Muslim Australians - Religion Cultural Diversity Resource Manual

MUSLIM WOMEN 22
In most Muslim societies,
women and men are
equal before the law.
Many people in the West
believe that Muslim
women are oppressed or
disadvantaged in Muslim societies.
There are several reasons for this:
» Oppressive practices that
discriminate against women
in some Muslim societies. For
example, in some countries,
women are not allowed to work
outside the home except in a
very limited arena, participate
in the political system, become
judges, work in so-called male
professions, or drive cars.
» In some places girls may also be
discouraged or forbidden to go to
school.
» Images of how Muslim women
have been treated in countries
such as Afghanistan (under the
rule of the Taliban) have been
shown on television around the
world, especially after September
11, 2001.
» The wearing of a veil or other
form of head covering by women
is seen by many in the West as a
symbol of oppression and lack
of equality between women and
men.
» Certain positions taken in
classical Islamic law are seen as
disadvantaging women. One
example is inheritance laws, where
in certain situations a female is
bequeathed half the share that
a male receives. For instance, if
a parent leaves an estate to be
distributed, a son will receive
double the share of the daughter.
» The practice of polygyny in which
a man can marry up to four wives
(with certain conditions) whereas
a woman can only marry one
husband at a time.
Women’s position
in Muslim societies
In most Muslim societies, women
and men are equal before the law.
Both have access to education,
employment, and participation
in the political system. In several
Muslim societies, women have held
the highest office in the country.
They have been prime ministers and
heads of state in key nations such as
Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Turkey.
However, in a number of Muslim
societies, there is systematic
discrimination against women.
Much of that is related to local
cultural practices, values and norms,
although these are often justified on
the basis of Islam. Other Muslims
who do not agree with this object to
such misuse of Islam and argue that
Islam has nothing to do with such
discrimination.
For many Muslim women,
challenging oppressive practices and
ideas where discrimination exists is
an important part of the struggle for
justice, and many find the strength
and ability to do exactly that by
appealing to Islamic texts, values and
norms. They do not believe that Islam
itself is oppressive to women, but
certain interpretations of religious
texts. For them such interpretations
can be questioned and revised.
22
A significant part of this section relies on Abdullah Saeed, Islam in Australia, 157-182, where further details are provided.
Muslim Australians:THEIR BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND INSTITUTIONS 35