What gives with Western feminism? Families of Muslim women rape, torture, behead, crucify, and hang them in public squares - all because they have committted the truly mortal sin of being female - yet the silence here on the behalf of these victims is deafening. Compared to the suffering of their Islamic sisters, the indignant chatter about 'oppression' emanating from women in the West is obscene.
Feminists in the U.S. claim that girls in school do less well than boys, and this happens because "America today is a girl-destroying place. Everywhere girls are encouraged to sacrifice their true selves...girls come of age in a misogynistic culture in which men have most of the political and economic power, and girls sense their lack of power." Misogynistic? Girl-destroying? Is America, the destroying place for girls, a recognizable country?
For contrast, try these cautionary tales:
- in Sudan women who refuse to convert to Islam from Christianity are gang-raped, their breasts are cut off. Then they are left to die.
- in Pakistan laws are structurally biased against women, especially since the advent of the Hadood Ordinances in 1979. Now when coerced sexual assaults cannot be proved, the victim becomes an offender, one who enjoyed illicit sexual activity. She is therefore liable to punishment. Safia Bibi, a blind eighteen year old was raped, subsequently becoming pregnant. Since there was insufficient evidence to prove rape ("sufficient" evidence being eye-witness testimony of four adult Muslim men), the pregnancy itself was evidence of her immoral behavior. Thus she was sentenced to three years in jail and fifteen lashes for having sex outside marriage.
- In Yemen on learning that his daughter had eloped with a man from another clan, a father gathered sons, brothers, uncles and cousins, and headed a convoy of twenty cars to storm the bride's new home. Upon retrieving her, she was thrown into one of the cars. As the convoy returned, and reached the edge of her village, her father hurled her to the asphalt and had every car drive over her.
- In Jordan, a man received a six-month prison term for stabbing his younger divorced sister thirty times. The murder, termed a misdemeanor by the tribunal, was minimized because the father of both brother and sister dropped charges against his son. The defendant was also sentenced to one week for intoxication and to two months for carrying a knife.
- In Palestine a sixteen year-old was raped by her younger brother. Once her pregnant condition became known in the wider community it fell to her older brother to kill her in order to avenge the family honor. "She made a mistake," said one of her male cousins. "She had to pay for it."
Ah, the absolute power of Muslim women, holding Islamic men by the short hairs; indeed the old Arab saying is true: "a man's honor lies between a woman's legs."
10 comments:
I think Samuel Johnson was right:
.On the Triumph of the Pornographic Imagination .
"a few years make such havoc in human generations"
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"Younger women today are growing more comfortable with their sexuality," she said, "and it makes perfect sense that they'd want to create a hip corner of the pornographic universe where they can express themselves."
A hip corner of the pornographic universe where younger women, who are more comfortable with their sexuality, can express themselves. ... So it has come to this, I thought. Pornography, which only a generation ago had been assailed by feminists as the ultimate act of objectification, subordination, and dehumanization of women in a capitalist, patriarchal society was now being offered as an entertaining tidbit in the "Sunday Styles" section of the Times, surrounded on the same page by ads for Prada luxury goods and followed by photographs of the social elite at their charity functions on the next. As is so often the case these days, the world appeared upside down to me and I almost felt like laughing, so absurd was the spectacle of naïvete being paraded around as the last word in sophistication.
But, before I knew it, I was feeling something more like nausea as I remembered that Andrea Dworkin, the radical feminist who dedicated her life to fighting "violence against women"--the stark phrase that used to conjure up prostitution, incest, wife-beating, rape, and pornography as component parts of the same system of male power, as dangerous for girls and women as it was filled with hatred for them--had died just a few weeks before, at the miserably young age of 58. It had been a while since I had thought of Dworkin or her comrade in arms, Catharine MacKinnon, both of whom I long admired for the courageous legal battle they waged to ban pornography that brutalizes women. What, I wondered, has happened to those 1970s feminist "Take-Back-the-Night" rallies, where defiant young women marched through city streets to reclaim their right to walk unescorted and unmolested after dark?
---
I found myself thinking, even as a voice inside accused me of vulgar Marxism, that Herbert Marcuse was right: We live in a "one-dimensional" society that effectively de-fangs as it accommodates and absorbs all forms of criticism, dissent, and vanguardism. So it was no wonder that my usually robust sense of the absurd was overwhelmed by the many grotesqueries of the "Styles" article that, in the end, meretriciously recast the humiliation and degradation of women, even if it is self-inflicted, as forms of self-expression.
