Many around the Western European Countries and the United States of America have tried very hard to advocate woman’s rights through organizations such Human rights activists. Many are trying to understand how in this modern age the middle east has made very little progress with woman’s rights, and how their customs are still being practiced in their new countries of residence such as the US and the UK.

Woman’s rights in Islamic countries and even abroad will never be fully established because in Islamic countries, religion and state affairs are considered one. It is not a Democracy as the US and the western nations which advocate separation of religion and state.

Although Islam states that men and woman are equals, it has many moral laws which strongly contradict that concept, based on teaching from the Qu’ran and the Sunna, moral laws are taught. The Sunna teaches Shariah in Islam which is a code of conduct in which men are permitted to have complete control of his wife and family. Shariah dictates the laws in marriages, divorces, inheritance, and daily life matters.

In Shariah, a girl becomes eligible for marriage as soon as she begins to menstruate, in countries such as Afghanistan, child brides are common. Men can marry up to four wives and can easily divorce their wives without court proceedings simply by repeating “I divorce you:” in the presence of two male witnesses. If the wife wants a divorce, she must go to court and prove that her husband is infertile or impotent. Once divorce is finalized, custody is automatically given to the father. Inheritance based on Shariah means wives get a small portion of the property of their husband; and a sister will get half of what her brother gets. “A husband has the moral and religious right to beat his wife for disobedience or perceived conduct”. A woman does not have the right choose her husband, or place of residence, to travel freely or even choose their clothing. Woman has no autonomy and is deemed to need protection of their fathers, brothers, husbands or any other male relative. “Woman can be put to death by their male relatives if woman have affairs or are perceived as having affairs, they can kill and will not be punished”.

Some countries such as Saudi Arabia have the strictest Islamic moral code of conduct, woman are not allowed to drive and are subjected to sex segregation and discrimination because of antiquated religious laws and outdated social roles. In Saudi Arabia, woman can work in professions such as health care but are not allowed to study other positions such as architecture, business and other economic jobs. Their roles are simply to take care of the household and family.

Many Islamic women are put in a position of injustice, cruelty, abuse and even death because of the laws of Shariah. Few Islamic women who are professionals are attempting to amend the Constitution in countries such as Iraq, to separate religious law from state. This is the only way, Islamic countries can try to progress to the laws of the modern age without causing many in the Islamic community to feel as if they are bad Muslims for any changes made.

Many men in these nations are resistant to change, and feel that changing these laws which they feel were written by the hand of God should be not be allowed.

There was a case which was very recent in the United States where an Arab father killed his two daughters who were born in the United States and who had an American mother; he believed they were becoming promiscuous simply because they had American boyfriends. These honor killings were committed here in the United States and we as Americans could not have protected them from their own father because of the strong belief this man had that he was owner of his daughters and wife. Islamic woman are not even safe in western nations as long as these beliefs continue to become law in these Islamic nations. Women are taught that they are bad Muslims if they do not follow these laws so they struggle to follow loyally or to lose their rights as human beings. In nations where, religious fundamentalism and illiteracy combined with interpretations of religious law and Islam creates the uncertainty and instability of eastern nations. The imams must go back to Islamic scripture and redefine the laws and moral obligations of Muslims world wide, after all these moral laws were written about 1400 years ago and it should be redefined in a way that teaches Muslims that they are not bad if they are tolerant of human rights or of other religions just those two changes can affect a whole generation but Islamic nations and religious leaders must admit that Islam can be interpreted in a literal way and that moral laws need to change for the better of society.

Sources cited are Wall Street Journal Article by Ayaan Hirsi Alli titled Un free Under Islam

International Humorist and Ethical Union Blog 1/8/2003

Saudi Arabia and Women’s rights under Islam and Saudi Tradition Reality with a Bite blog