point of view
...a symbol of an Islamic identity, freeing them symbolically from neo-colonial Western cultural imperialism and domination. Whether living in the Middle East or Africa, in Central Asia, in Pakistan, in Southeast Asia, or in Europe and the Americas, Muslim women tend to view the feminist movement with some apprehension. Although there are some features of the feminist cause with which we as Muslims would wish to join hands, other features generate our disappointment and even opposition. There is therefore no simple or "pat" answer to the question of the future cooperation or competition which feminism may meet in an Islamic environment. There are however a number of social, psychological, and economic traditions which govern the thinking of most Muslims and which are particularly affective of woman's status and role in Islamic society. Understanding these can help us understand the issues which affect male and female status and roles, and how we should react to movements which seek to improve the situation of women in any of the countries where Muslims live. Interview by Alicia Bravo. I interview a student on camp name by Ann, tall and beauty all over her face weight about 110 pounds, dress in a white top and long brown pants with her hair wrap in hajjab . with red lipstick on listening to music in her ear. when I first look at her, I could see the two cultures in her eyes. What I means is that you could see from her neck down a different person and head up you could tell she was a Muslim woman. With out the hajj , you could not tell. Upon my interview, these were my questions: Alicia: what country are you from? Ann: I am from Spain. Alicia: How do you feel living in two cultures? Ann: I do not view myself through separate identities, I feel not only proud to be an American but I consider myself lucky to have been exposed to both cultures. I feel I can be myself, a fully practicing Muslim particularly in America. this means I can wake up in the morning without fear and come home at the end of the day without fear. Alicia: Are you married? if so, are you planning on working after schooling? Ann: yes, after school, I want to work. even though most Muslim women with career do not work after marriage. Alicia: Did you had to chose your husband or this was arranged married? Ann: My marriage was arranged by my parents . Alicia: How did you feel after that? Ann: I did not feel good after that but at the same time I did not want to make my parents shame and so I did what they expected of me. Alicia: How many children do you have? Ann: I have one daughter who is six years old. Alicia: What is Ramadan? Ann: Ramadan is when muslin come together to give thanks by fasting and praying to Ali were they go to the muse at the end of the day and have a large meal called “EId” and the last day of fasting during which everyone must wear a new outfit for a joyful occasion. Alicia: Do you think most Muslim women who are married are happy the way society say they should live or the way their husband control them or is this a commitment when you are married ? Ann: No, No, No. some may think it is a commitment but I am hoping that one day society can changed the way Muslim women are treated Alicia: Now that you are married to a Pakistan man, and living in the U.S.A do you believed in that life style? If not, what will you like to see in the further for Muslim women. Ann: No, my husband and I believed that every one has the right to speak their mind. I will like to see women speak up more for what they believed in and be themselves. Alicia: Thank you very much. Ann Ann: Thank you. I hope you learned a lot about Muslim women culture. Some Muslim women have been able to balance their culture's traditional customs and demands at home arranged marriages, obedience to their husbands with the progressives their careers demand. Women who do work in Gulf and Middle eastern countries often enjoy job benefits their female counterparts in the west would envy. equal pay with men has existed in a number of the countries since the 1970s, while women in the United States and Britain still earn only slightly more than half a man's salary for the same job. As we near the twenty-first century, the majority of Muslim women still find their lives controlled by their closest male relative. They are the daughters whose future marriage partners continue to be determined by their fathers. They are the brides who must be virgins on their wedding nights in a culture where if they are not, honor killings are common and often carried out by the girl's own brothers. To guard against this, a simple surgical procedure called hymen restoration is equally common in the Muslim world. Fratricide can occur when a young woman refuses to marry a man of her family's choice. Even though Islam states that a woman has the right to refuse a husband selected for her, in reality, familial pressures can be so strong, they may result in her death if she is not acquiescent. Quote : As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill- conduct, first admonish them, then refuse to share their bed, and last beat them, but then if they return to obedience, do not seed a way against them." Koran 4:34 Bride-price still exists in muslin countries, a convention that only serve...