Islamic Women Veiling

Although both early Muslims and current Sharia law greatly value the protection of women, there are vast differences between the two regarding women in court and law, veiling, ownership of property and business, and basic freedoms such as education revealing the exaggeration of rules and values within Islam and leading to a condescending perception and restricted rights of women in Islamic societies.

Claim 1: While women were granted the same opportunity as men to freely utilize the court and law to their advantage during the beginnings of Islam, women under harsh Islamic law today are disadvantaged legally resulting in an Islamic societal perception that women are less important than men. During the first several centuries of the existence

Evidence 1: "When a Girls School in Saudi Arabia caught fire in 2002, the Religious Police beat the inveiled girls to prevent them from leaving the compound on ablaze. Unveiled women must not venture out, as a result, fifteen girls were burned alive to charred” (Kahn).

Commentary 1: The requirement of veiling is so forced that men would rather have the women die than be seen unveiled in public.

Evidence 2: Ibn Battuta’s description of women in Anatolia-"A remarkable thing which I saw in this country was the respect shown to women by the Turks, for they hold a more dignified position than the men...[Their faces are] visible for the Turkish women do not veil themselves"(Battuta).

Commentary 2: The unveiled women were not only seen as more prominent then men, but they were seen as dignified and respected.

Evidence 3: Aisha bint Talha, Muhamad’s niece- “Since the Almighty hath put on me the stamp of beauty, it is my wish that the public should view the beauty and thereby recognized His grace unto them. On no account, therefore, will I veil

Evidence 1: "[women] are disallowed by law to study, work, travel, marry... without the assent of a close male relative" (Kahn).

Commentary 1: Sharia law today encourages men to take absolute control of women in every sector of their lives denying them god given rights.

Evidence 2: Ottoman ancient-“They had the right to control property, and neither fathers nor husbands could make use of this property without their consent”(Ebeling).

Commentary 2: The law regarding women and their control over their in the Ottoman period directly contradicts the harsh perspective of Sharia law.

Claim 5: In spite of women being granted freedoms such as education and presence in public during the early centuries of Islam, radical Muslims today condemn the education of women with disgusting force.

Evidence 1: "Nurbanu, favorite [wife] of selim II, was key in bringing about peace that concluded the War of the Holy League in 1573"

Commentary 1: Because women had a great political influence in the Ottoman Empire, one can infer that the women were highly