Date post: | 19-May-2015 |
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Education |
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CUSTOMS OF THE MIDDLE-EAST(Jasmine kaur-2012043 Shreya Kumar-2012100)
What are Customs? “A custom is a cultural idea that
describes a regular, patterned way of appearing or behaving that is considered characteristic of life in a social system.”
Examples…..
Customs for Middle-Eastern Muslim Women guided by primary Islamic
sources of law
religious guidelines, pre-Islamic traditions
impact on women’s life
dress code of Muslim women
Kinds of Head Scarves
Religious Life unusual for women to worship
in mosques
men and women on opposite sides of
the aisle
men in front of women
women in second floor balconies
separate rooms
Politics Saudi women given the right to
vote in 2007
Egypt-25 percent reservation in the constituent assembly
Iraq-25 percent representation in the parliament
Tunisia and Libya- “zippered list model”
(Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan)
Education Colonial rule- compulsory
education to a select elite
Post colonial rule: majority of women still excluded from higher education
focus on religious education
In many countries, women must obtain permission from a male guardian for attending university
Employment MENA region ranks lowest in
women labour force participation in the world
Islam- women allowed to work subject to certain circumstances
Limited opportunities- restricted to fields like medicine and teaching
Role of women as mothers and wives is stressed upon
Property Rights Women do not have to give their pre-
marriage possessions to their husbands- receive “dower” instead
All their earnings through employment are theirs to keep
Iraq-women cannot own property, inherit less than half of what their brothers do
Marriage Marriage is a contract-
requires consent of women Female circumcision - part of
a ritual before marriage Muslim men can indulge in
polygamy Endogamy is common in
Islamic countries In some regions, child
marriages are forced.
Inter-Faith Marriages A Muslim woman cannot marry a
non-Muslim
But Muslim men can marry Jewish or Christian women
A Muslim woman cannot convert her religion
However, a man can leave Islam or convert to another religion
Behavior and rights within a Marriage A woman’s space is the private sphere
of the home; man’s space is the public sphere Women must fulfil marital and maternal
responsibilities men are financial heads
In case of death of the husband , wives get a share of the movable property but have no right on the immovable property such as land, farm or real estate.
Divorce In Islam, a woman can initiate a divorce in some
circumstances-
‘Sharis’ law seek a ‘tafriq’ under certain allowable reasons.
The second method, by far more common in wife-initiated divorces, ‘khul’ is a divorce without cause but mutual consent.
Women applies for divorce- complicated legal procedure which may take up to 2 years
In some regions, men can divorce their wives just by saying “you are divorced!” three times.
Movement and Travel No limitations or prohibitions on women’s
travelling alone is mentioned in the Quran In some countries, if a journey longer than
3 days is undertaken, the woman must be escorted by a male guardian.
In some regions, women are not allowed to drive or even ride a bicycle.
These customs originated for the safety of women.
A Book and Movie based on a true story…. (Movie) The Stoning of
Soraya M. is a 2008 American Persian language drama film adapted from French journalist Feridoune Sahebjam’s 1900 book ‘La Femme Lapidee’ based on a true story.
Famous Books written on true narratives…. The Princess Trilogy
Princess : A true story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
Princess : Sultana’s Daughters
Princess : Sultana’s Circles
Recent Changes The government has
granted women the right to vote.
Participation in the local elections.
The women have been allowed to ride bicycles .
Implementations that could improve the situation Education of women should be stressed.
The system of male guardianship should be abolished.
Steps should be taken to improve the female workforce.
The religious body should be separated from the political and judiciary system.
Women representation in the religious Islamic Body.
Thank You!