ARAB WOMEN :Victims of Islamic Gender Discrimination, Part-I
Submitted by Dr Radhasyam Br... on Wed, 02/11/2009 - 06:52
By Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari
On April 4, 2006, Kuwaiti women made a history by voting and contesting in a local by-election for the first time, after the parliament granted them suffrage the previous year. “Today is the biggest feast we have been waiting for more than 40 years”, said Ms Khaledah al-Khadher, one of the two female contestants, while opening her mind to the journalists at a polling station in suburb of the town Salwa. “This is the first time Kuwaiti women can show the men that we are capable, it is important that we do our best and leave the outcome to Allah”, she added. In the said by-election, nearly 28,000 voters, including 16,000 women, have cast their ballots to elect one MP from 8 contesting candidates, including two women. It may be recalled that in the first week of December, 1999, jubilant orthodox mullahs and their supporters came out in the streets of the Kuwait City to celebrate the defeat of a bill in the Kuwaiti parliament that sought for women’s right to vote and contest in parliamentary election. The incident was enough to understand the unwillingness of Arab’s male chauvinism to allow full citizenship to their woman folk. It may be mentioned here that, among the conservative Gulf countries, only Kuwait has an elected legislature while dictatorship in some form or other exists in the rest. While dissolving the parliament in May 1998, Kuwait’s amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued a decree granting women the same political rights as enjoyed by men. But the newly elected, parliament rejected the decree in the last week of November, 1999, by a narrow margin of 32-30 votes. It took another five years for the bill to be tabled again in 2004 and fortunately it could gather more supporters this time as sundry conservative members of the parliament crossed floor, joined the liberal camp and helped Kuwaiti women win their voting right. It should be mentioned here that Kuwait is not yet a model of democracy either. The head of the state is still hereditary who appoints a 15 member cabinet and nearly half of these ministers are belong to the ruling Al Sabah family. The Parliament has recently been expanded from 50 elected MPs to 65, yet the MPs don’t have the right to embarrass the cabinet ministers in the Parliament with tricky questions. But they have the right to use the Kuwaiti press, freest in the Arab world, to air their grievances. Nearly a century ago, the arch-conservative Arab world began to think about women’s rights when in 1899, Qasim Amin, a celebrated Egyptian author, published a seminal work blaming oppression to women as the root cause of backwardness of the Muslim community throughout the world. It should me mentioned here that in 2001, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) appointed an inquiry committee consisting of Arab intellectuals and scholars to investigate the cause of dearth of creativity and backwardness in the Arab world. The committee took one year to publish its report, called the “Arab Human Development Report 2002” (AHDR 2002) in the first week of July, 2002. The authors of the said report also pointed out that the oppression of women is one of the major causes of backwardness of the Muslim community. “It (the Arab world) does not treat its womenfolk as full citizens and this suppression of women is another vital reason that makes the Arab world backward”, says the report. “How can a community prosper if it stifles half of its production potential”, the report asked. On 13th-15th June, 2004, religious leaders of Saudi Arabia assembled in the city of Medina to discuss how the lives of the women could be improved. Though the Saudi media highlighted the meeting, called “National Dialogue”, as a free exchange of views between men and women, the presence of women was practically invisible. However, the said meeting prepared a list of 19 recommendations and forwarded the same to the Crown Prince Abdullah on 15th June, which is yet to be enacted. In fact, who ever tries to go through the Islamic scriptures, finds that merciful Allah is not so merciful to women and is extremely reluctant to give them freedom of any kind. Who will then plead for their freedom against the will of Allah? It is Allah, Who in His revealed book has permitted every male believer to have four wives, to beat his wives if it seems that they are unfaithful and finally to kick them out of his house by easy oral divorce (or Triple Talaq), without any alimony. Allah’s discriminatory and unmerciful treatment to women becomes more clearly manifested when He denies the entry of women into mosques in this world and to His paradise in the next. As a matter of fact, in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive a car, sail a boat or fly a plane. They cannot go out-door with hair, wrists and ankles exposed, or to travel without permission from a male guardian. From primary schools to the universities and in banks, restaurants and in other public