Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!brl-tgr!jcp From: jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: American women in Iran (abc's 20/20 12/13/84) Message-ID: <6790@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Wed, 26-Dec-84 17:13:16 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.6790 Posted: Wed Dec 26 17:13:16 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 29-Dec-84 02:36:04 EST References: <182@usl.UUCP> <18437@lanl.ARPA> Reply-To: jcp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Joe Pistritto ) Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 27 Summary: On the subject of Islam and women: Islam did indeed improve the position of women in the society at the time of its founding. (Think about the position of women in Europe along about, say the Dark Ages or so). Before the Koran was created, women in the Arab countries were commonly only used as property, and were most often purchased, not married. (This still happens in some Arab countries). The Moslem practice of returning the dowry to a divorced woman was distinctly 'liberal' for the time. Also, the new religion protected women from being literally stolen off the streets by assigning to their brothers and fathers the responsibility for protecting them. (This still happens in India, and the Arab countries, although to a much less degree than 500 years ago). Since that time, the Western countries have greatly improved the status of women, and Islam has remained fairly unchanged, hence the current impression of the Moslem religion as one that oppresses women. Before condemning it, consider the relative incidence of rape in Moslem and Christian countries, (particularly the US). By the way, the original reason for women wearing the veil was to make it more risky to just 'pick up' (literally) a woman off the street, after all, she might be ugly! Interestingly enough, I have noticed that Hindu women will often partially cover their faces when speaking to strangers in India, (using the top of their saree). -JCP-