Women and Islam
Do Muslim women really need saving?
Strengths and weaknesses
Between here and there: feminist solidarity and Afghan women.
Strengths and weaknesses
Do Muslim women really need saving? Anthropological reflections on cultural relativism and its others.
Topic overview and framework
The article deals with the topic of 'War on Terrorism', the war claimed to have been launched for liberating the Afghan women from Taliban and an argument with anthropological perspective to deconstruct the essentially flawed representation of Afghan women that War on Terrorism rhetoric makes. The article is aimed at investigating the nuances of identity that are essentially devoid of historical construction of role of women in Afghan society. The article also aims to identify the process through which women's role in Afghan society is not constructed on anthropological grounds but rather influenced by one's own culture, identity, and standards of living. Thus, cultural bias is said to have seeped into the process of constructing the picture and role of Afghan women.
The framework
The article adopts a threefold argument framework of addressing issues.
Dangers associated to reifying culture, in this case the culture of Afghanistan with respect to women's role.
That while establishing standards and notions of freedom, rights, and equality, one should not disregard the historical, political, social, and religious differences.
That the notion of saving Afghan women should be eliminated to be replaced with a healthy one that relies on jointly working together to eliminate injustices while not disregarding the cultural, geopolitical, and historical reasons of such identity.
Significance of the study
The study is significant as it is conducted right in the midst of an era where war in Afghanistan has assumed the focal point of efforts of the U.S. And Western governments. This has significantly impacted the intellectual diaspora as most of the debate on Afghan women is constructed on wrong premises that divorce the conventional wisdom of anthropology. Anthropology seeks to elaborate the role of cultural differences in shaping identity and how these differences can be managed to work together. Further, it is also essential to delink the cultural symbols from being associated to unrelated factors such as delinking Taliban from Afghan women's veiled code of dress. The veil has much longer history and perspective in Afghan women's life.
Sample
Since the study is not an empirical investigation but an argumentative dissection of premises of women liberation in Afghan War, there is no sample being collected or used by the author. In fact, the author uses two distinct happenings, one in which the author had conversation with PBS television program anchor and the other in which then First Lady Laura Bush addressed the nation. In both happenings, the construction of women role and identity by non-local informants is incorrect and ignores the role of U.S. In creating the monster onto which Afghan women's plight is blamed.
Findings of the article
The articles concludes by returning to the tile question that does Muslim women in Afghanistan really need liberation, as claimed by the then First Lady. The author reports that despite popular rhetoric, the identity of Afghan women and the role that veil plays in the life of Afghan women is not well-constructed and that historical, geo-political, and cultural differences are ignored while constructing women's identity in Afghanistan. The author also concludes that "It is deeply problematic to construct the Afghan woman as someone in need of saving." The tone of this notion, the saving of Afghan women is also patronizing and does not help the issue of gender equality and human rights. The author also equates the endeavors of the U.S. government to that of 19th century Christian missionary women who took up the task of saving their Muslim sisters, of the oppression of polygamy and injustice from male patriarchy.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strength: The article addresses the much important issue of women identity in Afghanistan and the often heard oppression under which these women live. Thus, the article addresses an important issue...
Therefore, more and more Muslim women have begun advocating for human rights. In addition: Based on their life experience, most Muslim women who become human rights advocates or activists, feel strongly that virtually all Muslim societies discriminate against women from cradle to grave. This leads many of them to become deeply alienated from Muslim culture in a number of ways. This bitter sense of alienation oftentimes leads to anger and
Once the practice of Islamic worship the women of that region began to be subjected to stricter codes, from marriage to dress and the risk of honor becoming an even greater issue grew. The terrorization by the Mongols and Turks was quite different from the terror under Saddam. The Mongols and Turks utilized slavery, rape, beatings and murder. Saddam instead took on an entirely different approach. His first goal
She is warm and straightforward, considerate and humble. She is not a hypocrite or a cheat, does not speak falsely and offers good advice in a prudent way and for the general welfare. She has a word and keeps it. She is modest in appearance and in manners. She respects others as she respects herself and keeps out of matters where she is not part of. She does not
Women in the Major Religions The role of women in organized religion has been an issue of discussion and debate for many years. It gained significant attention as the "women's rights" movement gathered momentum, and it has been fueled further by recent global events. After the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, interest in religious practices in Afghanistan gathered a lot of attention. That is because the
In the Koran, Muhammad is advising some who want to join the war against the pagans to stay by their mothers and go on in taking care of them, assuring them that it is as worthy in God's eyes as fighting for Him in a battle. By the time Muhammad had his first revelations, Islam came as a tool of God imposing social justice in a world that was divided
Woman and Islam Islamic religion has its established guiding teachings and principles that ensure its followers submit totally to the will of Allah for all the adherents. In effect, Islamic religion recognizes the fact that people and things around them affect their survival irrespective of their age, community, families, and the nation. The quality of life of the Muslims invariably affects the existence of the Islamic nations and religion as a
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now