places, women are kept strictly apart. A woman who dares to anger her husband, risks divorce or being hanged. These suppressed women therefore want more freedom, more education, more jobs and more voluntary organizations dealing with their issues. Above all, they want human treatment from the society and not just the rights. The 19 recommendations that went to the Crown Prince, if enacted, would uplift the condition of Saudi women to a great extent. Many apprehend that the male chauvinism, which is at its worst today in Saudi Arabia, would strongly resist the implementation of the said recommendations. But the situation is improving. Now among the students of Saudi universities, 55 per cent are girls. Female life expectancy, which was 52 years a decade ago, now has increased to more than 70. The number of children borne by the average Arab women has fallen by half in past 20 years. Particularly, in Oman, fertility rate has dropped from ten births per woman to fewer than four. The age at which girls marry has also risen dramatically. A generation ago, 75 per cent of Arab girls were married before attaining 20, but today, many delay their marriages till 30. But, on the contrary, the percentage of Arab women who wear some form of hijab, or veil, is on the rise and the number vary widely, from 10-20 per cent in Lebanon and Tunisia, to about 60 per cent in Syria and Jordan, to nearly 80 per cent in Kuwait and Iraq and 100 per cent in Egypt. It should be mentioned here that Koran says that women must dress modestly and nowhere it is written that they should be covered from top to toe in black. A couple of years ago, a comment by the renowned Indian film actress Sabana Azmi, in this regard, made the Fanatic clerics crazy. Ms Azmi, while receiving the coveted International Gandhi Peace Prize on October 10, 2006, in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, said, “The Koran speaks about women wearing clothes to cover her modesty and she does not need to cover her face”. The comment infuriated the orthodox Indian clerics who declared her a non-Muslim. “Who authorized Azmi to interpret Koran? Her profession is to sing and dance. She has no right to mislead Muslim women”, fumed Syed Ahmed Bukheri, the Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid. But the author of this article is convinced that, Ms Azmi’s observation was correct. Recently the renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Zakir Naik, president of the Mumbai based Islamic Research Foundation, in an article (Islamic Voice, Bangalore based weekly, December, 2006 edition) has supported Ms Azmi’s view. With the help of so many quotations from various Islamic scriptures he could have shown that, it is not compulsory for a Muslim woman, while going outdoor, to cover her face. In a similar manner, there was nothing like female circumcision during the time of the Prophet, who introduced the practice among the male followers only after migrating to Medina. Previously the practice was confined only among the Jews and Muhammad introduced it among his followers due to his conviction that it makes a man more brave and valorous. So there was no question of circumcising women at the time of the Prophet. But later on it was introduced, perhaps by some enthusiastic clerics. However it is a great relief that, even today, the practice is confined only among the Muslims of Egypt and Sudan and in a few other Muslim countries of Africa.
Arab women are their own
Arab women are their own enemies, even after spending years all together in the West they still hold on to their Nikabs as though their entire life was dependant on that stupid piece of cloth. Couple that up with the latest propoganda which says that Muslim women have the right to choose, well yes they do. They also have the right to leave the countries where they live because the people who are the natives of those places are getting fed up with their 7th century practices.
I really dont understand as to why dont the Muslims excercise their right to leave the West and start living in a Muslim country were Sharia is the law, for starters. I mean people will definately take them more seriously then. Or do the infidels have to make all the sacrifices for the Muslim Ummah.
Hey guys women have the
Hey guys
women have the absolute right to cover themselves in blackest of the black burkha.
2.Women have the absolute right to have as many children from her husband as possible.
3.Women have the right to get beaten black and blue by the husband.
4.Women have the right to share their husbands with 3 other wives.
5.Women have the right to get raped by the men andnot complain about it.
6.women have the right to stay silent.
7.Women have the right to not speak with strange men.
8.women have the right , not to drive a car etc.
9.Women have the right to not go near the mosque when the men are praying.
10.Women have the right to get their genitalia mutilated.
11. Women have the right to remain uneducated.
12.Women have the right to ask the husband for divorce and demand the dower be taken back.
13.Women have the right to remain silent all the time.
