What does it mean to be a Muslim woman?

I don't believe in making rules about what people believe and how they go about their lives (provided they aren't effecting others badly) however the ideas burning bush is talking about unless entirely sarcastic is a lot of my issue with that particular belief and to be honest most of the main stream religions. (and the more fundamental the religion the worse it is)

It might be well and good for women able to talk and express and choose for themselves, but that isn't the case for many women in controlling situations.

Perhaps someone in a more enlightened and free areas can happy and empowered to be covered or not but others it can be life and death as men control every aspect of women lives, where they can't drive, travel without male escort and the like.. that isn't freedom and empowerment, that is the subjugation of women.

Personally I don't think a religion is a good enough reason to allow peoples rights to be compromised, the dark ages should be left behind us.

"For some feminists in the West they see (the hijab) as oppressive - but for people like me who wear it - I am not oppressed. I am empowered by it because I chose to wear it,"

As long as there are places in the world where women will be assaulted, beaten and worse for not wearing a hijab, it is perverse to call it empowering. I would like her to explain exactly how something that so many are essentially forced to wear is empowering for her.

Of course, there are many millions of Muslim women, with almost as many individual stories. But broadly speaking, women are oppressed in most Muslim countries. There is no getting around that.

It basically means subjugating themselves to men and being forced into marriage at the age of ten.

@burning bush

Because not all "cultures" or all aspects of them deserve "respect" as "equal" and its got nothing to do with being western its simply about being human, not sumpremcy of one culture over another, especially when the excuse is simply, well I believe this old book (or my particular interpretation of it)

Does slavery as an example, i.e one human owning another human deserve respect ever in any situation.

NO, never and that was something the west used to, until very recently, itself uphold.

Similarly the subjugation of women as baby factories, less free than men is just wrong.

The "western white man" still has a lot of work to do itself , the only difference is having been in a privileged position for so long its only right to extend the freedoms and prosperity from that "we've" enjoyed to as many others as we can.

Some presumption of the white mans neo-colonialist overstep as an excuse when there are people suffering things like female genital mutilation, and slave/property like treatment is just a load of new age "let them be woke-ness" gone wrong.

When will people in the West drop their white man's burden presumption of supremacy and instead learn to tolerate and respect for other cultures as equals?

Do you think ideas such as beating women for not following dress codes, FGM, punishing people for leaving a religion and punishing homosexuals should be treated with respect?

I have absolutely zero respect for those ideas. Many reformist Muslims have zero respect for them.

“The burqa is a head-to-toe cloak which conceals the face with a mesh or is worn in conjunction with the niqab - a face veil that leaves only the eyes exposed.”

Actually, that’s kinda’ creepy. Women are gods gift to men. Let them show it if they got it.

One aspect that they don't discuss is FGM. It would be interesting to know what effect that has on the emancipation of Muslim women. Perhaps they think that criticism of it by non-Muslims is racist.

@seadig538

FGM is not an Islamic thing. It is not mentioned in the Quran and in 17 African countries it is also practiced by Christians. In fact, in Niger 55 percent of Christian women and girls had experienced it, compared with two percent of their Muslim counterparts.

FGM is not an Islamic thing. It is not mentioned in the Quran

Not in the Koran, but is recommended in the Hadiths. It is not unique to Islam, but to say it isn’t an Islamic thing is misleading. It is carried out by some because it is recommended in the scriptures.

People are totally misinformed about FGM, it's an African cultural practice and is unrelated to Islam

So why is it recommended in the Hadiths and carried out by some because it is recommended in the Hadiths?

How can you argue it’s unrelated to Islam when it is recommended in the scriptures?

This makes no sense.

Just to add to my last post pointing out that the Hadiths recommend FGM, the Shafi'i school of Islam regards it as obligatory rather than just noble.

Jimizo, what statistics do you have regarding the prevalence of FGM among Arab Muslims?

Can you provide any credible sources.

I notice you are stepping back from your claim that FGM has nothing to do with Islam and are focusing on Arab Muslims. We could mention FGM in Indonesia, but let’s stick to your question for now.

According to UNICEF, 23% of Yemeni girls have undergone FGM. The same report stated that 27 million Egyptian women have undergone the same mutilation. The Yemen stats seem to destroy your claim that it is an African problem.

You can dismiss UNICEF if you like. If you do, we can go on to other sources.

What does it mean to be a Muslim woman?

It means to be owned by husband, who can also have other wives. I feel pity.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Female-Circumcision-An-Islamic-practice-brings-untold-benefits-to-women-155646.html

Female Circumcision: An Islamic practice brings untold benefits to women

 I am not oppressed. I am empowered by it because I chose to wear it," she said.

Wearing something because you believe that you have been commanded to is not empowerment - it is being a slave to an ancient text.

Choosing to be a slave does not make you free.

To be a Muslim woman means believing that this is the literal word of Allah:

Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.

So there you have the literal word of Allah - ruled by men, obliged to be obedient and be struck for their arrogance. But that's OK because they can be empowered by wearing a hijab, or something.

Some pretty amazing cognitive dissonance at work there.

I noticed that of my three above posts someone has down voted the first two. But the third, which contains a direct quotation from a translation of the Quran, has not been. After all, you can't show any criticism of the word of Allah. And if that says to subjugate and beat women, so be it.

I noticed that of my three above posts someone has down voted the first two. But the third, which contains a direct quotation from a translation of the Quran, has not been. After all, you can't show any criticism of the word of Allah. And if that says to subjugate and beat women, so be it.

I’m interested in hearing the opinions of the person who thumbed down my post which dealt with the claim that FGM is not in the Koran:

Not in the Koran, but is recommended in the Hadiths. It is not unique to Islam, but to say it isn’t an Islamic thing is misleading. It is carried out by some because it is recommended in the scriptures.

As far as I am aware, this post is factual. If it isn’t, I’d gladly accept a correction or if the poster regards that Hadith as authentic and on what authority.

I’m willing to be corrected.

Here is an article on FGM which deals with the all the hadith which are used to justify FGM. But the easy way to answer is this: If FGM is Islam, why was the Holy Prophet's (s) daughter or his wives subjected to it?

https://www.academia.edu/33549872/Female_Circumcision_Is_it_prescribed_by_Islam

As for the verse of the Holy Quran translated as "men are incharge of women . . . women are devoutly obedient . . ." This is an incorrect translation. It says that men are to protect women . . . women are obedient to Allah "