Women in Islam : myth versus reality

Abstract

Western cultures have often viewed Islamic cultures as having a negative view of women. Recent outcries from Muslims have prompted studies on the actual treatment of women in these societies. One of these studies was done by Geraldine Brooks, who went to live as a Muslim woman in the late 1980's to find out what it was like to live in a culture thought of as so uncaring and unfriendly to its women. Brooks uncovered some very hypocritical views, especially in regards to the teachings of the Qur'an as opposed to the way the Muslim women are actually treated. In this essay, I intend to offer Islam as it is in reality, as compared to how it is presented in the Qur'an. The Qur'an has a positive outlook in regards to its view of women. The genders are treated equally in the Qur'an. The Prophet Muhammad was also fairly equal in his views of women. In reality, however, neither the Qur' an nor Muhammad's teachings about women are abided by. Women are treated as less than men and sometimes as less than human. The dichotomy between the Qur' an and life in Islam is the subject of the present essay.