The Role of Women in the Muslim Countries - Term Paper Example

Executive Summary Though the Qur’an and Sharia are used by all Muslims worldwide, the interpretations of the teachings vary. Scholars vary as to whether they are just or whether they are correct in the interpretation of religious imperatives. Majority of countries give woman varying degrees of freedom based on different interpretations. In ultra-conservative nations such as Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, Muslim women are still not recognized. In some Muslim nations, such as Pakistan, Indonesia, India and Turkey women as slowly being recognized in politics giving them a chance to choose their leader and run for public office. Women have been a champion in women’s rights and politics. Malaysian women have been holding significant position in education, business and politics. Among Arab countries, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Bahrain have been slowly recognizing the role of women in politics. Despite of these, there have been reports of injustices and abuses of some women in these countries. Among Muslim countries, UAE has been the foremost supporter of women’s role in politics and the society as a whole. To this regard, UAE resembles the recognition of women in western countries. Women have been seen in various institutions including business, education, social services and politics. Low employment of women in UAE was notable but this is just due to Emirati women’s personal choices. Introduction The role of women in the Muslim world had long been a subject of debate and controversy. Muslims and non-Muslims alike have been debating over the controversial role of women politics in Arab countries. According to historians, the complex relationship between women and Islam is defined by both Islamic texts and the history and culture of the Muslim world. In most Muslim countries, in Arab and non-Arab nations alike, women have been recognized in politics although with some restrictions, and injustices and abuses have also been reported in some. UAE champions in women’s rights in various fields including in education, business, social services and politics. The Role of Muslim Women The roles, rights and obligation of a Muslim woman are defined in a written law called Shariah (Sharia). Sharia guides the day-to-day activity of a woman may it be at home, in the community or in the field of education, business, or politics. The Qu’ran (Koran) has been also constantly used to define the roles of women (Arrifin, 2008). Though the Qu’ran and Sharia is used by all Muslims worldwide, the interpretations of the teachings vary. Scholars and other commentators also vary as to whether they are just and whether they are correct in the interpretation of religious imperatives. Different countries give women varying degrees of freedom in various fields as marriage, civil rights, dress code, and education. These may highly depend on the different interpretations of the Quran and even the Sharia. Conservative Muslims for example argue that the status of women in the society is results of their responsibility in the community while feminist groups insist on the original and traditional interpretations. According to some scholars, customs and traditions held by some minority communities such as honor killing, forced marriages and female circumcision predates Islam, and mostly tribal in nature. It exists in some Muslim communities but not others. It also occurs in some non-Muslim communities. This therefore proves that such acts are based on pre-Islamic customs and traditions. Furthermore, there is no concrete evidence that such acts are based on Islamic teachings. On the contrary, Islam came and abolished many unjust acts. The Quran strongly disapproves this barbaric act. It is a major sin and illegal under Islamic Sharia (Arrifin, 2008) In strict Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia, sex segregation is strictly enforced. This is also strongly imposed to the Taliban women of Afghanistan. In Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to travel alone, vote or drive and strictly impose women to cover from head to toe. For these countries the rigid laws on the roles and obligations of women are not due to Sharia but as a response to the extreme liberalism of the western culture. According to them a woman should pray, fast, not leave the house without permissions or not engage in politics for Allahs sake. Even in countries wherein males and females are allowed to mingle at occasions, they still strongly impose certain restrictions. At the mosque, females are segregated from males. the mingling between unrelated or unmarried men and women is also strongly discouraged. (Women in Islam. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam). Islam emphasizes that men and women interact only in order to achieve a common goal such as in trade, education, industry, work, politics and in protecting the state. Under Sharia law, women are obliged to seek knowledge, they are allowed to work, become professionals, attend mosque, go shopping, eat in public places and carry out her daily activities without harassment (Arrifin, 2008). According to Islam scholars give women the right to own and have personal possessions. Because women have no financial obligations like men (pay dowry or pay for child or elderly parents maintenance), some of their financial rights are less than that of the men. Womens share of inheritance, as outlined in the Quran, is typically less than that of men. , but in some cases, women get more, depending on their placement in the family, and the existence of other heirs. Women are allowed to work in Islam but subject to certain conditions. Some Muslim countries allow women to work for the sake of personal and community development. According to scholars this was exhibited by two female shepherd described in the Quran. (Available from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/). Some Muslim countries strongly impose that women seek medical treatment fro female physicians. Others allow male doctors to treat women, though female doctors are more preferred. The same rule applies in other fields as schools, offices and sports centers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates). The status of womens testimony in Islam has long been disputed. Some jurists do not honor the testimonies of women. The reasons are varied including the belief that women lack the dexterity and intelligence of a man, or a womans temperament or emotion, or simply others spare women from the burden of being in the court. Other countries recognize the equality of a female’s testimony to that of a male. In other countries, two females testimony is equal to that of a male. