World Civilization

¶ … roles of women in Muslim and Jewish civilizations There are many similarities in the roles of Muslim and Jewish women. While both groups of women have their roots in societies that are strongly patriarchal in which social interaction is dominated by males, there is a distinct difference between them in terms of cultural and political factors. Politics and religious fundamentalism plays an important role in determining the role of women in Muslim countries.

Global concern to eradicate discrimination against women started with the decline of colonialism and imperialism in the late nineteenth century. Throughout the world there has been a drive towards implementing equality for women, especially in third world countries where male-dominated cultural systems are still the central problems facing women today. Islamic society has traditionally been known for its strong patriarchal structure. Muslim countries can generally be seen to be male dominated with women playing less important and more subservient roles.

The common image that is projected of the lives of Muslim women is a lack of equity between the sexes with the role of the woman generally being confined to the home. Women in Muslim cultures have been relegated and sometimes confined to the home, have practiced their religion in private rather than at the mosque, and have been subject to the dictates of males of their families.

(Much of that reality, of course, they share with virtually all societies in the world.) For the most part, traditional Islam, which continues to hold sway over many areas of the Muslim world, still insists that it is necessary for women to be bound to the home. Many of the world's more than half a billion Muslim women live in extreme poverty, have little education, bear large numbers of children and remain excluded from their society's public realms.

(Smith, Jane) However, one must be mindful not to overly simplify the clarification of this cultural norm and paint a stereotypical picture that might be at variance with the truth. There are some scholars and commentators who would disagree that the above image of discrimination against Muslim women is always generally true. They state that the situation is complex and the degree of discrimination varies between different countries and also that it is determined by a vast array of different factors.

The issue of discrimination against women isn Islamic society is complicated by two central issues - religion and politics. The Islamic faith does not insist on the subjugation of women but rather provides for a balance and equality of the sexes. Scholars claim, however, that there has been a distortion of the original values of the Islamic faith and that other factors such as society and culture created the situation of discrimination against women.

While it is generally agreed that the rights granted to women in the Qur'an and by the prophet Muhammad were a vast improvement in comparison to the situation of women in Arabia prior to the advent of Islam, after the Prophet's death the condition of women in Islam began to decline and revert back to pre-Islamic norms. (Women in Islam) There are also parts of the Holy Scripture that are open to interpretation and therefore complicate the issue of women's rights.

"Qur'an 4:34, a verse that has engendered a great deal of exegetical interest in recent years, says that "men are in charge of women" and adds that in certain cases men have 'the right to strike their wives (lightly)'. (Smith, Jane) In general, Muslim women are still sidelined today from full participation in education and religious institutions. "Muslim women are considered 'ineligible' for the role of imam, or leader of prayer, a non-ordained position in Islam that is coming increasingly to resemble the role of pastor, priest or rabbi.

A similar situation exists with regards to Jewish culture and civilization. Like many Muslim women, women living in orthodox Jewish communities are subject to a strict distinction of roles, with the emphasis on male leadership and control. Orthodox Judaism is one of the three major Jewish Denominations and requires strict adherence to the Halakha, the codes of Jewish law. Orthodox Judaism sees women as "having different but complementary roles, and thus different obligations.

This is similar to the traditional interpretation of some other religions, for instance Islam." (Women in Orthodox Judaism) The emphasis is also on male cultural dominance and women are generally excluded from educational, religious and leadership roles in.