Monday, March 22, 2010

Women in Islam (A couple links)

Some Misconceptions about Women in Islam (Discovering Islam)

Islam gave women rights and privileges at a time when only barbaric manners and values dominated… 

Polygamy in Islam (Discovering Islam)

Islam is criticized for allowing polygamy, for popular culture in the West views polygamy as relatively backward and impoverished.  For many Christians, it is a license to promiscuity, and feminists consider it a violation of women’s rights and demeaning to women.  A crucial point that needs to be understood is that for Muslims, standards of morality are not set by prevalent Western thought, but by divine revelation.  A few simple facts should be borne in mind before any talk of polygamy in Islam…

Related: Polygamy and Discipleship

Where does the Hijab come from? (Islam and Christianity)

What Islamists do not admit is that the custom of the veiling of women in early Islam was not part of the dress code until Muslims conquered Persia and the Byzantine territories in the 7th century. It was only after this assimilation of the conquered cultures that head covering and veiling were viewed as appropriate expressions of Islam practice. Since the veil was impractical attire for working women, a veiled woman was a sign that she belonged to the upper class and that her husband was rich enough to keep her idle.

2 comments:

AT said...

Good articles. Just wanted to tag onto that by mentioning a challenge facing Muslim women I've been interested in lately -it relates to water.

I'm fascinated by the story of Hajar, her search for water for Ismail, and the fate of the location (the well of Zamzam - زمزم ) which is now Mecca....
This is the story of an Egyptian women, a well, and the God of Abraham supplying for her physical need.

2000 years later a Samaritan women would be at another well (Jacob's) and would have an encounter with the same God who supplied for her spiritual need.

After another 2000 years have passed and women from different tribes, tongues and nations come to wells day after day, in need of water, not knowing that the God of Abraham provided for their deepest need.
Isa provides the living water and whoever drinks of it will never be thirsty again.

Warrick Farah said...

Thanks AT. Well said.