This book elaborately discusses numerous inaccurate depictions of Muslim society. However, the central stereotype, which is being challenged throughout the text, relates to Islamic women and how they are seen as limited by their religious beliefs. It is important that Wilson…
E. Compare the Hindu caste system with other systems of social inequality in the ancient and classical worlds of Rome, Greece, Mesoamerica, the Andes, or China.…
Many times when feminists looked at Islamic women they criticized the man for not treating women properly. However, as Jane I. Smith states, women of Islam are not really offended by that fact, on the contrary, they believe that it is better for them. The Holy Koran is the basis for the Islamic believers. It has many interpretations, however there are certain facts that are sure to be clear as to the position of women in an Islamic society. Koran did introduce very significant changes as to treatment of women. Certain women did play powerful roles in societies. However, whatever the earlier realities for women in terms of marriage, divorce, and inheritance of property, it is clear that Islamic men believe that they are above woman. However, they are supposed to support them and make sure that they have everything that they need to help raise their children and praise the god. In Islam, marriage is not a sacrament, as it is in other religions. It is a contract that man and woman sign and in which the woman can clearly includes her own clauses and negotiate terms. It is rare however possible for a man to have more the one wife. However, when that happens the man is responsible for caring and supporting both of them. In order to marry another woman however, the man must have the permission of his first wife. Although Muslim women have had been married at extremely young age, this practice is related to the fact that father and other male relatives generally have chosen the grooms themselves. There are however some discrepancies. Islamic women are not treated equally in the face of the law. "Ones women statement in the court is equal to half of one man." The same principle also applies to inheritance and other issues. The Koran states that the man, since he is supporting the woman, should receive twice as much of everything. Until recently education for women in the Muslim world has been minimal. Since the modernization of the…
A huge division in these Middle Eastern civilization’s cultures were the formation of urbanization, and class systems. In Mesopotamia, a structured 3-part class system was developed, along with Hammurabi’s Law Code. The top class included land owning males and artisans, as well as royals and warriors. The middle class contained dependent people attached to land, and at the bottom was slaves employed for domestic work. Also the freedoms and some rights of women were lost around the second millennium. In Egypt, there too were classes, yet they weren’t as enforced and structured. Woman were held at a higher standard here because they weren’t secluded in the process of urbanization and class structure, like they were in Mesopotamia.…
The belief, common among non-Arab Americans, that Arabic families are oppressive and dominated by violent fathers who mistreat their wives and children, has been documented in numerous sources (e.g. Suleiman, 1988, Al-Mughni, 1993). This is probably not unexpected given the struggle to fit traditional Islam with expanding women’s rights throughout the Muslim world (Al-Mughni, 1993). Despite theological interpretations of the Qu’ran that argue for equality between the sexes (e.g. Engineer, 2004) the issue of sexual equality remains contentious. Accounts of honor killings and other acts of violent oppression against women (Goodwin, 2002) in Muslim countries fuel the image of Muslim and Arabic men as hostile and violent toward women (although other women assist in many of these incidents).…
Muslim culture has many different cultural groups. Each culture has different traditions and customs. There are Asian, African, European, and American Muslims. There are over 2 billion Muslims all over the world. A Muslim should not be judged by what they believe in, if it’s different from other’s beliefs. People are created in the sight of Allah. They should also not be judged by what they choose to be or wear. Muslims are required to pray five times a day. Some even keep prayer mats in their cars to take out and pray on. Muslim women are treated with respect. They have equal rights and have full respect and honor. A marriage can’t be taken place if the woman does not agree. She must agree in order to get married. When they get married, the…
There are many political, religious, and cultural factors that shape the lives of Islamic women. Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religions; however, Brooks argues that “Islam’s holiest texts have been misused to justify the repression of women, and how male pride and power have warped the original message of this once liberating faith.” The book also shows these factors have slowly been taking away women’s rights, rather than furthering them.…
From the 7th century to the end of the 13th century there were two Islamic golden ages. The first Golden Age was from about the 7th century to the 11th century. This Golden Age was society integrated in all dimensions, political, social, and moral, under the aegis of Islam. (Lapidus 14).The second Golden Age was from the 11th century to the 13h century. This Golden Age society was divided between state and religious institutions and differentiated political and religious elites (Lapidus 13). While Muhammad was not a big influence to start out, he had a strong political and economic influence during the Islamic Golden Age, because he was not only a prophet, but the political leader of southern Arabia.…
