Invade the west, liberate the women

[RedSkunk]

"The image of the oppressed Muslim woman can all too often serve as another self-righteous reason for Europeans to congratulate themselves on their superiority."
-- Carl Ernst, Following Muhammad

All too often, recent advances in the west concerning women's rights, are considered to be an indispensable part of the west - and another illustration of Muslim savagery and backwardness. Yet while Muslim women have been guaranteed inheritance and property rights under Islamic law since the seventh century, English women were only granted such rights in 1870 and 1882 (Married Women's Propert Acts of).

When Lady Mary Wortley Montagu visited Constantinople in 1716, with her husband, the British ambassador, she was "amazed to meet there Ottoman women of the nobility who owned large estates and managed their own property without male interference. Lady Mary even found the veil to be a liberating device that freed women from the prying eyes of men."

People here do realize that up until very recently, it was common place for Muslim men to wear veils, especially the upper and ruling classes?

Additionally, as Ernst points out in another erudite example, that "emblem of Western technological superiority, the Internet, is saturated with pornographic images."

The west continually sexualizes and objectifies women. Sex sells, everything from music, to movies, to food and clothing. Ads illustrating naked women, sell perfume and lingerie to other women.

The west also perverts cleanliness, associating it with virginity. Yet, as we're all aware, this only concerns women, setting up yet another double standard that's often overlooked - the distinction between a "player" and a "whore".

Traditionally, Christian scholars have derided Muhammad, for he had married several times. What type of prophet is that? Jesus was celibate, and indeed even his mother was virginal. The west, along with their dominate mode of thought - Christianity - associates sex with dirtiness, uncleanliness. Perhaps setting us up with all of the problems in present-day society.

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How confident are we with our relations between the sexes? Or perhaps the real question is - how confident should we be?

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This article and more can be found at The Progressive Voice!

[Montgomery-Scott]

very nice. I never thought about a burka that way. It is perfect for women who don't want men looking at their cleavage all the time. But then, in our socioety, women have been trained to WANT men to look at their cleavage and butts. So, it kinda defeats the purpose.

[SIG-1]

At 9/11/04 01:00 PM, red_skunk wrote: The west continually sexualizes and objectifies women. Sex sells, everything from music, to movies, to food and clothing. Ads illustrating naked women, sell perfume and lingerie to other women.

Traditionally, Christian scholars have derided Muhammad, for he had married several times. What type of prophet is that? Jesus was celibate, and indeed even his mother was virginal. The west, along with their dominate mode of thought - Christianity - associates sex with dirtiness, uncleanliness. Perhaps setting us up with all of the problems in present-day society.
How confident are we with our relations between the sexes? Or perhaps the real question is - how confident should we be?

look man, where Animals, we have a sexual need, but with socidity and religios bull shit we are torcherd by are way of life! thats why Christianity so weak now, because with are incresingly expland world religion is becoming weak so basic needs take over!

[RedSkunk]

At 9/11/04 04:58 PM, CrapMaster10 wrote: look man, where Animals, we have a sexual need, but with socidity and religios bull shit we are torcherd by are way of life! thats why Christianity so weak now, because with are incresingly expland world religion is becoming weak so basic needs take over!

Wha?

[StatiK]

"O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness…" (Quran:4:19)

"The most perfect of the believers is the best of you in character, and the best of you are those among you who are best to their wives."

From my limited research on the subject, it seems that the Quran and the Islamic religion promote equality, protection, and care for women. Although the Quran may state that women should be wives and mothers, and maintain a typically feminine role in the household, it certainly does not cast them as second class citizens in any way, and emphasizes their equality as much or more than Christianity does. However, there have been many muslims who have tried to subjugate women in various ways. In one Muslim society, a religious text was faked to say that women should not be educated, and wasn't challenged for centuries. Though the Islamic religion doesn't place any restrictions on women attending mosques, some Muslim societies have disallowed them from this right.

"It has recently dawned on me that North America is the only place where Muslim women can exercise the full range of rights and freedoms they enjoy in the original Sharî‘ah. In too many Muslim countries overseas women are kept in subjugation and even suffer violence because their shar‘î rights are denied. Even at the hands of the official "Islamic" authorities, which is a disgrace to the ummah. The worst violator is the Taliban regime, who oppress and beat women based on their crude tribal customs and try to pass it off as Islam."

Overall, it seems to me that Islam iteslf does not subjugate women in any way or intend to have men treat women as second class citizens. However, it does seem like there are many societies and countries in which women are allowed to be denied rights, even those guaranteed by the Quran.

Sources:

Muslim Women Reclaim Their Original Rights
Muslim Women's Rights

[RedSkunk]

Good call Greenie, fair post.

I don't think there is a religion which doesn't call for fair treatment for both of the sexes. Islam doesn't forbid women recieving education, or owning property, or so on and so forth. But also like all religions - you do get people distorting the religion for personal gain.