Self-Determination in Arab Society :: Arabic Culture Cultural Essays

Self-Determination in Arab Society Since World War Two, much of the developing world has been in transition. One such idea that saw a re-birth was that of self-determination-- be it on the national level or on the personal level. Self-determination on a national level means the independence of a country; on a personal level, it is the determination of one own fate. This can be seen in various ways with our five women characters, Maha, Um Saad, Nadia, Yusra and Suad. In the forward of Daughters of Abraham, Karen Armstrong notes that Islam is "adamantly opposed to the subjection of one human being by another," "insist that men and women were created by God image" and "both sexes have equal rights and responsibilities before God." Strong and resourceful women have played a key role in history and yet Islam has pushed women into an inferior and marginal position, excluding them from full participation in the social, cultural and religious life of the community. Even though figures such as the prophet Muhammad had a positive view of women, relied on them, and treated them as valued equals, some of the most respected sages and theologians have preached outright misogyny. In Rethinking Women and Islam, Amira Sonbol remarks that while the "vision of equality has been one of the mainsprings and central teachings of Islam," it is not extended to women. Rather the numerous Quranic references to equality between man and woman are commonly disregarded, "as the man is given superior moral and physical role as guardian over his wife." It is this type of understanding that is rooted into Arab culture whether or not Arab women have experienced great changes in modernization and industrialization. Therefore, it is imperative that women stand up for themselves and have a sense of self-determination. Self Determination Women were among the first converts to Islam, and the Koran gave women rights of inheritance and divorce that Western women did not receive until the nineteenth century. The Koran does not describe the wearing of the veil of all women as well as seclusion. However, Karen Armstrong notes that three of four generations after the prophet death, Muslims imitated the customs of the Greeks and the Persians in their empire who had long treated their women in this way. Moreover, in her view, Muslims also picked up some of the Christian misogyny and pre-modern legal codes like the Shariah "reduced women to the rank of second-class citizens even though the ideal of the equality of all believers was crucial to the Quran message.