For Muslim woman who live in the Middle East but have an understanding of the West...?

Question

Do you feel that you live as rich, varied, and liberated life as woman in the West? Do you feel that you lack anything in your current environment?

I mean no disrespect in asking this question. But, it seems that people here in the West feel that woman are treated with inequality in the Middle East. At least thats the message that I had previously been given. In contrasting the two cultures I was surprised to find out that the occurance of rape and violence against woman was considerably lower in Middle Eastern countries than in Western ones. And it seems that many Middle Eastern woman feel they are less exploited and vulnerable than woman in the West.

With that in mind, I would like to hear how Muslim woman feel about this and how they view their lives. Perhaps discussing this openly might enlighten a few Westerners.

Thank you for your participation.

Honestly, I don't understand people sometimes. This question was directed at woman living in the Middle East, or Muslims who have experience or information to share. How can anyone who isn't living in the Middle East make assumptions of something they clearly have NO experience in. And how can you make assumptions about ALL Middle Eastern countries based on a bad example of one?? That's like saying all Western nations are like America. It's absolutely not true and saying such thing only illuminates ignorance!!

Answer 1

Im currently livin in the midd east n i mus say tht dis place is much safer than my native place n this place is like home 2 me. i cant imagin leavin this place 4 newhere els!

now abt ur ques
well in order 2 understand islam its necessary 2 1st sep the cultural norms of the society n religion

A woman forbidden from driving a car in Riyadh will cheerfully take the wheel when abroad, confident that her country's bizarre law has nothing to do with Islam. Afghan women educated before the Taliban rule know that banning girls from school is forbidden in Islam, which encourages all Muslims to seek knowledge from cradle to grave, from every source possible.

Women have the right to divorce, to inherit property, to conduct business and to have access to knowledge.
Any money or property owned by women is theirs to keep, and they are not obliged to share it. Similarly, in marriage, a woman's salary is hers and cannot be appropriated by her husband unless she consents.

Who said we arent allowd 2 use computers? where am i typin this ans on?

Current statistics underscore the significant improvement and the remarkable expansion of educational opportunities at all levels for Arab women in the last two decades. A new born girl in the Arab world today has much better chance than her mother to attend school and finish college. Arab governments are committed and determined to augment educational opportunities and to make them accessible to all eligible women. It is firmly believed that without emancipating women from the bondage of illiteracy no real political, social or economic development can take place.
Many Arab women already have distinguished themselves as poets, novelists, teachers, physicians, chemists, physicists, engineers, doctors, judges, lawyers, journalists, and Cabinet members.

Modesty is prescribed to protect women from molestation. Thus, the only purpose of the veil in Islam is protection. The Islamic veil is not a sign of man's authority over the woman, nor is it a sign of the woman's subjection to the man, on the contrary it shows respect and care for the woman.

I agree tht in sum places women r not being given their rights but tht doesnt happen everywhere. im a mulim woman n my rights havent been snatched away.

Western talk of women's liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have uplifted women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ârt and culture.

women have the right to own property, to choose their own partners, and have equal rights to education. In accordance with prevailing culture, these rights became transformed into the duties of women to take care of children and remain in the house. This is not all that different than a century ago in America where women were expected the duties of "Republican Motherhood," which did not take them beyond the household sphere.
It is not Muslim women as such, but women everywhere who have been imprisoned by prejudice and cruelty

Answer 2

I'm a muslim and was born in the US. But my parents are from Pakistan and I've lived there for 3 summers. Half of my family lives there and I talk to them a lot. In Pakistan, women are not forced to wear hijab and stay at home. Most women are educated, and the ones that are not are from rural areas, not from the city. Women also have government positions in Pakistan and Benezeer Bhutto (I think I mispelled her name) was the prime minister. Its not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Men do not mind their wives working if it is a descent job but I'll be truthful and say that most would not want their wives to be working in a small employment (such as some fastfood restaurant or as cashier). They consider it their responsibility to fulfill the wife's needs and the wife is never forced to work. Many homes have maids and the wives are not forced to clean the house. The only thing the wife does is cook and sometimes she doesn't even do that. So women have it easy there (for the most part). I do understand that there are exceptions and I've seen them as well. But those exist in the US and everywhere else in the world. Abusive husbands are not made that way by their religion, its just their anger and own personality. There is room to improve but not as bad as the media shows it. Now why would the media be showing happy wives and happy husbands? of course they want a story so they'll show bad examples. But that could easily be done for western households too. Besides, women were not so liberated in the west always either. Its fairly recent since they've been getting full rights but even now there are some placed that pay women less than men for the same work. Also, its cultural ideals and not islamic ideals. The wife of the Prophet (pbuh) led an army of men in war! That was such a long time ago so how could people accuse islam of treating women unequally. Also more than 200 hadith were memorized and recorded by Aisha. She's an example against the misconceptions toward islam today.


wow, didn't notice my answer was so huge sorry! :P

Answer 3

I am a Muslim who lives in the west, and i understand exactly what you mean. because i live in an area where there's violence (e.g. rape, murder) going on, we are more worried of how men treat us. (this is why we wear the head cover, because men respect us better that way and won't be affected by our beauty that may lead to harassment, rape, etc., God forbid.)

in the middle east, we are more surrounded by believers of the Holy Book, which says that we women must be treated with respect. also, the fact that there a lot more women covered in the middle east makes life comfortable there. wheras in the west, it's not that comfortable.

and btw, thanks for this great question. it's people like you that really open people's eyes.

