Women In The Islamic Tradition

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Women in the Islamic Tradition

Introduction

The Muslim society comprises of a highly patriarchal tradition where men dominate most

of the societal issues such as decision making. For this reason, women have been viewed most as

being subjugated group left to follow orders given by men, and they are left out participatory

roles in the society. However, this is only a perception of people outside the Muslim world, and

therefore it is open to discussion. Furthermore, the attitudes are placed on the role of Islamic

traditions and norms in the making of the assumptions. The perception has contributed

significantly to the relations between some of the Arabic nations perceived to be Muslim

majority and the western countries which are pushing for the enforcement of anti-gender

discrimination policies. At this juncture, this paper shall seek to investigate whether the

perceptions can be defended and if they can be problematized after which conclusions shall be

made based on the findings.

Predicaments of Muslim Women

The advent of terrorism and the end of the 20

century up to date has significantly

contributed to Muslim women’s plights due to hate crime targeted at them. After the terrorist

bombing of New York, Islamophobia spread across the western nations where all Muslims were

perceived as a terrorist and perceived as an enemy of peace. It is imperative to note that most of

the perpetrators of the terror acts are men and they also form a majority of the victims. However,

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women are more vulnerable precisely due to their mode of dressing which makes them

conspicuous when they are in a crowd (Perry, 74). Furthermore, since the Islamic traditions do

not allow men and women who do not have either marital or blood relationships to be seen

spending time together, therefore, women are left to spend time together with other women. The

isolation makes them particularly vulnerable to Islamophobia attacks, especially when using

public transport. For this reason, Muslim women’s predicaments are not only limited to Muslim

societies but also non-Muslim societies.

According to homeland season four, Muslim women's mode of dressing has been

perceived as a deterrence to achieving their power in the Muslim society indicating that Muslim

women are non-resistive to the ‘oppressive regime.' The veil can be interpreted to mean a

religion which forbids women from exposing their body parts such as hair and therefore, Islamic

religious tradition is the real stumbling block to Muslim women achieving their ‘power.' When

Carrie looks back and opens her scarf she exposes her face and blonde hair, it is a sign of

resisting the oppression of women while exposing her hair is a sign of power. Carrie ordered the

bombing on the terrorist can be seen as an indication of women affirming their power. Her

decision can be interpreted to mean that women in the Muslim society are oppressed, and she is

showing a sense of urgency to help Muslim women attain their ‘deserved’ position in the society

(Karim, 4). Nonetheless basing on the fact that this is a dramatized video production, it is open to

many interpretations. For instance, propaganda by the west for the Muslim east to be viewed as

less civilized and therefore needing western help to overcome the perceived problem.

Islam and Christianity share some similarities such as punishments for moral crimes such

as adultery. In both the Bible and the Qur'an, the penalty for adultery amongst women is stoning

to death. However, the practice has been abandoned by the western world while the Muslim East

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still practice it (Mohd Noor, 97). Stoning to death of women who commit adultery in the Islamic

tradition is mostly perceived as a form of oppression against Muslim women. Then, this raises

the question as to whether the Christian majority west regarded this as a form of abuse yet it is

written in the religious books. From a critical point of view, there exist clear distinctions between

the how the Christian West and the Muslim east operate. The west is mainly run by a constitution

and policies that the forms of punishment that people should receive based on their crimes. The

penalties are more liberal in that women and men are perceived to be equal under the constitution

and therefore receive the same punishment for the same offense. However, in the Muslim east,

the laws are derived from the Islamic religious teachings which outline the kind of discipline

people should receive based on gender. Therefore, following religious lines, the east and the west

are more or less the same regarding treatment of women.

According to hadiths and teachings of Prophet sallal-lahu ‘alay-hi wa sallam, men and

women occupy the same position before Allah. That is why both the genders pray together

during the Hajj celebrations. Furthermore, according to the hadith, separation of women and men

in local mosques is aimed at preventing either of them from being distracted from the primary

goal of going to the mosque. However, the separation of entrance and sitting arrangement of

women and men is primarily perceived as a form of discrimination against women. According to

hadiths when a women asked the Prophet why they were being denied to participate in societal

roles such as engaging in war or owning property, the Prophet responded by stating that the roles

they play as wives are equal to those performed by men before God (Nadwi, 60). From this

assertion, it is evident that what non-Muslim women perceive as oppression against women in

the Islamic traditions, it may not necessarily be viewed the same way be Muslim women.

