Essay - When the Western World Thinks of Muslim Women, it is...

When the Western world thinks of Muslim women, it is *****ten in terms of Muslim women as an oppressed stereotypes. Th***** *****cludes images ***** ***** in hijabs, Turkish women in chadors ********** women who must be veiled in public at all times. Distorted *****liefs about Islamic beliefs regarding polygamy and ***** subservient role of women further contribute to the stereotype th***** Muslim women are more oppressed than their Christian counterparts.

However, while strict laws do present limits ***** the public lives of many Arab ***** ***** women, these *****s do not ***** a complete picture ***** their lives. As ethnographer Susan Schafer Davis observed, Muslim women have and continue to exert considerable influence in the private sphere of family ***** *****'s associations. This gave them much more autonomy and power than Christian women ***** the same era.

***** paper examines the scope of a Muslim woman's authority and ***** within the private sphere, drawing significantly from the primary historical account of Emily Ruete. The first part of the paper ***** Muslim ***** and beliefs ***** marriage, including the issues of age and consent. In the second part, the paper looks at the similarities and differences between Muslim and Christian wedding rites. In the third part, the paper examines the rights, duties ***** roles ***** married Muslim women, both during the 19th century as revealed in Ruete's memoirs and compares these duties with ***** women today.

***** the conclusion, the paper looks at the traditions and changes that have occurred regarding the ***** of Islamic ***** regarding marriage, as Muslim women redefine their roles while struggling against stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudice.

Muslim women's position

***** Western women discuss the status of ***** under Islam, Mahjabeen Islam-Husain observes a tendency to see Muslim women as "the most ***** in ***** in the *****."

Historically, however, Muslim women ***** enjoyed rights and benefits that were simply not available to their Christian and Catholic *****. ***** Ruete, a 19th ***** ***** wom*****n ***** Zanzibar ***** married a German merchant, maintains that a Muslim wife "st*****nds in all respects on a p*****r with her husband, and she always retains her rank, and all rights and titles emanating from it, ***** their full extent."

Despite this fact, various stereotypes about the oppressed Muslim woman already abounded in 19th century European society. Ruete attributes this to the ***** ***** "retired way ***** life (which) makes (her) appear more helpless and possessed of fewer rights."

More than a century l*****ter, Islam-Husain attributes this prevailing view to negative and mistaken views ***** ***** western cus*****ms and incorrect interpretations of ***** Koran.

Indeed, ideas regarding oppression and ***** positions ***** women are relative. A closer examination of Muslim women's roles regarding marriage and family reveal a more nuanced understanding of women's lives under Islam.

Choice ***** *****s

***** literature has a rich tradition of poetry inspired by themes ***** love. However, in the 19th century and in many parts of the Middle East today, the idea ***** marriage as "the