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates.). Fixed marriages still exist in some Muslim countries. Apparently there are no age limits for fixed marriages, but a girl is just handed to her husband if she is fit for sexual relations. Some countries highly encourage that a Muslim woman seek a Muslim man in marriage. Some countries tolerate polygamy for as long as the husband can support his wives. A man could have as many as 8 wives provided that he treats all wives equally. Some Muslim countries allow widow to re-marry a single man. A widow is also entitled for an inheritance of ¼ of her husbands property, though this value is reduce to 1/8 if the couple has children (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates.). (Arrifin, 2008). Role of Women in Politics in the Islamic World Some scholars say that people with a female ruler will never be successful. However, some classical Islamic scholars, supported female leadership. Early Islamic history has documented women leaders including Aisha. Aisha, the most prominent one of the wives of Muhammad was described as a learned woman. She is one of the earliest Islam scholars, describing the works and life of Muhammad. She was allowed Muhammad to lead the prayers at the Mosque of Dar, and was appointed to lead the market committees of Merca and Medina. Indian history also saw the rise of woman power in the person of Razia Sultan or Razia Sultana in 1236 to 1240. She led the armies and become the first woman leader of Delhi, India. (Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_political_leaders_in_Islam_and_in_Muslim-majority_countries). In 1250 to 1257, an Egyptian widow named Shajarat ad-Durr rose in power. She played an important role in the Seventh Crusade against Egypt, and became the Sultana of Egypt in the process. Many Muslim dominated countries have seen the rise of women leaders. Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Turkey have produced female leaders over the decades. There are a lot of Malaysian women especially in politics, business and finance is infinitely better than their counterparts in other Muslim countries. Malaysia officially has full employment and has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. More than half of Malaysian women work, many in top jobs in government, financial regulation, business, banking, education and so on. Among the popular women leaders is Rafidah Azi, who is the minister for the international trade and industry. Dr. Zeti Aziz is also known in the business world being the governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. Zarinah Anwar is the chairman of Malaysias Securities Commission. Shahriizat Binti Abdul Jalil and Dr. Mashitah Binti Ibrahim are some of the famous Malaysians in the field of politics as they are being tipped as future prime ministers. (Al Lawati, 2009). Indonesia, also a populous Muslim country has elected a female president, Megawati Sukarnoputri. Pakistan, another Muslim dominated country elected Benazir Bhutto twice as its prime minister. Bangladesh, 3rd most populous Muslim nation, second to Pakistan had 2 female prime ministers – Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. Turkey, 5th most populous Muslim dominated country also elected a female prime minister, Tansu Ciller. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_political_leaders_in_Islam_and_in_Muslim-majority_countries). But despite these country’s image as a progressive and functional Muslim country in which women especially in the workplace are excelling, there remains a strong undercurrent of religious conservatism, especially in areas related to theology whether in civil service, education, business, family law or society in general. Though given significant roles in politics and the society, some Muslim women still experience a certain degree of rejection. During the election on 2005 in Egypt, 24 women was declined to run for office. There have also been reports that candidates were imprisoned and treated badly including sexual assault. In other Arab countries, the role of women is widely accepted. In Jordan, women play an important role in the parliament since 1990. Nuha Maaytah was the second woman to serve in Jordans parliament in 2003. In Syria, women are allowed to participate during the Assad regime. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/). Role of Women in Politics in the Arab World Today, there are a growing number of women in the parliaments of Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morroco. There are numerous women teachers, preachers, and Islamist leaders in contemporary Iran, one example being Zahra Rahnavard. There has also been appointment of women as ministers in various Muslim countries including the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar (Shahnaz Taplin, 2009). Women still face many pressures as political leaders. Rola Dashti, one of the 28 women candidates for parliamentary elections in Kuwait in July 2006, at a conference last year on Gulf women in business, highlighted the major difficulties she and her colleagues faced, including removal of campaign posters, bribery attempts and even death threats. In the end, none of the 28 female candidates were elected though women were allowed to participate in the election for the first time. