To What Extent Can Islman Be Held Responible for Violence Against Women

To what extent can Islam be held responsible for violence against women

Violence is an important issue for any religion. Violence against women is an extremely controversial and much debated issue. In this essay I aim to explore one aspect of this and examine to what extent can Islam be held responsible for violence against women. In order to achieve this aim and answer this question several factors need to be taken into consideration. The meaning of the word Islam and its main message, the pride and ignorance of so called "Muslims", how the "Islamic-laws" (man-made laws based on sharia) in a developing country may be at fault e.g. men granted immunity and why is there so much controversy over the surah 4:34.

An important area that will help in exploring the extent to which Islam can be held responsible for violence against women is the actual meaning of the word Islam. The word Islam comes from the Arabic word salaam, which means "peace". Salaam is also used as a way of saying "hello" to another Muslim. The full meaning of Islam is "peace through surrender to the will of Allah." It would cause huge problems for Islam if Islam was spreading the message of peace and equality of all humans in the sight of Allah and then at the same time allegedly favours one gender compared to anther. It does not fit well with the message of the Quran. Muslims must believe in three things in life. To believe in one God and to believe in the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) (This is the Shahada. One of the five pillars of Islam) the third thing Muslims must believe in is Judgement Day. Now any Muslim who wants to follow the right path would be fearful of that day and would try to do anything possible that they enter paradise. Harming, killing or just putting fear into another Muslim whether male or female is condemned by Islam.

Some hadiths show that any form of abuse is not allowed in Islam against other Muslims. These hadiths are some of "The Virtues of Forty Ahadith." "It is unlawful for a Muslim to frighten another". (Abu Dawood). From this hadith it is obvious it is wrong to scare another Muslim never mind physically abusing them. "Whosoever raises a weapon on any of us is not one of us." (Bukhari). Islam has shown from just these two hadiths it is wrong for Muslim men to use any form of violence on Muslim women.

Many women worldwide are and have been suffering from violence opposed by men not because of religion but because of pride and ignorance. Recently due to media attention the environment/culture in that area can often been misled and linked to Islam and unfortunately the perpetrators may think what they do is allowed in Islam for example it does not say anywhere in the Quran that a Muslim women is not allowed to work or not to be educated in fact the Quran urges Muslim women to get knowledge of not just their faith but to become successful in this life too e.g. we need female doctors and female teachers etc.

Another important factor to help in exploring the extent to which Islam is responsible for violence against women is to look at the developing Muslim countries education system. A well known example is Afghanistan where the Taliban used to rule the country. When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan they apposed sick laws in the country for example girls could not attend school. If women were not educated that meant they cannot work and they do not get the actual basic rights that Islam has commanded that they should get. What the Taliban did caused a worldwide uproar from Muslims and non-Muslims because of the treatment they gave women.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) released a report in 1999 called "The Taliban's War on Women - A Health and Human Rights Crisis in Afghanistan ". This report included the history of where the Taliban came from and tells us that they themselves were "poorly educated" now if they have no proper knowledge of Islam and of life then who were they to justify violence against women and to link it to Islam.

The laws in Muslim countries which are supposed to be following the sharia are not helping but increasing the problem. Women being beaten raped or executed for not obeying what the Taliban commanded, this is not what Islam has taught us in the Quran. Islam has given many rights to Muslim women that have condemned beating, rape or killing of a woman. It is just that the Taliban would not want to read or interpret that part.

The Sharia itself is guidance on how Muslims should live their lives many laws that are in Muslim countries have tried to base their man-made laws on it, but this is where the political laws have done wrong instead of stopping the problem of violence against women it has let the criminals get the easy way out for example in Iran, Article 61 of the Iranian Islamic Retribution law states that "If someone kills another in defence of his honour....provided the force used is not excessive and it is not by government agents, then it will not be considered a crime." Islam does not allow this compared to the laws that are supposed to be based on Islam we can see this from the