The muslims inherited much from Greece, Rome, and India. Muslims tolerated other cultures and because of that were so advanced in scholarship, the medical field, and many others areas at the highest level at that period of time. The muslims achievements will always have a lasting impact on our world.…
Despite the fact that the teachings of Islam promoted a sufficient amount of freedom for women during the earlier times, the rights and status of women in society gradually worsened as time passed and the Middle East expanded their empire. Towards the beginning ages of the Islamic Empire, though still secondary to men, women were able to hold a…
Based on the following documents, Islam spread by a variety of means, to encompass parts of Europe, China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. Political, and Religious strategies were used to help spread Islam, throughout many various places. At times violence was used to spread Islam, with the help of a strong military system. The idea of equality was also a key piece in some parts of the world, to help convert many to the Islamic faith. Finally, trade routes and merchants were also used to spread the Islamic faith wherever they went. Overall, the spread of Islam was not due to one sole reason or person, but the Islamic civilization developed such a large empire, due to the many people and idea’s used to convert the non-believers.…
Between 1450 and 1750, three great Muslim empires arose—the Ottomans, the Safavids, and the Mughals. The Ottomans arose after the Seljuk Turkic kingdom of Rum in Eastern Anatolia collapsed, which occurred because of a Mongol invasion in 1243. The area fell into a chaotic period after that because the Mongols did not directly rule it. In search of riches, Turkic peoples, including the Ottomans who dominated the rest, flooded into the area. By the 1350s, the Ottomans were advancing from their Asia Minor strongholds. Under Mehmed I, they conquered a large part of the Balkans, and, in 1453, they captured Constantinople of the Byzantine Empire under Mehmed II, “The Conqueror,” thus establishing an empire from the Balkans that included most of the Arab world. Like the Ottomans, the Safavids arose from struggles of rival Turkish tribes. In the fourteenth century, there were decades of fierce struggles, until, finally, after three successive Safavid leaders died, a Sufi commander named Ismâ’il survived. He and his followers conquered the city of Tabriz in 1501, as well as most of Persia in the next decade. They then drove the Ozbegs, neighboring nomadic Turks, back to Central Asia and advanced to Iraq. Lastly, the Mughal Dynasty was founded by Babur, who descended from Turkic warriors. He first led an invasion of India in 1526 and conquered the Indus and Ganges plains. After Babur died of an illness, his son, Humayan, succeeded him and was attacked from enemies of all sides because of Babur’s death. He was expelled from India in 1540, but eventually restored Mughal rule by 1556. Humayan’s son, Akbar, would later succeed him and become the greatest ruler in Mughal history. The Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals constructed significant empires, but each adopted different ways of treating their conquered people and developed diverse methods for managing social, political, and economic systems.…
45)! Women were not allowed to hold any governmental or social positions, nor were they allowed much freedom. Their only purposes in life were to bear children and keep up the home. If a Mesopotamian lady was found guilty of adultery, the punishment could be as severe as death! However, if a man was found guilty, there was no punishment at all. In East Asia, patriarchal society was extremely dominant, and increased as time went by and with the development of the large independent states (p. 125). As time does however, some changed and some remained the same. During the later postclassical and early middle ages, women had gained more strength and influence. In Islamic society, the Koran gave them more rights and security, but not complete equality with men. Muhammad gave an example for…
There are many political, religious, and cultural factors that shape the lives of Islamic women many of them are completely different than factors in the lives of American women. Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religions; however, Brooks argues that “Islam’s holiest texts have been misused to justify the repression of women, and how male pride and power have warped the original message of this once liberating faith.” The book also shows these factors have slowly been taking away women’s rights, rather than furthering them.…
Relationships between the individual and society vary between cultures, religions and ethnicities. Nevertheless, throughout history, how the individual is seen in society varies accordingly. In Medieval Europe, China and Islamic countries, religious beliefs and different philosophies greatly contributed and effected how individuals in a community acted and interacted with their society and other countries. Different lifestyles and common norms contributed to the differences in relationships because how the community interacted with each other influenced the way society acted in general. In some societies individualism was stressed where as in others the importance of community was emphasized. As a result, these ideas shaped the way society ultimately acted.…