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/). Women in most of the Muslim countries would like gender equality and equal opportunities to be outlined in the constitution. They would like a cross-gender approach to politics, business and bureaucracy. Many countries do not have ministerial women’s affairs portfolios. However, with economic and human resource pressures on Muslim countries, it is inevitable that these countries have an increasing role for the contribution of women in various fields (Parker, 2009). Role of Women in Politics in the West Liberalism is always associated with western countries, so as in the field of politics. Women in the west enjoy freedom in all aspects of the society – education, health, business, social services and politics. Women can freely express themselves, interact with other people, educate themselves, and enjoy a career in any field, vote and run for public office. Thus it is no surprise that a lot of world renowned leaders have emerged among these countries including Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of United Kingdom; Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany; Kim Campbell, Prime Minister of Canada; and Edith Cresson, Prime Minister of France. Women are also properly represented in parliament of Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and in the United States (Women in politics. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_politics#Women.27s_suffrage) Role of Women in Politics in UAE Among the Arab countries, UAE fully supports the role of women. UAE has produced world renowned women in the field of education, business and politics. Reem Al Hashemi served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the UAE Embassy in Washington.SHaikha Lubna Al Qasimi is the first Emirati woman to be appointed as Minister of Foreign Trade. Najla Al Awadi is the Deputy CEO of Dubai Media Incorporated. She is also a board member of the UAE chapter of young Arab Leaders. Najla started her career as a TV journalist in 2002 with Dubai Business Channel. At the forefront of Emirati women in business is Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan al Qasimi, appointed Minister for Economy and Planning in November of 2004 and subsequently promoted to her current post as Minister of Foreign Trade. Sheikha Lubna holds the distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the country. Promoting trade relations throughout the world on behalf of the UAE, her efforts have led her to be rated within the Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women (Available from http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/women.htm. Accessed 3 Nov 2009). Conclusion The role of women in the United Arab Emirates has advanced greatly in recent years, in fact it has been cemented in the UAE constitution. This ensures women roles, obligations, rights and privileges in various fields, including education, business and politics. The wife of President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan – Fatima bint Mubarak played an important role in making this possible. (Available from http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/women.htm. Accessed 3 Nov 2009). Today, Emirati women are found in various institutions as professors, civil servants, lawyers, engineers, doctors, businesswomen, media and members of the army. One to two percent in executive positions in businesses are held by women, 20% of the administrative positions are held by women, 35% of women are in national workforce and 80% are household workers. UAE has been sponsoring various conventions for women. The most recent was in November 2007 entitled Global Economic Forum held in Abu Dhabi and the Arab Womens Conference in November 2008. Organizations have also been established to promote women and children welfare. Among these organizations include Dubai Shelter for Women and Children founded in 2007, the Social Support Center, Dubai Women Establishment, the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women, and the Family Development Foundation. (Available from www.gulfnews.com) Challenges Despite the major advances in the role of women in politics in UAE, certain needs are to be directed. One of these is the unwillingness of educated women to take employment. Studies show that this is a matter of choice rather than necessity. It was also found that womens choice of educational qualification are not always in demand in the job market. Another problem that has been identified is the need for women to take up employment in a wider range of professions. (Available from http://www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=7d3c4c8631cb4110VgnVCM100000b0140a0aRCRD). References Al Lawati, Abbas. Study lauds women’s role in politics and governance. Available from www.gulfnews.com Accessed 3 Nov Arrifin, Farnaza. 2008.The Sharia series: The role and status of women in Islam. Available from http://www.hizb.org.uk/hizb/resources/issues-explained/sharia-series-the-role-and-status-of-women-in-islam.html. Accessed 3 Nov 2009. Female political leaders in Islam and Muslim majority countries. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_political_leaders_in_Islam_and_in_Muslim-majority_countries. Accessed 3 Nov. Global connections. The middle east. Available from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/. Accessed 3 Nov 2009. Parker, Mushtak. The politics of female empowerment. Arab news. Available from http://www.arabnews.com/?page=15§ion=0&article=94132&d=24&m=5&y=2005. Accessed 3 Nov 2009. Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy, Arab Women in Politics: Between Repression and Islamism? Available from http://www.islamonline.net/English/Views/2006/04/article02.shtml. Accessed 3 Nov 2009. UAE women. Available from http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/women.htm. Accessed 3 Nov 2009. Women in Islam. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates. Accessed on 3 Nov 2009. Women in the Arab Emirates: A portrait of progress. Gulf news. Available from www.gulfnews.com Accessed 3 Nov. Women in politics. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_politics#Women.27s_suffrage. Accessed 9 Nov 2009. Women in the UAE. Available from http://www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=7d3c4c8631cb4110VgnVCM100000b0140a0aRCRD. Accessed 3 Nov 2009. Read More