Improvement for Saudi women possible within the confines of Wahhabism?
|
I had a difficult time finding any women’s health news worth blogging about today and I ended up spending a lot of time reading an interview called Saudi Women: Breaking the Chains. It was from back in February but was still very interesting and worth reading if you haven’t seen it yet.
The person being interviewed is Moudhy Al-Rashid, a woman from Saudi Arabia who is going to school at Columbia University. She obviously is concerned about women’s rights, but seems content to work within the framework of Saudi law’s to better the position of women. It seems to me that much bigger changes will be needed if women in that country will ever be treated even close to equal to men.
Moudhy Al-Rashid doesn’t seem to want to admit that women in Saudi Arabia are victims, even though all women there are prevented from exercising even the most basic of rights.
I have to wonder is she defending Saudi laws and sharia because she is afraid to do otherwise? It is even safe for a Saudi women, even while in the US, to be interviewed on a web site and speak out againstSaudi laws and sharia?
The interview is divided over two pages, so be sure to click the link at the bottom of the page to see the second part. The comments are interesting also.
I should point out that the site the interview is on seems, at a glance anyway, to express a very conservative viewpoint which in general does not reflect my own views. I tended to side with the interviewer in this case though.
________________________________________
If you like this post please share or vote for it below:
Stumble: Kirtsy: delicious: reddit: Digg:
________________________________________
If you like my blog please subscribe to read updates in a
feed reader (what does this mean?)
or by email!
Thanks! I really appreciate all your support!
________________________________________
Related Posts:
3 Responses to 'Improvement for Saudi women possible within the confines of Wahhabism?'
Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Improvement for Saudi women possible within the confines of Wahhabism?'.
Leave a Reply
Comments protected by Lucia's Linky Love.
on September 28th, 2006 at 9:07 am
I can associate with Moudhy to some extent about her division between being an advocate of rights to Saudit women and implying to the idea that Saudi’s don’t treat their women right being a Saudi herself. I am a Pakistani woman. I would never would want to advocate the term ” Pakistani women are oppressed, abused and don’t have rights ” even though its only very likely to hear and view incidents of Pakistani women being abused in one way or the other. On the other hand, I would definately say that women are not given the benefit of being an equal member of society when it comes to her views and rights. The reason for my contradicting statements is that I am a Pakistani and know how the threads of my society are intervined. I may not agree completely about the treatment of women, but still want to remain in the confines of the Islamic way (not Pakistani way of life which has been moulded and heavily influenced by the Hindu culture) of life. This also does not mean that I want to see women clad in abaya and not be able to be political figures.
Perhaps, what I want to express is that I want women to have a say and the ability to implement how they want to spend their life, how and when they want to have families, how they want to shape their future ( and their family’s future). I want Pakistani wives to be able to do something when their husbands raise their hands on them ( not that all Pakistani men do that, but I’m speaking for those exceptions that occur very too often). I want Pakistani parents to say we don’t need to give jehaz (dowry) when they get their daughters married off because they have given her all the wealth needed to raise a good family, be a good wife , be a good daughter in law…they have given her a life long of upbringing!
All this say, being in the confines of a balanced Muslim society (not a Muslim inclined to strap bombs on themselves to kill other’s husbands and sons at work, but one that educates its ownself to have knowledge, wisdom, political freedom, social welfare) and being a proud Pakistani.
Hope that is not too complicated and hope that gives the point across.
Thanks
Faye
on January 9th, 2007 at 9:03 am
I am surprised to know that how can you say that Islam is conservative? Mind it that you have no right to say against the religions and beliefs. I am a Saudi Woman and my religion is Islam. I consider Islam is the best religion so I am following it according to my own right as a human being. I am very happy and successful woman, living in Saudi Arabia according to my beliefs. Everybody has a right to live in the world and no one has the right to say other’s religion is wrong. Do the saudi law is hurting you? Live and let us live too. As a Saudi, if we have any issue, we discuss it and our government sort it out in a proper way. Peoples who don’t like our life style (either they are Muslims and non Muslims) can find their place somewhere else in the world according to their will. For example, if somebody doesn’t like the weather in Saudi Arabia, can go and live in the place of his favorite climate. Same like, we have our own customs, traditions, religion, language and every body is well come to stay with us as a guest-we respect our guests, as it is a part of our great religion but, no body has the right to disturb us.
Sameera Aziz, Jeddah, Editor Urdu News/Urdu Magazine
Reply at sameera at urdunews dot com
on January 15th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Well, actually I, and everyone else who lives in a country with basic human rights can speak out and say what they want about any religion or belief system they feel they want to. And yes, people do have the right to say other people’s religion is wrong. What they don’t have the right to do is to persecute or other wise treat people badly due to their religious belief. Or to keep people from practicing the religion they choose.
I believe pretty much any definition of the work ‘conservative’ would describe most forms of Islam, certainly the Saudi form of Islam. That is not an insult or anything, just a fact.
And no, the Saudi laws are not hurting me personally, but I believe they do hurt women in general. Not having the right to drive, etc. and other basic human rights that Saudi women do not have.
I agree that everyone has the right to their own customs, traditions, religion and language. But that doesn’t mean that others can’t express their opinions about those things. And I’m certainly not trying to ‘disturb’ any country or religion – just expressing my concern about the conditions of women in many parts of the world.