Iraqis back women's rights - with Islam

[sabra]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Iraqis-back-womens-rights--with-Islam/2005/08/15/1123957987145.html?oneclick=true

Iraqis back women's rights - with Islam

A survey conducted by Iraq's constitution drafting committee showed that 69 per cent of respondents support full rights for women - as long as the freedoms don't contradict Islam.

The survey was conducted by a subcommittee of Iraq's constitutional committee that is drafting a new charter for the country. The group was trying to gauge public opinions on key topics that were being addressed in the charter.

Over 156,000 people submitted responses to a multiple-choice questionnaire that was distributed across the country. Participants turned the forms into some 1,000 boxes across the country, according to Adnan Mohammed Hassan, head of the dialogue committee that directed the survey.

On the topic of women's rights, 12 per cent of respondents said women should have the same rights as men. Some secular-minded women fear a loss of rights if conservative clerics heavily influence the new constitution.

[rodeodance]

1. Key: "- as long as the freedoms don't contradict Islam."--very much a

problem.==the question is WHICH Islam.

[PsychoDad]

6. Exactally.

And which scholars opinions will be used to form the opinion of "Islam".

Although, in many ways, the Shia grant much more equality to women than their Saudi Sunni wahabbi counterparts, and it is the Shia which are the majority in Iraq. In the long run, an Islamic republic like that of Iran will probably insure more rights for the individuals, both Male and Female than a Saudi/American style appointed Dictatorship.

Hopefully, Iraq will get a lot of true Islamic input from around the world and practice a form of Islam closer to the vision of the Prophet (saw). Heavy in equal human rights and protection for the oppressed.

Inshallah.

[Erika]

2. We fought for this and lost our men and womens lives?

So women could have less rights than they did under Saddam?

[Tyranny_R_US]

5. Pretty much

...but but but don't forget the same soldiers that you are talking about died to give you the right to ask that question here. :sarcasm: :shrugs: :puke:

One day we will look back and ask ourselves WHAT THE HELL was wrong with half America how could they fall for such BULLSHIT!

[Child_Of_Isis]

3. 12%?

Color me impressed! That little tid bit of info destroyed the entire title.

[Erika]

4. We weren't invited there and don't understand their culture

Muslim women are put in a subservient role much as is the fundamentalist Christian woman. You know "the man is the head of the household" and women "should submit to their husband" and all the rest of that garbage.

Watch for the Christian "fundamentalists" to cheer for the reduction of women's rights. They'll do it by saying the Muslims have the right to set their own cultural norms, and the Bushbots will totally approve.

[PsychoDad]

7. I disagree.

Any chance for the hypocritical Bushites and fundi's to paint the "Savage Towelheads" in the light of serial abusers of weak and helpless women will be welcomed by the western liberators.

Further evidence that these backward natives living on top of our oil have no right to self governance.

They will overlook the fact that spousal abuse in the US is just as high as in the middle east and that Muhammid(pbuh)forbade female infantcide and gave women an equal vote 1400 years ago. (while american women only recently won that right a little over a hundred years ago.)

[Erika]

8. Bill Maher voiced what kind of God would put our oil

in such a God-forsaken place and make us dig through the sand.

[burrowowl]

10. Less than 100 years ago

American women got the right to vote in 1920.

[Erika]

11. Female circumcision (genital mutilation)

has now caught on in Iraq. It makes sex painful for the woman but gives the man a very tight fit.

[PsychoDad]

12. It may be catching on in Iraq

:(
But it is still wrong, and nothing in Islam itself prescribes it.

We Muslim men need to stand alongside our Sisters in this Jihad for their rights. At their side is where we would have found the Prophet (saw).

[Erika]

13. It is not only wrong. It is obscene

With Hussein gone, the different tribes are doing whatever. Genital mutilation for females is now accepted for outlying tribes. Much as in Somalia. The Iraqi women must remember dear W and Laura when they reflect on their lives now.

[onager]

9. Wow! So "True Islam" is exactly like "True Xianity!"

In other words, the side holding the political/police power gets to define the REAL True Religion. (Not surprising, Grumpy Atheist must note, since all religions were made up by humans, and mostly to control other humans.)

I've spent two months this year (so far) in Egypt. I heard very well-educated Muslim men blandly assure me that "more and more Egyptian women are going behind the veil." They also assured me, "there is no pressure. Our women WANT to do this! And one day, ALL Egyptian women will wear the veil."

Uh-huh. I tried a purely random, unscientific poll among the working Egyptian women I encountered. The universal response was some version of: "Over my dead body."

And Egypt is damned moderate compared to Saudi Arabia, where I lived for over two years. Once a member of the matowah (Religious Police) barked at a bunch of us Americans as we were getting off a bus. One of the American wives had just told a joke and we were laughing.

"Don't do that! Is unseemly!"

"Don't do what?"

"Laugh! Is unseemly for woman to laugh in public!"