Women in Islam

The Good, The Bad, and Iran

Introduction
Islamic societies have notoriously impacted the rights of women in many ways, sometimes through justification of the Koran and sometimes via cultural norms.The question we would like to pose is this: What is the effect on Muslim women of having Islam directly and indirectly integrated into governments?

Background Information
The Koran preaches equality for both genders, yet simultaneously makes references to men being dominant over women. Islam has created a patriarchal society in which women are often discriminated against and oppressed.
Like all traditional societies, Islam has honored the work of homemaker and mother as being of the highest value, to the extent that the Prophet said, Heaven lies under the feet of mothers.

General
To help illustrate our point, we have chosen three Arab countries to examine further, each with varying degrees of religious influence in the government. These countries are Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

Saudi Arabia
Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart, and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Surely God is high, supreme. Sura 4:34

Sharia vs Saudi
One of the major issues of Western perception on Saudi Arabia and the Middle East is discerning what is Sharia Law (derived from the Koran) and what is cultural or state law. Saudi Arabia is a very tricky one considering Article 26 of their constitution reads, The State protects human rights in accordance with the Islamic Shariah. The essence of seeking Saudis moral standards would thus have us investigating Shariah law and to see when the interpretation went askew and how drastically. However, Article 23 of the constitution says, The state protects Islam thus creating somewhat of a paradox. You cannot interpret Sharia Law because then you risk altering it, which would defy the protection that is promised in the Saudi constitution. Though to enforce Shariah Law, it needs to be interpreted at least once. Of course, since Saudi Arabia has a functioning government it has absorbed the rules and an interpretation. Saudis are also a sect of Sunni called Wahabi who believe that the gates of Ijtihad are closed, meaning that there is no more room for interpretation. This is the root of the worlds perception of Saudi Arabia-- a first world country with 14th century laws, many of which pertain only to the condemning of women. So we have many laws that can be directly traced to Shariah Law (though the interpretations may not be just) and others that arent necessarily law but are still enforced by Saudis. For instance, there isnt a law in Shariah Law, their constitution, or anywhere else that says women cant drive and yet women are punished through the law for driving. Though the Koran says women need to be decent by covering their hair, Saudis have in some districts magnified this and created a demand for full facial coverings. Other districts only require full body black chadors and hijabs.

Major Humanitarian Crimes and Source

1. Need a chaperone in public 2. Need male endorsement to go to school, play sports, open a bank account, get a divorce, travel inside and outside the country, get a job, quit a job, file a case of domestic abuse*. 3. Child marriages (before puberty in some cases) 4. Polygamy 5. Chador requirements 6. Some districts require full facial coverage of women 7. Cant vote or run for office 8. Beatings from husband 1. Cultural
*This is another paradox set up within the Saudi legislature. If a woman is being beaten by her husband, she must have her husbands permission to do almost anything that involves the law. Most men will not sign for 3. Koran (65:4) their wives to file a domestic 4. Koran (4:3) violence charge against them. There is also the option of 5. Cultural having their father or other male 6. Cultural family members signing but they are typically reluctant to be a 7. Cultural (Koran part of something that would deter the family lineage. Also, doesnt address it) the Koran permits husbands to 8. Koran (4:34) but beat their wives as previously shown. enhanced by culture

2. Cultural

Signs of Change in Saudi Arabia

King Abdullah has promised that by the next election women will be able to vote and run for candidacy In 2012, Saudi Arabia produced its first feature length film, Wadjda, directed by a female director that incorporates themes of gender equality In 2012, Saudi Arabia permitted its first two female athletes to compete in the Olympics Women can now work in lingerie department stores, female sections of restaurants, can get a degree in law and practice it, and work beside a man in hospitals Protests led by women and endorsed by some men are being held in regard to womens inability to receive a drivers license-- at the very least it is catching the eyes of the global public.

Iran
If any of your women commit a lewd act, call in four witnesses from among yourselves against them; if they testify to their guilt confine them to their houses till death overtakes them or till God finds another way for them.

If two men among you commit a lewd act, punish them both. If they repent and mend their ways, let them be. God is forgiving and merciful. (The Koran, 4:16)

Like many Arab countries, Irans recent legislation regarding womens rights suggests that they are in favor of gender equality, yet it is not reflected in the attitudes and behavior of society. Life in Iran is heavily influenced by Islam and Shariah Law. That influence has shaped how women are treated in Iran today.

Past and Present

In an attempt to modernize the country of Iran, Shah Pahlavis White Revolution of the 60s and 70s made significant strides for the rights of women. During this time, women saw improvements in voting rights, rights within the family, restrictions against polygamy, and the minimum age to be married was raised from 13 to 18. However, when the Iranian Revolution began

in 1977 and the Shah was overthrown, power was seized

by Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini was ultra-conservative and wished for Iran to return to a more traditional Islamic state. This called for a regression in the recent progress made toward gender equality.

Present Day
The main point to emphasize here is that women saw significant progress for their rights during a time when Irans

leader wanted to modernize, or westernize, the country of

Iran. Once the country began an attempt to revert to the more traditional interpretations of Islam, women saw much of the

progress that had been made taken away from them.

Today, some of that progress has been recovered, but women still suffer from unequal marriage rights, few rights concerning their children, an inability to travel without their husbands, and in some cases cant even drive a car.