14.Women have the right to bringforth as many moslem piglets as possible to infest the whole world.
15.The moslim women have the right to rerpoduce as many moscums as allowed by allah.
16,They have the right to have sex any time any where as demanded by their husbands.
Wow what a religion.This piss hole really gives these vaginas a whole lot of rights and still these awras ( vaginas) complain against allah the pimp?
So the brave new Arab woman
So the brave new Arab woman wants to change her situation ? That would mean going against islam itself. That would mean going against the koran and the hadith. These texts promote violence against non muslims and ALL women.
The koran cannot also be selectively modified. That would mean a convenient "manufacturing" of a scripture, which was what mad mo (piss be upon him) did all the time.
Only one solution - encourage secular humanism. Flush the koran and hadiths down the toilet.
Arabs, without Islam, would
Arabs, without Islam, would have been one of the most successful ethnic group in the world. Probably at per with the jews. In fact, arabs and jews are genetically not far. Allegedly, both groups descended from one man with abnormally high IQ, the patriarch Ibrahim. While one group, the jews, continued to be defined by the products of high IQ, unfortunately the other group came to be defined by islam which produces and advocates lies, hypocricy, oppression and ignorance. Now when one talk of arabs, no longer talk of Ibrahim, the great man of all time rather think of mohammedites, the greatest criminals of all time.
Sad to see that a lot of
Sad to see that a lot of Hindus in India are becoming just like Islam with its own version of the Taliban called Sri Ram Sena - Army of Ram. These SRS fanatics are also going around attacking women for all sorts of silly moral reasons just like their spiritual bretheren the Taliban, the Muttawa in Saudi Arabia and a host of other religious nutcases in other Muslim countries.
All decent Hindus in India should put a stop to these attacks and crush these nutcases, if they don't want to end up like backward Islam. These Hindu nutcases see that Muslim fanatics are being left unchallenged by the Indian authorities and are learning to be just like these radical Muslims.
Jai Hind!
Proud Christian I diagree
Proud Christian
I diagree with you on the issue that Arabs would have been the most prosperous of people if it would not have been for Islam. Comparing Arabs and Jews is like comparing apples with oranges. The jews for one have always been very progressive people, as far monetary afairs are concerned. Even in Muhammad's time the Jews were controlling most of the finaces in Arabia. This is one of the reasons for Muhammad's ire against the Jews.
While I dont say that Arabs are lazy bums, but every race of people has some particular characteristics of its own. Some are good and others are bad. Being enterprising was never a very strong character of the Arabs.
While there were traders amongst the Arabs, they were wuite limited in numbers the arabs as a people were never know for their enetrprising skills.
Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari is
Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari is obviously an ignorant and yet a malicious Hindu fanatic.
The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most peoples’ thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these countries do not rule by any kind of Shari'ah (Islamic law) and introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue of gender equity.
Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles and equity between the two is laid down in the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband's. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way which is modest and dignified. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."
Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed (4:19). A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions.
Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is not common, although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will: her parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable.
#7 . ApedoMIMe Says:--
#7 . ApedoMIMe Says:--
""Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed (4:19). A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions.""
Tell the above Joke to Taliban, to any Wahabi Muslim Pig, to any converted MuslimPig of Indian sub-continent/south Asia and I am sure they will have a belly laugh .
Violence according to normal human beings is Peace according to Islam : That's the reason why the Muslim Pigs call Islam " Religion of peace(read Piss) "
Well Ibrahim the problem is
Well Ibrahim the problem is that the "arab" term came to be complicated by islam. It just depend which arabs are you refering to. For one, Eygptians, Syrrians and Irakis prior to islam had made some major achievements in medical sciences and mathematics. In fact there is no way you can explain ancient middle east civilization without naming these arab countries. Where are they now? On the other hand as you have pointed out, mohamedites were rather too primitive people and that's why it was too easy for mohamad to sway their gullible brains.
Actually by Arab I am
Actually by Arab I am specifically referring to the race called Arab. The Bedouins. Actually today the term is used loosely. Anybody who speaks Arabic is called an Arab, when that is not true.
