female equality?

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how come i’ve never heard of women as first female pope ( or any authority figure) in christianity or female pundits ( the one who does all the main riturals for wedding and in temples)?
how come not a single woman has been ever elected as president or prime ministers in any western country so far?
why is it that western feminism seems to be only limited to women of islam and not other women of the world?

p.s: i dont mean to disrespect any religion, these are just random questions i had in my mind.

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Re: female equality?

It is a total excuse used to villify Islam, of course. Just like muslims villify western culture by saying western women are loose, or too free, or whores (as some people here like to refer to them).

It goes both ways.

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Re: female equality?

Margret Thatcher. Argentina had one. 2 or 3 other latin american countries have had them.

As for religious institutions because it is custom for men to be in the leadership positions. I believe it is dictated by religion.

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Re: female equality?

Margaret Thatcher, British PM

Kim Campbell, Canadian PM

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Re: female equality?

weve never had a female pope because i dont think women can be a cardinal..
but i think if hilary ran in 08 she could win

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Re: female equality?

hmm.. okay thanks. what about religions now?

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Re: female equality?

There has been no female pope. There can not be any female cardinal either. Females are only nuns. It is very much the same with Islam. What is prescribed for religious figures in Islam is the same for RC.

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Re: female equality?

^ sahi, so y is it hard for others to accept that there can not be any female imamat in islam?

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Re: female equality?

Woman's right in western countries are fairly new, only since the 1920's can we vote and since the 1980's do we actually have equal rights.

Basically it comes down to this, you can implement a law but people will still have the same mindset. It is still an "old boy's network" out there. While overt sexism is against the law, you can't charge someone with only hiring certain people unless they do it outside of federal guidelines and even there you have some leeway. The difference is we legally have an option against sexual descrimination.

It is like that thread on Polygamy. If you chose to be a polygamist in this country that is fine. Certain religions are excepted from the law. But if you are a polygamist who didn't get consent from your spouse, then there is an option under law to protect that spouse.

There are christian ministers who are female, but no Catholic priests are female. It depends on what sect of christianity you are talking about. However there are female leaders for other females, but leading a flock, it is rare, but they are there. I went to a methodist summer camp hosted by the minister of the church (a very large one in a major city) who was a woman.

As a Catholic, I know it states clearly in the Bible that a man leads the flock.

By the same token our Secretary of State is a woman, many judges, governors, councilpeople, senators, etc. are women. There are many women in positions of power that weren't there 20 yrs ago. You can't say that about many eastern countries.

Not sure what the point of this thread is really. I agree with PCG, the media throws everything out of proportion, a lot of it is a sympathy builder to hang our guilt on.

BTW - it's funny you say that about western feminism. Just about a week ago, I was accused of not focusing enough on the brown people of the world only on the elitist something or other, it slips my mind. Most feminists I know are focused mainly on what needs to change here, quite frankly, it is a waste of my time to worry about eastern countries. I sympathize, but I am not on a soapbox. I leave that to the media that tends to speak for everyone lately.......

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Re: female equality?

Suroor makes a good point that these days all faults are with Islam and criticisms directed at Muslims. It's not just Americans who who do this, many a self-loathing "Islamists" are playing the same game as well.

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Re: female equality?

Actually it is the opposite. The Media uses this to reinforce the idea that women are weak and the like and not enough attention is given to them. Rather they get too much attention and there is reverse discrimination with regard to men.

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Re: female equality?

I dont know - being a woman, I can tell you its not easy to have a major leadership position and juggle family duties at the same time. My boss who happens to be really big in her field is a single-mom with two kids (the younger has a serious serious case of diabetes and has had it since she was 14 months old) has had it really tough.

She's held off from relationships for a while so that she can earn money to support her children. Although she is in one of the tightest positions of all time and is a total mentor to look up to, she can't even afford to put up curtains in her new home because she spent all her money on fixing up her new home which was in shambles when she bought it, again because she couldn't afford anything better.

I dont think many women would be able to pull off a life like that, especially with like zilch male support. Her husband left her early in the marriage and when her career was just starting.

Women like that exist everywhere.

Take Hillary Clinton - her husband totally cheated on her, as most politicians do on their wives. Where is she going to go? If I were her, I wouldn't want to be depending on my husband's money either. And of all the women I've seen in politics - she is one of the most just and sensible politicians out there even when compared against men.

And dont bring Islam into this. Queen sheba is mentioned in the Quran. The Rasul married a businesswoman and never forced her to give up her career. And Aisha not only led an army, but she was one of the biggest scholars of her time.

Good leaders dont necessarily need offices with leather chairs. I see women leaders around me everywhere - in fact, if anything, I see the girls getting a lot more projects launched and work done than I see in guys, in both the high school level and now the college level.

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Re: female equality?

I agree with that about male bashing, CM. That is a bad trend lately.

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Re: female equality?

yeah CM, because there are so many women in the media right now - that's why. Plus, who has the TV on during the daytime? Women. So a lot of media is targeted towards women.

Who is going to get more agitated when watching some lady in a burqa get flogged by the Taliban? A man or a woman who's watching the scenes over and over again while she sits at home taking care of kids and then brainwashes her husband into how horrible these muslims are? (not that the Taliban are muslims in my eyes, but the average american family doesn't know the difference really).

Wedding in California - need help!!
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Re: female equality?

That’s one DUMB generalization!!!

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Re: female equality?

Am I the only one who would like to see an African Pope?

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Re: female equality?

LI - I think it is not - females tend to take that to heart much more than men do...which why most feminists are females and not males.

Tu ...
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Re: female equality?

well actually i wasnt refering to what woman has achieved, my question was mainly from religious point of view. if its okay in christianity for women to be not popes n stuff, and ppl seem to accept that pretty easily, why is it so hard for them to accept that women can't lead in islam as well?
almost seems like double standard to me.

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Re: female equality?

Errr - no PCG, more feminists are females because they are fighting for something that men take for granted, therefore don't see the need.

But I agree, it is not a dumb generalization and it is targeted that way.

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Re: female equality?

suroor - But christans are not the people who are questioning that. Most of the articles and the controversy is coming from the Muslim quarter, not from the christians. I think the media is playing it up now, but that is an internal argument among Muslims.