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-