Views on Middle East Women - Essay Example

I wouldn’t dream of myself in the shoes of Middle East women, who despite all the advances of technology and modernity of our times are still enslaved by the wicked truth of diversities. It is not racial diversity, but they are bound by the old Islamic religious beliefs that enshrined unequal rights for women. They are bound by traditions that set the superiority of men over women. Even the rebellious Arab Spring cannot change this anti-feminist attitude overnight. Yet, even when trying to imbibe the Western culture, the stigma of misogyny still prevails. There are litanies of abuses Arabs inflict on women because of traditions so it seems there is no more hope for women to get rid of this discrimination.

In the two articles in the study, women were largely mistreated and disgraced. I disagree with the author when she wrote, “They are hated”. It is not getting to the point, because to Middle East women, I believe, it is the norm, and they see nothing illegal in it, a norm which often is misunderstood by foreigners, What the Arab women need today are cultural and political reforms. A cultural reform would uplift the morals of women, one that separates religiosity from the norms of the modern world.  Women should be given more access to education so that they could be at par with men in terms of occupation, and more political reforms so that they can participate in the works of the government; the only way to get out of this rut is through protests. Protests would call the attention of the authorities and the world to correct the prejudices long suffered by Middle East women.

I agree with the post of Laura, my classmate, that the culture of the Middle East is different from the Westerns, and women accept this because they have no choice. It has become clearer to me that Arabs value modesty and they only want to protect women because it is their duty and they are bound by tradition. However, women are human beings too that have rights, and I think Laura’s strategy of women joining the revolution is a practical strategy to open the minds of authorities about these perceived injustices. A revolution would bring a radical change or behaviour, but to be effective it should be in full force so that it will catch attention. A revolution would lead to societal change, but not necessarily violent. Laura is correct; women can stage a peaceful revolution thru rallies. But women should be ready for this crusade because it is a long and tedious process.