God bless.

Answer 4

I am a Muslim, but I live in the US. I find that being a muslim almost guarantees such things as pride, self-respect, and confidence.

Then again, many european women can have that too, it's all about values. Abstinence is better than regret.

I think Muslim women (or more specifically, those who wear hijab)are more sure of their faith and their identity than the males of the muslim community.

When you see a woman wearing the hijab you automatically think "That's a muslim" So women are representing their faith 24-7.

Men don't have that issue. You can't look at a man and right away know that he is a muslim.

People think that Islam takes away the rights of women, because it differentiates between male and female.

Islam sees men and women as equals.

Western ideology does not want to put a line between men and women that differentiates between one gender and the other.

Men and women have equal rights, but they are not the same. There are certain things that only women can do and there are certain things only men can do.

Islam respects that distinction.

Western males see women as something ordinary that they can tease or use to their liking.

But in Islam the woman has an unparalleled sense of respect.

Answer 5

I live in the Middle East..I am Canadian and have converted to Islam, also am married to a Muslim...
What do old fashioned women believe in America? They believe the man should work, the woman should stay at home, the woman should dress conservatively and respect herself and her body..
Even before I was Muslim I considered myself an "old fashioned" sort of woman, these were the ideals I held...There are things I make my husband do even though I know I can do them, but I make him do them because he is a man and I am a Woman...
I don't want to drive...I don't want to go out without my Husband and I most definitely do not want to go out and work!!
These are the ideals that many Muslim women hold not because the Men tell them to but because they feel they want to!
I don't feel restricted in any way...And I grew up in a Western environment...I feel more respected as a Muslim woman...
Also...The rapes that do occur most often in the Middle East are by Foreigners...Indians raping Indians or Pakistanis...I haven't heard of a Muslim woman being raped over here in the LONGEST time....
It happens most to the Filipino Housemaids or the Indian workers...
There are a few cases of Teenagers raping little boys and girls...

MAE, oh My Gosh what are you talking about?! Who said anything about Iraq and The American soilders?? Just to clarify, why do you want Muslims to Thank America for bringing "peace" to Iraq? Do Americans really think that Muslims should be Thanking them? Hmmm...Interesting.

Answer 6

Dear friend, i starred ur question because i really think its a good thing that westerners start to ask these questions, im a muslim lived all my life in the middle east, but the last 3 yrs ive been living abroad, and i truly believe that western women are those who really suffer from inequality, injustice and are exremely exploited in the western countries, u may think this is surprising but bare with me, beside the fact u said about the high percentage of rape and violence against women in western countries, ppl talk about equality between men and women in the western countries, but lets review this equality, most women feel obligated to work to support themselves or to help their husbands, plus its still rooted in every1's mind that looking after the household is women's role -regardless of the few men who try to offer a hand to their wives- that leaves women obliged to work in and out of the house, men only out. in muslim countries, the woman would work if only she wishes to, she has no obligation to as it's her right to be looked after by a man financially, wether a husband, a father a brother an uncle,...etc no matter how wealthy she is or how old, and in the house according to islam, its not her obligation to cook or clean, her husband is obligated to bring her a maid if he can afford it, if not and she actually did this for him, he SHOULD acknowledge it as a favour!
its also mentioned in the Quran, that the husband is OBLIGATED to buy her fancy things!
most western women have told me that muslim women live as queens in their houses, which is true, in islam the definition of the woman is the queen of the house!
its her right to be respected and cared for in all periods of her life, as a daughter, (she s never shut out by her parents when she s graduated), as a wife, as a mother, and as a senior, she s never left alone!
unlike in the west, where the husband in entitled to half of his wife's property, and so is the wife, in islam, the husband has no right whatsoever to his wife's property, on the other hand, everything the husband owns belongs to his wife!
so the way i see it, we -muslim women- certainly lead better lives than other women!

Answer 7

I am a muslim in the west but I have also lived in the middle east. Muslim women are treated with utmost respect in the Middle East and are not oppressed unless they it's their will just as many Christian women are oppressed in the west with abusive and cheating husbands.
Actually Muslim women in the Middle East have more rights than the Christian women in the west..
Don't let anyone try to brainwash you because evidentally they haven't read the truth and only go by what the bais media tells them.
I am Muslim and I speak from my lifes experience

Answer 8

Not being the target group I won't and can't answer it. I have only one question: how did you find out that the occurrence of rape and violence against woman was considerably lower?
Take into account that most of those countries are not open societies and therefore their information cannot be verified. Propaganda wise it would be foolish to do so.
You remember (dictator) Mugabe from Zimbabwe stating that HIV did not exist in his country?!

Answer 9

OK
I`m muslim woman and I live in the Middle East
thank you for your question
there isn`t any problem with me to study or work
i can be on line in free
it`s common in my society
i wear hijab and i`m very happy for that
about the rapist i think they `re rarely appear in here
most of youth are religious
in Islam we must be brothers and sisters
i don`t feel any unrespectable or abulia
thanks again

Answer 10

well i live in America but i am Egyptian ethnicity...i have a sister 4 years older than me that is in Cario...but as a Muslim woman i feel like the men {except Arabs} really don't pay me much attention....and i like it. because i cover my body and hair with pursuded lack of interest. and once the Arab men find that i am not only married, but married to an Arab Muslim...there too disolves the lack of interest...i couldn't be happier.