RA #1 MUSLIM WOMEN NOW AND THEN

MUSLIM WOMEN

 NOW AND THEN

By: Betsy Cordoba

Betsy Cordoba
World History, Andrews
RA #1
June 10, 2011                                               

Islam and Women’s Rights

The concept of gender equality is very much stressed in Islam but because of misinterpretations of the traditions and religious beliefs they have contributed to the mistreatment of Muslim women.  Social rights for women have been recognized in society dated back to the Arabian tribes however, media has stereotyped Muslim women to be inferior to their male counterparts.  Today, in some Muslim countries, practices have strayed away from truth therefore they have created substitute practices that are unrelated to the basis and origin of Islam. Women all over the world have struggled against inequality in the workplace, participation and with family roles. However, these repressive acts do not come from Islam, the acts come from cultural values which are shared all over the world. Today, the debate remains highly controversial for the lives of Muslim women.

In the book, The Ways of the World[1]in chapter eleven Strayer discusses the rise of Islam and the beginning of the Arab Empire and how that effected the daily life of women back then. It is clear to some that it is how individuals interpret readings, but for some in this case, the cultural terms views and treatment has changed how women are viewed. The difference is quite clear but for those who do not educate themselves, they will only misconstrue the literal meaning.  As mentioned in the The Holy Quran[2] Surat Al-Ahzab 33:35,

“Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.”

Clearly Muslim women share the same rights as men as written in The Holy Quran going back as early as the earlier Arabic practice. If a married Muslim was not fulfilled in her marriage she has a right to ask for a divorce. The difficulty that Muslim women face today is that the cultural tradition has taken away what the holy book states. Cultural verses the literal word has made it easy for the media to portray Muslim women as very oppressed and mistreated. In the early Islamic times, the prophet Muhammad’s last wife, Aisha played a big role during before and after prophet Muhammad’s death. It is established that The Holy Quran grants rights to women, however because of the lack of objectivity, it is important that one does not mix a lot of cultures traditions along the same line with the faith. It is safe to say that in any faith comes a certain lifestyle or a way of living. As the Arab empire progressed women of higher social class began to have a lot say in the political aspect. This is when classes and misconceptions started, it wasn’t your sex, it was more about what social class you are apart of that determined your rights. This type of division is found all over the world through today which brings problems and misconceptions. Women all around the world have in fact face oppression and insurpiriority in one way or another. One example of the differences between Western feminism and Islamic feminism concerns the issue of "veiling." The hijab (often translated as "veil") is the form of scarf or hair covering commonly worn by Muslim women. It is seen by the westerners as oppressive but in fact is comes by choice to a Muslim women to veil themselves. Until recently, because of the misrepresentation throughout the world Muslim have felt the only way to be liberated intellectually, socially, and politically has been through education. Often, not seeing that there is a difference between what is culture and what is religion. However, the current desire that Muslim women have today is probably at the highest time where change is being made. Clearing up the notion that there are indeed equal rights for all women. [3]

“Clichés about the Orient and its women have imposed themselves with considerable force on the popular imagination of the West and have been perpetuated in Europe since the Middle Ages. The projection of evil onto marginal or ineffectual groups within a society has always been an easy and useful method to find scape- goats.”

 Wijdan Ali, The President of Royal Society in Jordan exemplifies how Muslim women are viewed. Any educated individual can read this and agree that scape-goats is how many non-Muslim view Muslim women are viewed, unfortunate as it is, it does happen. However, times are changing since Early Islam, but it is just the beginning where change is being seen and recognized, especially in America today.

Work Cited

[1] Strayer, Robert W. "Chapter 11." Ways of the World: a Brief Global History. Boston: Bedford/St Martin's, 2009. Print.

2 Ali, Abdulah Yusuf., and Abdullah Yusuf Ali. "Surat Al-'Aĥzāb 33:35." Holy Quran. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions, 2000. Print.

3 Ali-President of the Royal Society of Fine Arts, Jordan, Widjan. "Cliché on Muslim Women." Web.

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[1] Strayer, Robert W. "Chapter 11." Ways of the World: a Brief Global History. Boston: Bedford/St Martin's, 2009. Print.

[2] Ali, Abdulah Yusuf., and Abdullah Yusuf Ali. "Surat Al-'Aĥzāb 33:35." Holy Quran. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions, 2000. Print.

[3] Ali-President of the Royal Society of Fine Arts, Jordan, Widjan. "Cliché on Muslim Women." Web.

Pastoral Peoples on the Global Stage:

CH 12- Pastoral Peoples on the Global Stage: The Mongol Moment 1200-1500

In this chapter it is clear that people adapt to their environments and make the best they can so that they are able to survive according to their conditions. The differences between pastoral societies and agricultural societies are an example of how people adapted to their surroundings. This chapter goes into how the Mongol Empire had a great impact during the thirteenth and fourteenth century: how it connected major civilizations, some of those networks still persist today. Finally, throughout all of human history the Mongol Empire has been the biggest land-based empire. An interesting fact about the Mongols was that they did not try to spread their religion. 

