Islamic Women Essay

Many women in the Islamic culture experience various treatment based on society’s and the Quran’s views of them. Most Islamic societies view women as “unimportant” and “dishonorable.” One of the most dangerous countries for women in general and the Islamic world is Pakistan. Ninety percent of the women in Pakistan experience some form of abuse from their spouse and family members. About 1,000 women are murdered annually and their deaths are not called homicides but “honor killings” because some Muslims believe that if a woman is dishonorable to her family she should be killed (theatlantic.com). Many Muslim women experience mistreatment from their spouses and the societies in which they live in, but thanks to the current Muslim women taking

The only woman mentioned by name in the Quran is Maryam, “Mary,” mother of Jesus. Another woman indirectly mentioned in the Quran is Hawwa, “Eve.” Her role is fairly minimal. She is commonly referred to as Eve, the wife of Adam. Both of these women are named in the Quran because of their relationship to men (Jesus and Adam.) The Quran actually blames Hawwa more than it mentions her. Al-Tabari (I:529) says, “Were it not for the calamity that afflicted Hawwa, the women of this world would not menstruate, would be wise, and would bear their children with

A good example is the story of Khalidah, an African American Muslim woman. She was previously married to a non-Muslim man but he was abusive so she divorced him. Eventually, she met another man who was Muslim and they fell in love. She converted to the Islamic faith and married him believing he had no abusive tendencies such as her first husband, but was wrong. One day as she was conversing with him about her new friend she met who happened to be lesbian, he became irritated with the conversation and started hitting her. She called the police immediately. Eventually, she divorced him not willing to put herself in the position of domestic violence again.