Here was further proof, as if I needed it, of the triumph of "the pornographic imagination." The phrase, of course, comes from the title of a celebrated essay of Susan Sontag's from the mid-'60s. Where Sontag (perhaps naïvely, in retrospect) had argued that pornography of the Sade-Bataille-Apollinaire "art" variety expanded the boundaries of consciousness, the pornographic imagination in our own time has instead proved to be monopolistic. "Naughty" S&M lingerie displays in the windows of upscale department stores; "cardio striptease" classes at health clubs; revealing fashions on the street--I wondered if Katie Roiphe had any of these hackneyed, stereotypical images of dominatrixes and porn stars and hookers in mind when she spoke with enthusiasm of how younger, more liberated women were "expressing themselves" in pornography. From what I could see, the erotic imagination of women had never been more flat.
Man From Egypt:
I think that maybe the English translations from the Quran and the Hadiths troubled you.
I have attempted to check all those passages in both Arabic and English here:
http://www.oneummah.net/quran/quran.html which is an official Arab English translation site.
I have specifically included the inheritance laws that you said were wrong. I read them largely the same way as the poster Patvann.
Heres some examples:
4:3 وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تُقْسِطُواْ فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانكِحُواْ مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ النِّسَاء مَثْنَى وَثُلاَثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلاَّ تَعُولُواْ
4:11 يُوصِيكُمُ اللّهُ فِي أَوْلاَدِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الأُنثَيَيْنِ فَإِن كُنَّ نِسَاء فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ وَإِن كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ وَلأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِن كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ فَإِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ فَإِن كَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ مِن بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصِي بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ آبَآؤُكُمْ وَأَبناؤُكُمْ لاَ تَدْرُونَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ لَكُمْ نَفْعاً فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيما حَكِيمًا
4:15 وَاللاَّتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَاسْتَشْهِدُواْ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعةً مِّنكُمْ فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىَ يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلاً
You can look up the rest yourself if you want.
As for the Hadiths, well they aren't the commands of Allah (i.e. Not Allahs word as recorded by Mohammed), and according to the Quran should be disregarded, but for some reason Islamic Judges and Immans use them against Allah's commands.
Quran(6:114): Shall I seek other than God as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book (Quran)fully detailed?
Arabic
أَفَغَيْرَ اللّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنَزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلاً وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ
45:6 Such are the Signs of Allah, which We reveal to thee in Truth (in the Quran); then in what exposition (book) will they believe after (rejecting) Allah and His Signs?
Arabic:
تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ
ISLAM..everyone's got a computer and can just google it..
In a truely Islamic society women have the following rights in Islam:
1. The right and duty to obtain education.
2. The right to have their own independent property.
3. The right to work to earn money if they need it or want it.
4. Equality of reward for equal deeds.(Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him will We give a new life, a life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their rewards according to the best of their actions." (Al-Nahal:97)
5. The right to express their opinion and be heard.
6. The right to provisions from the husband for all her needs and more.
7. The right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice.
8. The right to obtain divorce from her husband, even on the grounds that she simply can't stand him. (pls note that God deeply frowns upon divorce as a solution unless there is hardly any other alternative but it does not mean that men have more right to divorce their wives than women do.)
9. The right to keep all her own money (she is not responsible to maintain any relations).
10. The right to get sexual satisfaction from her husband.
11. custody of their children after divorce.
12. to refuse any marriage that does not please them
and more...
What this fella is trying to tell us, we are so foolish to even google for the correct Islamic teachings....
Here are sample Islamic websites for you to ponder...
http://www.islamfortoday.org/women.htm
http://www.uga.edu/islam/Islamwomen.html
http://www.mwlusa.org/publications/essays/legalrights.html
http://www.themodernreligion.com/w_main.htm
http://www.jannah.org/
TELL US WHICH RELIGION PROVIDES THIS KIND OF EQUALITY...
67. The hypocritical men and the hypocritical women are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their hands; they have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them; surely the hypocrites are the transgressors.
68. Allah has promised the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women and the unbelievers the fire of hell to abide therein; it is enough for them; and Allah has cursed them and they shall have lasting punishment.
71. And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.
72. Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing women gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual abode; and best of all is Allah's goodly pleasure; that is the grand achievement.