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Islam approval for polygamy dating back from the times of Prophet Muhammad is

regarded mainly as immoral and an act of oppression against women. Prophet Muhammad has

been particularly criticized for promoting immorality due to his polygamous marriages where

some consider him a false Prophet. However, according to the Arabic culture, polygyny was

permitted especially among leaders with a financial muscle to take care of them, but it was

limited to four wives. Similarly, polygyny was allowed in the biblical and post-biblical Judaism.

According to the Islamic tradition, marriages play a critical role in cementing alliances between

different clans and tribes. Furthermore, family values such as care, sex in marriage are

emphasized in the Qur’an which Prophet Muhammad was fulfilling through his many marriages

(Esposito, 19). In this juncture, the punitive repercussions for women engaging in adultery and at

the same time allowing men to marry more than one wife are regarded in the west as an act of

oppression against women by denying them a voice in marital issues.

Racial discrimination is another problem facing women specifically those with non-

native Muslim descent. The problem mainly faces immigrants in the United States from in a

mixed society from both Muslims and second generation. Immigrants from Middle East, Africa

and South America are regarded as black which means that the American culture is divided

between the ‘white' and ‘black.' Muslim women are particularly vulnerable to racial abuses due

to the mode of dressing which makes them easily identifiable. The immigrants’ inability to

understand the structural racism that occurs in the American society makes them suffer more

consequences associated with racism both physically and psychologically. Such as phenomenon

explains why some Muslim women are yearning to go back to their mother countries were to

escape from the discrimination (Karim 32). For this reason, it is somehow ironical to find that the

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western society continually laments the Muslim East oppression of women yet they are

participating in this abuse in one way or another.

Most studies have found that religion plays a critical role in the promotion of female

genital mutilation in Egypt thus cementing peoples’ perception about Islamic traditions on the

oppression of women. In the western world, female genital mutilation is largely viewed as a way

of denying women the opportunity to enjoy some societal aspects such as sex in marriage and an

endangerment of their reproductive future. However, the practice has been embedded in the

Egyptian culture long before the invasion by Muslims. Furthermore, Islamic traditions

emphasize more on morality especially in a marriage that is why there are lethal punishments for

infidelity crimes. In such a case, female genital mutilation is regarded as a preventive measure to

immorality in the society. It is imperative to note that the dangers associated with the practice

have forced the Egyptian government to outlaw the practice in public and private hospitals.

There exist other cultural reasons for practice off female genital mutilation in Egypt such as

keeping of tradition and maintain girls’ chastity which explains why even non-Muslim Egyptians

still practice it (Salah, Abd-Ellah, and Yousef, 48).

Women are increasingly becoming economically empowered in Muslim dominated

countries such as the United Arab Emirates. For instance, the establishment of Johara women’s

bank provides more insight into the rising women's economic power. The creation of the bank is

firmly pegged on Sharia law differentiates Islamic guided banks to the mainstream banks. Banks

using Sharia law are not allowed to charge interest on loans they give out, and their transactions

should not involve any good or animal banned in the Qur'an such as drugs and pigs respectively

(Ahmed, 543). According to Islamic teachings, upholding Muslim identity and moral orientation

calls for observation of appropriate gender relations. The separation of men and women's

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workspaces is an ethical decision meant to uphold Islamic traditions. Nonetheless, it is worthy to

note that Johara bank presents economic access by many women as it is there to serve wealthy

women. Therefore, in a society where a majority of women are not economically empowerment,

the bank serves a little purpose in promoting women’s empowerment even though it is a positive

step.

Muslim women do not require saving; this assertion is based on the fact that the dressing

code for Muslim women is mostly viewed as a form of oppression by the west. After the defeat

of the Taliban in 2001, some Afghan women celebrated liberation by the United States forces.

Feminists argue that requiring women to wear the veil was a form of oppression and therefore,

they needed to be liberated. However, even after the ‘liberation,' Afghan women continued to

wear the blue burqa. In such a situation, it raises the question as to whether the Afghan women

needed to be saved. It should be noted that wearing of the blue Burqa is a traditional type of

clothing found in Southwest Asia meant to symbolize women’s respectability and a symbol for

separation of the men’s and women’s domains (Abu-Lughod, 35). Therefore associating the form

of clothing with oppression remains a debatable issue since the women seem not to be ready to

embrace the western form of clothing. If Muslim women require liberation, then it is not the

form of clothing as the women seem to be against being liberated from their culture.