Most of the ancient civilizations that you refer to, were not Arabic linguistically or racially.
Dr. Bhramachari ji, my
Dr. Bhramachari ji, my respect for you grows profoundly with every article that you write. You expose the Islamic society which is nothing more than a pile of dead corpses so magnificently. Kudos to Hindus like you who are just in their approach towards the evil Islamic practices and beliefs.
Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari good
Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari good article.
PBUH = Please Be Un Human
People who say ISLAM is religion of peace either cant read QURAN or have some torn pages of it.
Things are changing Woman
Things are changing
Woman deposes against 'bomber' husband
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Wife-deposes-against-bomber/ar...
I am going a little off track
I am going a little off track from these discussions but I feel the need to do so.
I have now realised one thing. There will always be evil in some form or the other just as good. Perpetual peace and calmness lies within. We, the human race on Earth, should focus on the Inner and every moment not focussed on the Inner would be a moment wasted. The focus on the Inner Guidance should be there even in our actions. Like I am seeking Inner Guidance as I type these words. Then we also need to retire to our Inner Self at regular intervals towards a process of Self Discovery.
Let us bring Inner Peace within our Self and the world in a positive and spiritual way. No doubt, the world is not a peaceful place and within every soul there is some form of tension and stress. Let us all meditate more and more to bring about transformation within us at every moment and nurture the natural qualities within.
Irrespective of who we are, Muslims or non-Muslims or otherwise, each one of us need to meditate on our Inner Self. The more people turn towards the Inner, the faster we will all progress in this upward spiral of evolution. That is the goal - to reach the Highest. Peace and therefore, all round prosperity, will then descend by itself.
Another fine work of research
Another fine work of research by Dr. Brahm Ji. Thank you
Halal Pork, You are funny brother. Take care
Another shameful act by a
Another shameful act by a muslim
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Minor_sexually_abused_b...
"This is the first time
"This is the first time Kuwaiti women can show the men that we are capable, it is important that we do our best and leave the outcome to ALLAH”, she added.
Nope. When Muslims start to realize that politics and religion are 2 separate things, then I'd consider it a start. But until then, she's still brain-dead.
"Divorce is not common" Have
"Divorce is not common"
Have you taken your medication yet? If a jihadi cleric like Omar Bakri (the supposed Izlamic scholar of Izlam) has divorced his wife, what do you think the chances of his followers not doing the same will be?
"although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will: her parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable."
You ever heard of honour killings? Guess not.
Allah hasnt done a thing
Allah hasnt done a thing since Muhammad did. Afterall, Allah is actualy Muhammad. Why would a God be interested in a woman's vagina and sex with a baby. Pure insanity by 1.5 billion.
Excellent article.
Excellent article.
hi guys please check out this
hi guys please check out this link----
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Lucknow-Lawyers-attack-HuJI-ch...
hi,I will tell u all a true
hi,I will tell u all a true story of saudi arabia where i was working in a hospital as a doctor.we had a supposedly pretty saudi nurse who was out spoken.One day when i went for the evening rounds the nurses station was closed.i was angry & i knocked the door & demanded an explanation for the closed door.This saudi nurse had covered her nursing uniform with her burkha & she explained that she is troubled by the male saudi social workers & hence she keeps the door closed during evening shift.She lets the Indian sisters answer the phone or they will trouble her on the phone.I told her that she should complain to the hospital director.She replied that even the hospital director wants to bed her.I felt sick.give me a break she is just a kid of 20 years.
Then this girl got married.She gave a party with mendee(roasted goat).We advised her to keep her mouth shut from now on.Within a few months she got pregnant,had a pretty baby girl & her husband divorced her.All this in less than 2 years.Last i heard she was being used by all & sundry--this is hear say,i have not seen it.Rest of the story is true.
I was very upset about this for a month.My wife advised me that its their culture,u cann't change it.Believe me i felt helpless.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??? I CAN SEE THE WRONG,BUT MUSLIMS DO NOT SEE IT.WHY???????????HAVE MUSLIMS LOST THEIR INHERENT HUMAN SENSITIVITY???