If you know arabic..Read this Equality and tell us..Any other religion that preaches this kind of Equalities...Down the spine...
إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Completely, definitetely, absolutely supid muslim girl. Didn't they never tell you that Islam isnot just a religion but is a complete precept por live? Family, relations, economy, trade, education, etc are all determined in Islam. The only one that isn't is financial standing. Dont you see what is the rule in Islam is the exception, or doesnt even exist, in so called, but in big part ateistic, chsistian countries and the best of christian countries doesnot exist in muslim countries? And, if you are born or wenet very yong to America you dont know nothing about the fate of women is islamic country. Man from egypt is an idiot who doesnot even know his own religion. Take a look at FFI website and learn about it. I am mysel an ateist but here is a GOD joke: God created first man and then woman. What did He though meanwhile? HUUM... I can do better.
I think the major confusion here is between what does Islam say on these things and What "Muslims" are doing.
Many things which destroy the rights of women are based on culture, and these are often attributed to Islam when this is incorrect.
To Lifein the northwest, very nice posting in Arabic but can you actually read it.. or do you just read distorted translations...
Patvann, you need to research a bit better, because I don't know which right-wing website you siphoned that hogwash out of.
In terms of equating Islam with the actions of Muslims... let's keep things equal and start equating the actions of Hitler and Timothy McVeigh with Christianity.
Get a clue.
Peace,
M.
In reference to the supposed rights of women in Islam, the following extracts are from the website of a well-known former Muslim.
"Muslims have their own code of conduct which is not based on the Golden Rule but on Islam and haram / halal. Take the example of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UDHR is based on the Golden Rule and fairness. Muslims do not abide by it. They have invented their own "Islamic" UDHR.
"In an article entitled Islam and Human Rights the Internet site ntpi.org writes:
“Whilst many Islamic countries, with the exception of Saudi Arabia singed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, many of them have since modified their stance. For Abu’l A’la Mawdudi there was a clear conflict between the rights of women as enshrined in the UDHR and the need to protect and preserve the chastity of women. Muhammed Naceri, a member of the Morocco Council of Religious Scholars has said:
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was for complete equality for man and women. For us, women are equal to men in law, but they are not the same as men, and they can’t be allowed to wander around freely in the streets like some kind of animal”.
Aah, the old Takiyya/Ketman trick at work again, I see!
"In terms of equating Islam with the actions of Muslims... let's keep things equal and start equating the actions of Hitler and Timothy McVeigh with Christianity."
No comparison is possible here.
In Christianity, Jesus (God) endowed his followers with a free will, ie, to do good or bad, the bad obviously having consequences for the wrongdoer and sometimes even for his/her family.
In Islam, no concept of free will exists. You are either a strict and wholly observant follower of Mohammed or you are a heretic on par with an Infidel or Kaffir unless you are practicing Takiyya/Ketman, at the time, of course, again, yet another command of the Qur'an.
Now, there is a further contradiction evident here which Mohammedans just can't takiyya their way around no matter how they try.
Jihadists (terrorists) swear undying loyality and allegiance to Allah and his messenger, Mohammed, by carrying out the commands of the Qur'an as dictated by Mohammed himself. By doing so, they're promised many rewards in paradise if they commit suicide - called martyrdom in Islam during the act of slaying (murdering) Infidels and Kaffirs wherever they find them.
Neither Hitler nor McVeigh were acting out of Christian convictions as there is no Christian duty to nor heavenly rewards forthcoming for murdering innocent souls, in Christianity.
However, they may both have been secret converts to Islam for all anyone knows.
The question of which other religion preaches equality of women better than Mohammedanism seems to me to be misleading. It is in effect the question of which theocracy is preferable, a Mohammedan theocracy, or a Christian theocracy.
In the Western tradition, well, we tried theocratic and semi theocratic systems, and did away with them long since. Christianity is not now understood, if indeed it ever was, as a comprehensive political system, but as the free gift of the grace of God through His Son (at least that's how I understand it).
In the west, politics has become a secular pursuit, and, while our religious values definitely inform our political opinions, we use tools such as discourse and rhetoric, reason and ethics and law, to solve contemporary political problems.
What Mohammedanism preaches on women's rights should not, therefore, be compared to the Bible, but to the Constitutions and laws of Western lands.
Still, it's hard to imagine a clearer religious statement of the equality of all mankind than Galatians 3.28:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
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