 1). Islamic women share diverse views on their rights when it comes to issues concerning them. The diversity is in the form of those who have a conservative view based on traditions and that follows the conventions that are rigidly translated from the Quran (Barlow and Akbarzadeh 1482). The other group is the enlightened Islamic women who are more aware of their rights and freedoms that are based on the contemporary and traditional translations. As a result, there are modern feminists who reject the current state of things about their religious rights granted by the Quran. For this reason, they come together and call for their religious rights to be implemented in repelling all sexual patterns applied in the Islamic cultures. Consequently, Islamic women are to benefit from a complete overhaul of the Islamic society with a new social structure respecting all its members. In addition, in light of Islamic women’s religious rights, contemporary groups come together to reject all forms of orthodox Islamism that violates their way of life by imposing rules and regulations on the basis of selective Quranic translations (Barlow and Akbarzadeh 1483). On the contrary, some Islamic countries have attempted to bar women from accessing and exercising their religious rights by using the Quranic laws to silence their quest for their rights. For example, in Iran, the Sharia laws, Islamic religious laws, have been used to silence the society in terms of quality between genders (Mir-Hosseini 40). This is based on the use of different religious interpretations that provide contradictory information such as the Hadith and the Quran, resulting in Islamic women being denied their religious rights due to loopholes in their religious beliefs and literature. In addition to common misconceptions imposed upon Islamic women, some of them are based on valid information. For example, some countries have imposed the wearing of the hejab as a compulsory garment whenever going out in public (Mir-Hosseini 41). This, on its own, is a valid argument and invalid at the same time based on the origin of the information. This is because the Quran clearly dictates the dress code concerning when, where and how a certain garment is to be worn. However, religious rights of women in these countries are violated under the guise of implementing Islamic religious laws. Honor killing is a common misconception based on vague religious literature and especially parts that deal with punishment. Honor killing is perpetrated onto a woman who, due to promiscuity, violates the honor of her husband with promiscuous acts. As a result, a man is expected to kill the woman in order to maintain his honor. However, Islamic law should not be taken into one’s own hands as it would result in murder. This is because the accusation could be unverified and Islamic law calls for testimonies to be given under the strict Islamic rules. As a result, women’s religious rights are protected under Islamic law because both reputations of the accuser and the accused are put at stake in a quest to find the truth (Al-sheha 84). Finally, concerning the right to freedom of movement that is curbed by the use of religious literature, the Quran prohibits any form of travel without a male companion; it goes on to state that the man has to be one who she is prohibited to marry (Al-Sheha 96). This is a misconception of the western society because it seeks to protect the interests and well-being of the woman and, therefore, does not infringe on her religious rights. This law protects women from unscrupulous men with the intention of taking advantage of them. In conclusion, Islamic women have multiple challenges in regard to religious rights. In addition, there are misconceptions in the western cultures that at times are justified or just fallacies. However, there is a substantial difference in religious rights among Islamic women. Works Cited Ashraf, Saimah. “Western Misconceptions of Muslim Women (I).” Daily Trust 2011. Web. 29 Jun 2012. . Al-Sheha, Abdul-Rahman. Women in Islam & Refutation of Some Common Misconceptions. N.p., n.d. Print. Barlow, Rebecca, and Shahram Akbarzadeh. “Women’s Rights in the Muslim World: Reform or Reconstruction?” Islam and Human Rights 27.8 (2006): 1481-1494. Print. El-Mahdi, Rabab. “Does Political Islam Impede Gender-Based Mobilization? The Case of Egypt.” Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions 11.3/4 (2010): 379-396. Print. Hashmi, Sohail. “THE RIGHTS OF MUSLIM WOMEN: A Comment on Irene Oh’s The Rights of God.” Journal of Religious Ethics 38.3 (2010): 588-593. Print. Mir-Hosseini, Ziba. “The Conservative-Reformist Conflict over Women’s Rights in Iran.” International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society 16.1 (2002). Print. Monshipouri, Mahmood. “The Road to Globalization Runs through Women’s Struggle: Iran and the Impact of the Nobel Peace Prize.” Iran Chamber Society 167.1 (2004): 3-14. Print. Stevens, Brittany. “Muslim Women Share Facts, Dispel Misconceptions about Faith.” Kansas State Collegian November 28, 2011. Web. 29 Jun 2012. < http://www.kstatecollegian.com/news/muslim-women-share-facts-dispel-misconceptions-about-faith-1.2676971#.T-yQsBdo1DQ>. Read More