Women and Islam the Image

Women and Islam

The image most Westerners have of Muslim women is colored by their most apparent cultural artifact: the veil. The veil is far more than an article of clothing or even a cultural emblem: the veil also symbolizes the rift between Muslim and non-Muslim Western culture. Shrouded by mystery and suspicion, the women of Islam rarely appear as they are beneath the veil. Similarly, Muslim culture is itself enshrouded by myth and stereotyping. Women in Islamic culture are not mistreated and subjugated to the extent that they are portrayed in the media. In fact, many Muslim women are career-driven high achievers who reach prominent positions within their respective societies. Many Muslim nations have had female political leaders; the United States has never had a female President but Muslim countries like Malaysia have. Muslim women do not always wear the veil or even the characteristic scarf head covering. Some choose to wear jeans and other Western wear. When Muslim women choose to wear a scarf, they do so out of pride for their heritage as well as a sense of modesty that cannot be criticized in itself.

Muslim women should not be expected to conform to Western fashion ideals or cultural norms. Instances of actual oppression are relatively rare. Of the nearly one billion Muslims in the world, a mere fraction force women to cover from head-to-toe in the burqa or wear a full face veil. Similarly, only a small portion of Muslim women are oppressed by their husbands. Many Muslim women do have traditional values and views toward gender roles, but so do many women from other cultures. Patriarchy is not a unique feature of the Muslim world. Women in all societies have been oppressed and subjugated by men, who have situated themselves as leaders in all spheres of life: economic, political, social, and religious. Even in the household, men have reigned over women in spite of women's domestic roles as wives and mothers. Muslim culture is not unique in that respect. Some Muslim rituals such as the exclusion from women at the central ring at Mecca do appear sexist. Mosques usually segregate the sexes. However, sexism pervades all cultures and religions of the world including Catholicism, which continues to exclude women from positions of leadership in the clergy. Orthodox Jewish synagogues also segregate the sexes but Jewish women are rarely portrayed as being passive or subjugated like Muslim women are.

In Western cultures, Muslim women are perceived as being passive, submissive, and weak. Yet Muslim women have exhibited strength of character and characteristic ambition. Women in Islamic cultures are well-educated as a whole and frequently become doctors and lawyers. However, Western media latches onto the rare situations in which Muslim women are barred from receiving educations or from pursuing careers traditionally reserved for men. Many Muslim men and women are both concerned with women's rights and human rights in general, far from the portrayal of Islamic cultures as being primitive and backward. Stereotyped depictions of Muslim culture in the media make it seem that all Muslim women live in a Harem, following orders from their tyrannical husbands. On the contrary, many Muslim cultures have afforded women equal rights in the law and in the society. The Quran does not advocate the subjugation of women by men; in fact the Quran is arguably more egalitarian than the Old Testament upon which both Judaism and Christianity are based. Some passages in the Quran can be interpreted as advocating gender equality. If the Quran has been misinterpreted by some Islamic societies then it is not the fault of Islam but of corrupt political leaders. Seeking to establish clear-cut male dominance over women, such nefarious leaders have stripped women of their innate human rights such as owning property. Those sexist practices are not part of Islam but part of political regimes that distort the religion.

Muslim women are often outspoken and forthright in their convictions, and have been recipients of awards as prestigious as the Nobel Prize. Historically, Muslim women have been scholars and mystics, doctors and scientists. They are not all belly dancers, harem girls, or mothers living in caves with seven children at their feet. Islam has the potential to become one of the most egalitarian religious traditions in the world. Offering women many social, economic, and political advantages, Islam produces some of the world's most powerful women. Unfortunately, however, Western societies inaccurately portray Islam. Focusing on the anomalies rather than the realities of daily life, Western culture assumes superiority by pointing a finger at Muslim traditions.