i love this guy’s works, because i think he presents a really balanced approach towards religions (all religions in general, not just Islam). i know the issue of women in Islam has been discussed ad nauseum on this Forum (kinda like the issue of Ahmadis) but - this is such a great article i thought i would post it up anyways. He’s running a special series on Islam for the UAE’s Gulf News (i’ve posted his previous articles in another thread in this Forum).
The position of women in Islam, John Esposito, 22 August 2003, Gulf News
The status of women in Muslim countries has long been seen as evidence of “Islam’s” oppression of women in matters ranging from the freedom to dress as they please to legal rights in divorce. The true picture of women in Islam is far more complex.
Are women second-class citizens in Islam?
The Quran raised the status of women. It prohibited female infanticide; abolished women’s status as mere property; established women’s legal capacity; granted women the right to receive their own dowry; and allowed women to retain control over their property and use their maiden name after marriage.
The Holy Quran declares that men and women are equal in the eyes of God; man and woman were created to be equal parts of a pair (51:49). It describes the relationship between men and women as one of “love and mercy” (30:21). Men and women are to be like “members of one another” (3:195), like each other’s garment (2:187).
Men and women are equally responsible for adhering to the Five Pillars of Islam. The Holy Quran (9:71-72) states: “The Believers, men and women, are protectors of one another; they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil; they observe regular prayers, pay zakat and obey God and His Messenger. On them will God pour His mercy: for God is exalted in Power, Wise.”
The status of women, in Muslim societies has been, and often remains, interpreted and thus defined in patriarchal contexts. Prior to the twentieth century, the Holy Quran, hadith - traditional stories of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), and Islamic law were interpreted by men in patriarchal societies.
Reformers today assert that the new social, cultural, and economic realities of the twenty-first century require a movement beyond patriarchy and that Quranic verses favouring men, that reflected the customs and values of male-dominated patriarchal societies, need to be re-interpreted in the light of changing socio-economic conditions.
Thus, for example, Holy Quran 4:34: “Men have responsibility for and priority over women, since God has given some of them advantages over others and because they should spend their wealth [for the support of women],” has often been used or cited to legitimise the subordination of women to men.
However, contemporary scholars have noted that the “priority” referred to in this verse is based upon men’s socio-economic responsibilities for women in a patriarchal society. It does not say women are incapable of managing their own affairs or being leaders.
They further maintain that nowhere in the Holy Quran is it said that all men are superior to, preferred to, or better than all women.
Quranic interpretation is at the centre of many debates. Some note that the Holy Quran itself specifically distinguishes between two types of verses: those that are universal principles and those that were responding to specific social and cultural contexts or questions and were subject to interpretation (3:7).
They believe that those verses that assign greater rights to men (such as 2:223 and 2:228) reflect a patriarchal context in which men were dominant and solely responsible for supporting women. Today, they argue, these verses should be re-formulated to reflect changing social contexts and the interests of public welfare.
However, those Muslims who advocate a literal interpretation of the Holy Quran believe that the gender inequalities it prescribes apply to every time and place as God’s revealed social order. Biology is often used as a justification. Because only women can bear children, they argue, the man must provide for and maintain the family so that the woman can do her job of bearing and raising children.
The twenty-first century has brought numerous significant reforms for women’s rights in both the public and private spheres.
In many Muslim countries, women have the right to public education, including at the college level. In many countries, they also have the right to work outside of the home, vote, and hold public office.
Why does Islam separate men and women?
Many, though not all, Muslim societies practice some gender segregation - the separation of men and women - to various degrees, in public spaces such as mosques, universities, and the marketplace. Thus, in many mosques, men and women have separate areas for prayer or are separated by a screen or curtain.
Seclusion, which differs from the public segregation of the sexes, is the practice of keeping women within the home so that they have no contact with public space. Although gender segregation and seclusion are practiced in some Muslim societies, in many Muslim countries, from Egypt and Tunisia to Malaysia and Indonesia, men and women, especially in cities and towns, increasingly study and work together.
In our modern, globalising world, where two incomes are often necessary to maintain a household, women are increasingly joining the workforce and breaking down traditional notions of gendered space.
Practice of separation
The practice of separation has both religious and cultural origins. The Prophet’s (PBUH) Medina did not practice gender segregation. Although an integral part of the community, because of their special status, the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives were told by the Holy Quran: “O wives of the Prophet (PBUH)! You are not like any of the other women. If you fear God, do not be complacent in speech so that one in whose heart is a sickness may covet you, but speak honourably. Stay with dignity in your homes and do not display your finery as the pagans of old did” (33:32-33).
The Holy Quran later tells the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) to place a barrier between themselves and unrelated males. Muslim men are told: “And when you ask [his wives] for anything you want, ask them from before a screen. That makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs” (33:53).
There have been many debates about how these verses concerned with modesty and segregation should be interpreted with respect to Muslim women in general.
Modern scholars have pointed out that they specifically address only the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) rather than all of womankind. They maintain that jurists relied primarily on Prophetic traditions (hadith) as well as the belief that women are a source of temptation (fitnah) for men, to support women’s segregation.
In recent decades, more ultraconservative/fundamentalist Muslim leaders have maintained that the verses addressing the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) apply to all Muslim women, who are supposed to emulate the behaviour of the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives.
However, opinions today vary about the necessity of separation of the sexes. While many believe that the absolute separation of the sexes is unnecessary, many others believe that modesty requirements can be met through appropriate dress and limiting interaction with unrelated males to conversations such as those concerning professional and educational matters, since men and women attend both work and school in mixed company.
This holds true even in the religious realm, since women have come to play an important role in some Muslim countries in mosques, where they not only attend services and pray with men but also teach Holy Quran classes, run independent auxiliaries, and run for and hold elected offices.
Several Muslim countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Indonesia) have had women prime ministers or presidents.
Talk about sexism! sheesh. i thought Muslim guys were supposed to be the most sexist according to what i’ve read.