CH 11- The Worlds of Islam: Afro- Eurasian Connection 600-1500

CH 11- The Worlds of Islam: Afro- Eurasian Connection 600-1500

Christianity and Islam emerged from the margins of civilization unlike Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Greek philosophy and Zoroastrianism. With the rapid spread around the world of Islam, the Afro-Eurasian world was heavily influenced by it, as well as twenty-two percent of the worlds population by the twenty-first century. Like in many other religions Islam became divided between the Sunni and the Shia. I found it fascinating how the Quran views men and women equally when it come to faith but in the social aspect women are inferior then men. Finally, I think that it is important to note that when history is being written it is pivotal to point out who it’s being written for and by whom. 

CH 10- The Worlds of European Christendom: Connected and Divided 500- 1300

CH 10- The Worlds of European Christendom: Connected and Divided 500- 1300

This chapter largely focuses on Byzantium and Western Europe becoming the focal point of the Christian world. Byzantium was a continuation of Roman Empire which was part of an ancient Greek city. Christendom was divided into two parts the eastern and western. It is interesting to see that the western part collapsed while the eastern part persisted. In addition, the religious and the political became separate things while before they worked hand in hand. Finally, we will always see change throughout history because that is what allows us to learn and improve the way that we live for the most part.

Chapter 8 & 9

CH 8-  Commerce and Culture 500-1500

Limitations in transportation during ancient times focused on trading luxurious good rather than things people needed on a daily basis. The silk roads, sea roads and sand roads have allowed people to acquire material things that they could not have obtained if it was not for trade routes. The silk roads prospered most when merchants and travelers were given security by large and powerful states. Numerous things were traded on the silk roads like furs, cotton, tents, almonds along with other good but their main product was silk. Unlike the silk road the sea road provided goods at a lower cost because the transportation cost was lower. The two ecological zones in the sub- Saharan were able to trade with the far reaches of the sand roads.

The Americas also had a trade system although it was not as strong and extensive as the silk road, sea roads or the sand roads it focused on private trade. Trade brought along good outcomes like economic prosperity to some and bad outcomes like death with the transferability of disease. Finally, trade also brought along change in communities and encouraged specialization of goods.

CH 9- China and the World: East Asian Connections 500-1300

Chinas has a great influence on the rest of the world but non-Chinese people also influence china. Cultural, economic and social aspect in China changed with growing international trade. The rise and collapse of Han, Sui, Tang and Song dynasties brought along different aspects on which the current China is founded on. Women in Song and Tang dynasty lives differed like those of Athens and Sparta that were mentioned in chapter six. It is interesting to see that depending on the tightness of patriarchy, restrictions are brought upon women. China’s interaction with nomads, Koreas, Vietnamese, Japanese and Eurasians influenced those places and those places also influenced China to how it is today.

Chapter 7

CH 7- Classical Era Variation: Africa and the Americas 500 B.C.E.- 1200 C.E.

Africa and the Americas culture is as rich as a culture like Eurasia, the only difference is that there was no documentation. The Maya culture exemplifies the struggles that many cultures around the world have endured. Their constant hardships have not prevent them from passing down their culture. It is important to keep in mind that with technology, economic concepts like many others have expanded. People in Africa and the Americas have adopted to their surrounding environment in order to survived. The Nubian civilization is a prime example of how different places used their natural resources in order to trade and prosper economically. Not only were people trading skills, with migration came the acquisition of transferrable skills. Overall in Africa and the Americans we could see that change is important because that is what allowed people to prosper. Finally, we have to remember that all history is important to have a foundation of how things have evolved.

Eurasian Social Hierarchies 500B.C.E.-500C.E.

Eurasian Social Hierarchies 500B.C.E.-500C.E.

Intro

-       Social structures have existed throughout history

·      Referred to differently (caste, patriarchy, slavery etc.)

·      Have diminish but not disappeared

-       Eurasia’s contemporary descendants represent “second wave” civilization way of living

·      Live in empires and states

·      Way of living derived from local folkways and teaching of great religious or cultural traditions of civilization

·      Established societies exemplified hierarchies between different groups

·      Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean civilizations represent different organizations of social life

·      Social patterns have a particular way of differentiating between civilizations

Society and the State in Classical China

•              Shaped by actions of the state

•              Officials, bureaucrats acted in name of emperor in the capital and in provinces (represented the elite)

•              Choose officials based on performance

An Elite of Officials

•              Emperor Wu Di made academies for potential officials to be trained

•              Open to all men but preferred the wealthy and those with connections

•              Those who entered had great prestige and high privileges

•              Creators of Chinese culture

The Landlord Class

•              Land is representation of wealth 

•              Pressures of China caused impoverished peasants to sell their land

