Koran And Women
The Koran’s Attitude Towards Women The Koran is a book following the religion
of the Muslim people. In it, many aspects of their ways of life and their
attitudes towards different people are addressed. It mentions the strong
feelings of the true believers towards Jews and Christians, however it gives a
view of women that is taken two ways. A major part of their religion is the way
women should be treated. This idea is a controversial topic as seen from a
person that is not a true believer, or a Muslim. Conventional thinking brought
out by the media have led non-Muslim people to perceive the treatment of women
as suppressive. The Koran shows the reader both sides of the coin, and
therefore, the reader must form an opinion of the way they thing women are
treated. After reading The Koran, one would think that it belittles women, such
as the way they are treated, and the role they play in society. However, with
respect to their society habits, rituals, ways of life, and their religion,
Muslim women are actually treated with more respect, and with more decency. The
people of the book have very strict ideas about how society is to be run based
upon their religion and culture. They are given certain rules and are expected
to follow them. They have a proper understanding of how they are to live their
life and how they are to treat other people. In the case of women, The Koran is
very specific when it comes down to how they are to be treated and their role in
life. “Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against
them, although men have a status above women.” As long as you are not a true
believer, you will never really know what this exactly means. Obviously in The
Koran, men have more rights than women. But then how is this statement to be
understood? In The Koran, men and women have rights that are far more gender
bias; men are guided more towards money and power, while women are guided
towards a family and the home.
It is a society in which the woman is in charge
inside of the house while the man has more power outside. People would think of
this as degrading towards women, but it is done to look after them. As a
protection to women, men are forced to go outside of the house into the world
that is cold and evil. They are told that they must do this everyday and bring
home money to provide for their family and wife. The woman is to stay home in a
safe place and take care of what she knows best. This is not mean to make women
feel inferior but to make them feel safe and free from the world. There are many
reasons why people believe that women are treated without respect in the Islamic
nations. First and foremost, it says in The Koran that women may be beaten: Men
have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other,
and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient.
They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from
whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart, and beat
them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. (64) Many
people see this as wrong, but why? It is clearly stated in the Islamic religion
that women may be beaten if they are disobedience. Why then, would a woman do
something defiant if she knows that she will be hurt? She should realize that
she must be a true believer and not be insubordinate; and if she is, then she
must realize that she did something wrong, and according to her religion, she
must be punished. She will know that she has done something wrong, and
unfortunately will get beaten; however, if she is smart, she will know not to do
it again and obey her husband. Another point that is stated in The Koran is that
if a woman feels like she is being treated unfairly by her husband, either
emotionally or physically, she may go to him and others of the community and ask
them for help. She can make an agreement with her husband, “for agreement is
best.” (74) Another reason why the idea that women are treated fairly is
disagreed with is because women aren’t given as many rights as men.