Putting aside belief in God as a personal issue of faith, I wonder if Amazon Woman considered comparing how women are treated in Israel to how women are treated in almost any Islamic country.
In Israel, women are doctors, lawyers, scientists, Ministers of the Knesset, and Golda Meir was one of the first female world leaders.
Women can vote, own property, have access to birth control and abortion, and can use the courts to sue if they are sexually harassed or discriminated against because they are women. Lesbians can live openly without fear.
In most Muslim societies, women are chattel. They may not leave their home without being escorted by a male relative. In many Muslim countries, Arab women cannot vote. In Saudi Arabia, women are prohibited from driving a car.
Women can be locked up against their will, beaten without interference by the police or courts, and even killed in "honor killings" which are rarely prosecuted.
In Nigeria, if a woman has a child out of wedlock, she is buried in dirt up to her head, and they throw stones at her head until she is dead.
In Sudan, women are routinely raped by the hundreds and can be sold into slavery.
Palestinian women are expected to raise their children to become shehadas or suicide bombers. These same women are expected to express joy when their child is "martyred". If they grieve, it must be done in private.
Yes, Israel does have its problems with patriarchial men. For instance, Orthodox women cannot divorce their husbands. Only the husband can divorce her by issuing a "get". However, secular Jewish women can and do divorce their husbands all the time.
Traditionally, Judaism has property transfer through the women. Also, a child born to a Jewish mother is Jewish ---even if she had sex outside of marriage and with a non-Jew!!
So her child is accepted into the community. In Islamic countries, she might be murdered for this and her child stigmatized.
Judaism is not perfect when it comes to womens' rights, but it is light years ahead of Islam.
Islamic countries aren't women-hating patriarchys?
Date Edited: 27 Feb 2005 05:40:52 AM
In Israel, women are doctors, lawyers, scientists, Ministers of the Knesset, and Golda Meir was one of the first female world leaders.
Women can vote, own property, have access to birth control and abortion, and can use the courts to sue if they are sexually harassed or discriminated against because they are women. Lesbians can live openly without fear.
In most Muslim societies, women are chattel. They may not leave their home without being escorted by a male relative. In many Muslim countries, Arab women cannot vote. In Saudi Arabia, women are prohibited from driving a car.
Women can be locked up against their will, beaten without interference by the police or courts, and even killed in "honor killings" which are rarely prosecuted.
In Nigeria, if a woman has a child out of wedlock, she is buried in dirt up to her head, and they throw stones at her head until she is dead.
In Sudan, women are routinely raped by the hundreds and can be sold into slavery.
Palestinian women are expected to raise their children to become shehadas or suicide bombers. These same women are expected to express joy when their child is "martyred". If they grieve, it must be done in private.
Yes, Israel does have its problems with patriarchial men. For instance, Orthodox women cannot divorce their husbands. Only the husband can divorce her by issuing a "get". However, secular Jewish women can and do divorce their husbands all the time.
Traditionally, Judaism has property transfer through the women. Also, a child born to a Jewish mother is Jewish ---even if she had sex outside of marriage and with a non-Jew!!
So her child is accepted into the community. In Islamic countries, she might be murdered for this and her child stigmatized.
Judaism is not perfect when it comes to womens' rights, but it is light years ahead of Islam.
New Comments are disabled, please visit Indybay.org/SantaCruz