•              Landlords evaded many common duties putting burden of peasants

•              8 C.E. Wang Mang attempted to change things was unsuccessful

•              23 C.E. Wang Mang assassinated

•              Large landowning families remained central in Chinese society

Peasants

•              Peasants have been majority of China civilization

•              Making enough to support families others making enough to survive

•              Life of peasants was vulnerable

•              Impoverished and desperate peasants began joining gangs of bandits

•              peasants began to join along Yellow River resulted in misery landless poverty

•              Peasants uprising known as Yellow Turban Rebellion(ideology from Daoism)

•              Yellow Turban Rebellion contributed to overthrow of the dynasty

•              Peasants movements have helped in the collapse of dynasties

Merchants

•              To scholar-gentry peasants were backbone of country

•              Merchants viewed as unproductive and as a social threat

•              State authorities kept merchants under control

•              Merchants were treated unfairly but despite that they became wealthy

Class and Caste in India

·      Cast in India are prominent patterns of social life ordained by god

·      Birth determined social status but there is social mobility

·      Indian has a caste system

Caste as Varna

·      derived from racially defined encounters

·      India’s caste are based more on economic specialization and culture than on race 

·      500 B.C.E., society based on four classes known as varna

·      People remained in the classes they were born into for life

o   Brahmins- priests were at the top of system

o   Ksatriya- warriors and rulers charged with protecting and governing society

o   Vaisya- originally commoners who cultivated the land

o   Surdas- native people that took subordinate positions in margins of Aryan society

·      Brahmins, Ksatriya’s and Vaisya’s were pure Aryan’s

·      Caste were formed from body of the god Purusha

·      The untouchables was a new class that emerged and they did the most uncean and polluting jobs.

Caste as Jati

·      Social distinctions that came from specific occupations

·      Varna and jatis blended together

·      Classes were broken into subclasses

·      Notion of ritual purity and pollution applied to caste systems

·      Notion of karma, dharma and rebirth based of Hinduism supported inequality

·      Jati could expel members

The Functions of Caste

·      Caste based society focused regions and specific territories thus weakend the state

·      Caste+Hinduisms shared culture=integrative mechanism of state

·      Offered some social organization

·      Offered place for diverse groups of people

·      Allows poor to be exploited by the wealthy and powerful

Slavery in the Classical Era: The Cast of the Roman Empire

·      Slavery as a way of oppression rooted in human history

·      Slaves associated to animals

·      Slaves as property

Slavery and Civilization

·      Slavery comes with certain implications

·      Slaves lack rights and independency in greater society

·      Slavery is a tradition recognized and established in different parts of the world

·      Slaves systems differ depending on civilizations

The Making of a Slave Society: The Case of Rome

·      Slavery played a big part in Greco-Rome society

·      Slaves were one third of the total population in Athens

·      Most people had slaves even the poor

·      Slaves could be granted freedom but even they did not have the same rights as others

·      People became slaves in different ways (being captured during war, abandoned children etc.)

·      No specific racial or ethnic group was identified with roman slavery

·      No job disregarded to slaves only military

·      Life of a slave depended on the master

Resistance and Rebellion

·      Slaves did what they could to rebel (suicide, theft, working poorly etc.)

·      Runaway slaves in most cases were murdered

·      Notable case of rebellion of seventy other slaves led by Spartacus

·      Although there were save rebellion they did not significantly affect the slave system.

Comparing Patriarchies of the Classical Era

·      Most significant division has been the one of gender

·      Gender differences favor the male

·      Gender differences have shaped the classical civilization

·      Gender systems are influenced by world religion, interaction of diverse people.

·      Patriarchy varied from one civilization to another and also interrelate with class

A Changing Patriarchy: The Case of China

·      For Chinese patriarchy became more evident and geared toward Confucian ideology

·      Yang related to male and superiority and yin is related to female inferiority

·      Male have public and political while women have domestic and private

·      Women’s subordination to her father then husband and finally to her son

·      When women exercised power there was negativity associated with it

·      Women were appreciated because they can carry male lineage

·      As Han dynasty fell and Daoism and Buddhism rose patriarchy lost power in classical China

·      Patriarchy diminished with the rise of Buddhism and Daoism in China

Contrasting Patriarchies in Athens and Sparta

·      Patriarchies varied depending on location

·      Athens views of women were more restrictive than those of Spartan

·      Men‘s roles in Athens were growing while women roles became more limited

·      Role of women in Sparta was to have sons so they can go in the military

·      In Sparta women were encouraged to take part in sporting events like wrestling.

Reflections: Arguing with Solomon and Buddha

·      King Solomon- views about “essential changelessness and futility of human life”

·      Buddhist- “everything changes: nothing remains without change”

·      Things change but they do not completely vanish