Muslim Women In The West: Islamic Dressing Research (Essay Sample)

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Women in Two Worlds
Introduction
Muslims all over the world face significant challenges from within and without. The challenges are even tough when it comes to Muslim women. It is particularly true due to the changing world dynamics which conflict with the known ideology of what a Muslim woman should be in society. The challenges that Muslim women face in the different parts of the world are different majorly due to differences in issues like geopolitics, literacy levels, and socioeconomic status. It is also true that some of these matters they face are the same in different countries. This essay examines and compares the challenges that Muslim women face with a focus on Muslim women in the East and Muslim women in the Muslim world west.
Muslim women in the West
Islamic dressing
Maintaining a proper Hijab and dressing modestly for women is one of the teachings of Quran. The Quran, for example, states; ‘…women should not display their beauty and ornament except to their fathers, husbands, their sons…" [The Quran 24:31]
In reality, however, Muslim women in the West handle the Hijab differently (Wolfe 3). Out of fear, some women shy away from wearing a Hijab entirely or only wear it on certain instances. For example, they might not wear in when at work due to the fear of discrimination or just wanting to fit in with the other coworkers. They will wear it only when doing prayers or when attending the mosque.
Islamic law and beliefs
Conservative views about the duties of a woman are that of reproduction, raising children, taking care of the husband and the taking of household chores. These views seem to be overtaken by a changing world which has shifted these roles. It is true in liberalized economies which have embraced advancement and therefore has led to women having an added task of contributing to the economy through different professions. Women have become professions in different fields. In America, 58.6 percent of women aged between 16 years and above were active participants in the labor force. It means that women are playing bigger roles in society other than the traditional roles. The Muslim women who are in such a system and who want to achieve more in life get criticized when they tend to seek bigger roles than these traditional roles. They get these criticisms from conservatives whose school of thought is for the maintenance of the status quo.
Working related issues
Muslim women also face challenges at the workplace such as obligations and requirements of the prayer. Performing prayer is one of the fundamental responsibilities given to an individual in Islam. Because in the West other religions other than Islam are dominant, little consideration is accorded the Muslims in coming up with policies or practices. Therefore issues like setting up prayer rooms near workplaces are minimal. It is hence a challenge since working Muslim women are not able to perform this crucial element of their faith.
Challenges Are Facing Muslim Women in the East
Sexual Harassment
In most Arabian countries in the East, it is compulsory to wear Islamic dressing. The problem arises when people in society especially men view some clothing as not being modest enough or not in line with Islam. It leads to sexual harassment against women mostly to those not wearing decent enough. An example of this happened in Egypt when men in the neighborhoods and streets would form groups and harass women who in their assessment were not appropriately. They were pulled, dragged to the floor and verbally assaulted. A study done in 2003 in the Arab World ranked Egypt as the worst country for women rights. This study that was conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation found that countries which had a high percentage of women involved in governance issues had reduced cases of sexual harassment cases as compared to the other compared to the other countries which had minimal women involvement. Comoros, where 20 percent of ministerial positions are female, was ranked top of the survey followed by Oman. The issue of sexual harassment is made worse by the agencies tasked to deal with such matters. For example in Egypt, even though there are clear laws which deal with sexual harassment the police do not take such issues very seriously, and hence culprits are not apprehended. The victims are also afraid of reporting such cases because they fear retaliation or don't see if any help can come from the police.
Divorce and Remarriage
It is a matter that has been debatable for quite some time. In most cases, Islamic laws appropriately not followed, and therefore men always get an upper hand. Divorce and remarriage have been made easy for men while some women have been trapped within the system when trying to seek divorce and remarriage. It has been of concern to women whose reproductive years wasted in the system dealing with their divorce and eventually reduces their chances of remarriage and getting children (al-Hibri 37)
Equity
Another challenge that Muslim women in the east face is issues of equity. Women are viewed as second class citizens and therefore have little say in the society. Married is considered as a proprietary relationship rather than a contractual relationship. It means that women cannot retain control over their property and cease from using their maiden names after marriage (Badawi 78). It goes contrary to Sunnah and Quran teachings that state that Muslim men and women are equal and that individuals judged by their character and not wealth, gender,...