Furthermore, in some Muslim societies such as in the United States, some Muslim women have

taken up the fight for equality. For instance, the case of a young Muslim girl who went and sat at

the men’s prayer sector where she even refused to leave when asked to do so (Haddad, Smith and

Moore, 61).

Problems caused by Negative Perceptions against Muslim Women

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Institutions of higher learning provide a new ground where discrimination in all sphere

occurs against Muslim female students. Religious prejudice and cultural differences contribute

an undesirable college experience, especially for immigrant female Muslim students. The

negative college experience is attributed to lack of respect from peers and even professors which

negatively impact on their academic integration. It is imperative to note that college faculty has

harmful misconceptions about veiled women as they are perceived of being oppressed and docile

not forgetting poor English grasp of spoken English. The situation is further worsened by those

who have no fluency in English as they are mocked for their lack of civilization (Cole and

Ahmadi 49). Persistence in dangerous misconception can negatively affect the academic

performance of Muslim women thus disadvantaging them when it comes to career opportunities.

Furthermore, lack of flexibility in the college curriculum and poor relations between Muslim

students and the faculty and the students create anxiety which at a time may end in depression.

Women are particularly more affected by anxiety than Muslim men.

The dressing of Muslim women in veils is meant to control immorality by preventing

sensuous desires and shameful feelings. Muslim parents have a perception that exposing body

dressing like western women would expose their daughters to immorality and therefore, enforce

strict rules to control them. Such provisions include monitoring their movements, clothing and

the kind of friends they spend time with. In turn, this negatively impacts on their daughters’

social life further worsening negative perceptions targeting them from non-Muslim members of

the community. It should be noted that even scantily dressed women with the right upbringing

may be able to uphold moral standards. In important factor being ignored in such a situation is

that morality is dependent on upbringing and not the type of clothing (Qsim Amn, 34).

Children who are brought up with the right parental values often lead a more moral life than

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those with unconcerned parents. Even though tradition is an essential aspect of culture, the

controls put in place should not affect the social life of women.

The prohibition of Muslim women’s ownership of property and participating in other

activities to boost their income has significantly contributed to Muslim women’s overreliance on

men for support (Jennings, 55). According to the Islamic traditions, women have been relegated

to taking care of their family need while the role of is to provide food and protection for their

families. For this reason, most of them are locked out from accessing services such as banking as

it has remained a preserve of men and wealthy women.

Conclusion

It is evident that women are the subjugated members of Islam but not oppressed. The

oppression perception is majorly from the west and majorly focuses on the mode of dressing.

However, based on the fact that the veil has for long been the traditional model of dressing for

women in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, then, the mode of dressing cannot be considered

as a mode of oppression. The negative perception about Muslim women negatively impacts on

them where for instance, Muslim college women do not get the opportunity to have a good

college experience due to negative attitude from the college faculty and the students in general.

Furthermore, they are the largest group of people affected by Islamophobia attacks. All in all, the

mode of dressing for Muslim women is the primary source of debate concerning their

oppression.

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Work Cited

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Ahmed, Karen Hunt. "Finding A Jewel: Identity And Gendered Space In Islamic Finance."

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Cole, Darnell, and Shafiqa Ahmadi. "Perspectives And Experiences Of Muslim Women Who

Veil On College Campuses." Journal of College Student Development 44.1 (2003): 47-

66.

Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Print.

Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck, Jane I Smith, and Kathleen M Moore. Muslim Women In America.

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Court Of Anatolian Kayseri." Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient

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Nadw, Muḥammad Akram. Al-Muḥaddithāt: the women scholars in Islam. Interface

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Noor, Azman Mohd. "Stoning For Adultery In Christianity And Islam And Its Implementation In

Contemporary Muslim Societies." INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE 18.1 (2010): 97-113.

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Qsim Amn. The Liberation Of Women: And, The New Woman: Two Documents In The History

Of Egyptian Feminism. Cairo: The American University in Cairo, 2000. Print.

Rasheed, Salah M., Ahmed H. Abd-Ellah, and Fouad M. Yousef. "Female Genital Mutilation In

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