THE SAME SCENARIO CAN OCCUR IN ANY RELIGION INCLUDING HINDUISIUM.BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS "WE DON'T CLAIM WE ARE PURE & PERFECT."
[...] Rick Turoczy wrote an
[...] Rick Turoczy wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptAnnouncement. Radio Interview. Ali Sina discusses Islam and his $50000 challenge to Muslims. 2/11/2009 1:00 PM Central Time Zone Listen. Islam in Video. Sudan: How to make Islam,the fastest growing religion? (click here to enlarge and … [...]
Krishna Thank you for
Krishna
Thank you for sharing your testimony with us. All of my frineds who have been the gulf have related similar incidents to me relating to their stay in the gulf nations.
My friend who is a qualified Engineer, was asked by his Saudi boss to fetch him groceries and at other times to work as his chaffuer and stuff. He also told me that passports of foreign nationals are taken away on arrival by the employers.
This fellow had a really hard time in gulf nation he was living in, and made a vow never to go back. Not even for Haj or Omrah.
[...] ARAB WOMEN :Victims of
[...] ARAB WOMEN :Victims of Islamic Gender Discrimination, Part-I … [...]
#15. Ibn Kammuna
#15. Ibn Kammuna Says:
"--Halal Pork, You are funny brother. Take care "
I don't know , whether that is a compliment or a negative reaction? Either way I must say you have some sense of Humor being an ex-Muslim. Take care brother.
Yes I agree with AMIM that
Yes I agree with AMIM that Islam is the freest religion and that the author is biased
1)A woman is so free that she can be stoned and beaten if she goes out alone
2) She cannot drive
3)She cannot pray with men in a mosque
4)Her husband can have three other wives
5) She can be divorced on the phone or by SMS (ISLAM has no problem with these western inventions)
6)She will be jailed and stoned to death if she is raped
AMIM, Although some Muslim
AMIM,
Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam.
Two of these muslim countries you are talking about, is Saudi-Arabia and Iran. Are you trying to say that these counties who oppress women, are doing this in contradiction with the sharia? And if so, what are your sources in the scriptures (quran, hadith, tafsirs, sunnah)?
Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles and equity between the two is laid down in the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Yes, islam gives men far better roles than women. Muhammad, the islam prophet is a great example for muslims. Muslims who wants to live by the example of their prophet, want to be like him, a terrorist, a robber, murderer, put wives and children into slavery, after murdering their fathers and brothers and having sex with infantiles (after a socalled "marriage"). Peace be upon him? No, war and terror is upon him! And war and terror is upon who follows the example of the islam prophet.
The sura 4:19 is quite weak and does not protect women from their beating husbands, since there are no sanctions in this sura for the beating husbands.
By the way, was surah 4:19 "revealed" before or after Muhammad forced the captived wives of murdered husbands to have sex with him?
Muhammad had forced sex with these new-made widows who were in deep grief and agony about the loss of their loved ones after a very brief "wedding" ceremony, in which these victims, of course, do not speak one word.
Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country.
No, in fact it does not realy vary. All have in common that the bride has to keep her mouth shut. Silence means consent. Muhammed used that expression to justify rape and the abuse. His victims were too afraid to protest, knowing his ruthlessness for killing everybody who dared to protest against him. Keeping silent only means, keep living a bit longer, thus do not means consent.
You better catch up your knowledge of islam by reading the hadiths, tafsirs and shirat. Hopefully you will lose your blindness and see it clearly then.
Another nice book to shine your light on: Understanding Muhammad by Ali Sina.
[...] ARAB WOMEN :Victims of
[...] ARAB WOMEN :Victims of Islamic Gender Discrimination, Part-I Women in Islam Add comments [...]
Hi all! I am from Italy and
Hi all! I am from Italy and soon here there was a very cruel killing of the arabic girl by her father just because a girl was in love with the italian guy . There are many such cases here of killings of the children by their arabic parents. So, my question to all arabics is: "Do you have a heart?" and " When will be a little morality in your comunity?" I think that the respectful god Allah doesn't accept violence and I think that you understand Koran in the way of your own comfort. It's a sin , a huge sin . You know your mother is also a woman .