Turkey
I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in My way, be it man or women; each of you is equal to the other. Sura 3.195
Gender inequality within Turkey still exists today, women in Turkey still have to cope with problems that emanate from the continuation of traditional patriarchal values and maledominated relations. However, the secular country with a Muslim majority (first of its kind) should be looked at as a beacon of hope for Islamic women in the Middle East. The formation of a secular government allowed the country to pass legislation that recognized women as equal and free citizens vis-a-vis the state. (Women In Turkey.) Turkey was able to grow and adapt with the modern world, providing opportunities for women to enter and contribute to the workforce as well as integrating them into society. During this time many other Muslim countries held onto traditional Islamic views and beliefs, alienating women from the community and into submissive home-confined roles.

Islam Mixed with Western Gov.

Founded in 1923, Turkey has run a secular government since its inception as a country. In 1926 the country introduced the Turkish Civil Code A modified version of the Swiss civil code which regulated relationships between individuals

The code banned polygamy and gave women equal rights in situations of divorce and child custody.

If you fear that you cannot treat orphans with fairness, then you marry other women who seem good to you: two, three, or four of them. But if you fear that you cannot maintain equality among them, marry one or any slave-girls you may own. Sura 4:3 o However, the Koran permits polygamy even if it is under strict circumstances. Because Turkey separates state and religion, it gives civil laws the ability to trump religious ideologies or interpretations.

Traditional values of Islam can be perceived as outdated and unequal in the modern world. In todays global village. information has never spread faster, making visible the injustices towards women in Islam to most of the world. Muslim countries have struggled with this transition as younger generations push for equality via internet mediums. For decades Turkey has emphasized the importance of gender equality, continuously passing laws to balance the scale between men and women.

Womens Rights
Right to Vote: By 1930 women had the right to vote in local elections and by 1934 national elections. In Comparison women in France, Italy, and Belgium got the right to vote in 1944, 1945, and 1948 respectively. Women in Office: 1935 was the first year women entered office, 18 women were voted into parliament. Since then women have continued to hold office. Turkish Constitution of 1982: Most current with revisions, revisions emphasizing equality Article 10: 1. All individuals are equal without any discrimination before the law 2. Men and women have equal rights. The state shall have obligation to ensure that this equality exists in practice. 3. No privilege shall be granted to any individual, family, group, or class. 1. The family is the foundation of the Turkish society and based on the equality of spouses

Article 41: Article 90:

5. International agreements duly put into effect bear the force of law. Any international law the government implements hold power over national law and religion

Turkish Civil Draft Bill: Constructed to be more gender sensitive. The most important aspects were: Established the marriageable age to be 17 for both genders

Though Turkey has made impressive strides towards equality, Islamic ideologies still impact laws.

This year Turkey finally ended a debate that long divided the country by lifting the headscarf ban that plagued women for decades. The removal of the law allows women to wear headscarves in universities, civil service jobs, and government offices.

Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey all view women and gender equality differently. But for each Islam is a consistent factor. These countries provide us with three separate examples of how Muslim women are affected when Islam is both directly and indirectly integrated into government. In Saudi Arabia, the combination of Shariah Law being enforced by the constitution, coupled with cultural traditions that resemble the 14th century, leaves a situation for women that cannot be desired. Iran shows us the good and the bad. When attempting to secularize and modernize the country, improving womens rights was a vital focus. Improvements could be clearly seen, but when the government was overthrown and had reverted back to traditional Islamic views, the progress for womens rights was erased. Even with the struggles Turkey has endured in regards to equality they still represent the good. The emphasis on gender equality and women's rights is far greater than Iran or Saudi Arabia. Promoting and enforcing equality is built into the constitution that governs the country today.

Works Cited
International Finance Corporation. "Saudi Arabia Country Data - Women, Business and the Law - The World Bank." Saudi Arabia Country Data - Women, Business and the Law - The World Bank. The World Bank, 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. <http://wbl.worldbank.org/data/exploreeconomies/saudi-arabia/2013>. Dawood, N.J., trans. The Koran (Penguin Classics). [S.l.]: Penguin Classics, 2004. Print. European Union. Institute for Security Studies. Chaillot Papers. Iran: A Revolutionary Republic in Transition. By Rouzbeh Parsi. Paris: EUISS, 2012. Feb. 2012. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. <http://www.ab.gov.tr/files/ardb/evt/1_avrupa_birligi/1_9_politikalar/1_9_8_dis_politika/Iran_A_revolutionary_republic_in _transition.pdf>. ICL - Turkey Constitution. ICL - Turkey Constitution. By Turkey. N.p., May 2007. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. <http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/tu00000_.html> Saudi Arabia. Adopted by Royal Decree of King Fahd. ICL - Saudi Arabia - Constitution. By Saudi Arabia. N.p., Oct. 1993. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. <http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/sa00000_.html>.
Smith, Roff. "Why Turkey Lifted Its Ban on the Islamic Headscarf." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131011-hijab-ban-turkey-dsislamic-headscarf-ataturk/>

Women In Turkey. Women in Turkey, Turkish Culture Foundation, n d. Web, 09 Dec. 2013 <http://www.turkishculture.org/lifestyle/turkish-culture-portal/the-women/women-in-Turkey-201.htm?type=1>