What have the effects been of the world's major religions on the
struggle for women's rights? I would be interested in both negative
and positive effects.

Hello minxie,

Thank you for a fascinating question.

Searching simply for ["women's rights" +religion] I was overwhelmed by
the amount of information available on the Internet. I have tried to
cite that pages, articles and books I found most interesting:

http://www.ffrf.org/nontracts/women.html
Why Women Need Freedom From Religion

This page offers a great deal of precise information on suppression of
women's rights  as a reult of the Christian Bible:


"Organized religion always has been and remains the greatest enemy of
women's rights. In the Christian-dominated Western world, two bible
verses in particular sum up the position of women:

"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou
shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband,
and he shall rule over thee."--Genesis 3:16
By this third chapter of Genesis, woman lost her rights, her
standing--even her identity, and motherhood became a God-inflicted
curse degrading her status in the world.
 
In the New Testament, the bible decrees:

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not
a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in
silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not
deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."--1
Tim. 2:11-14
One bible verse alone, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus
22:18) is responsible for the death of tens of thousands, if not
millions, of women. Do women and those who care about them need
further evidence of the great harm of Christianity, predicated as it
has been on these and similar teachings about women?"

 
The author, Annie Laurie Gaylor continues with a listing of some of
the more than 200 bible verses that specifically belittle and demean
women.

Here are just a few:

"Genesis  2:22  Woman created from Adam's rib  
 3:16  Woman cursed: maternity a sin, marriage a bondage  
 19:1-8  Rape virgins instead of male angels  

Exodus  20:17  Insulting Tenth Commandment, considering a wife to be
property
 21:7-11  Unfair rules for female servants, may be sex slaves  
 22:18  "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"  
 38:8  Women may not enter tabernacle they must support  


Leviticus  12:1-14  Women who have sons are unclean 7 days  
 12:4-7  Women who have daughters are unclean 14 days  
 15:19-23  Menstrual periods are unclean  
 19:20-22  If master has sex with engaged woman, she shall be scourged


Numbers  1:2  Poll of people only includes men  
 5:13-31  Barbaric adulteress test  
 31:16-35  "Virgins" listed as war booty  


Deuteronomy  21:11-14  Rape manual  
 22:5  Abomination for women to wear men's garments, vice-versa  
 22:13-21  Barbaric virgin test  
 22:23-24  Woman raped in city, she & her rapist both stoned to death
 22:28-29  Woman must marry her rapist  
 24:1  Men can divorce woman for "uncleanness," not vice-versa  
 25:11-12  If woman touches foe's penis, her hand shall be cut off  


Judges  11:30-40  Jephthah's nameless daughter sacrificed  
 19:22-29  Concubine sacrificed to rapist crowd to save man"

There are many more as well as several excellent links on this page.



http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/WomensRights.asp
Global Issues.org discusses Women's Rights and Religion

"Women's rights around the world is an important indicator of
understanding global well-being. Many may think that women's rights is
only a problem in countries where religion is law. Or even worse, some
people may not think this is an issue at all. But reading this report
about the UN Women's Treaty and how an increasing number of countries
are lodging reservations, will show otherwise.

Progress

It isn't easy to change tradition overnight. Examples of success
include:

The gains made in South Africa 
Childhood concerns in Latin America 
Poor women gaining greater access to savings due to microcredit
systems and more.
Women winning the right to vote in Kuwait (This further pressures
other Gulf nations to follow suit. Unforuntately, this was denied
later in 1999 but pressure has been mounting.)
(There are many more examples, and over time, they will be added
here.) "

As on many of the pages I cite, there are numerous links here with a
wealth of infomation - both pro and con.



http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/whrr/display_annotation.cfm?ID=21&sister=utl
Women's Human Rights Resources - Bora Laskin Law Library
University of Toronto

"Religion and Culture 

This part of the site explores the relationship between culture and/or
religion and human rights. Is the concept of universal human rights
necessarily excluded by culture or religion? What role do culture and
religion have in shaping human rights? In what ways have religion and
culture been seen as obstacles to human rights? What does the "right
to culture" mean to women? The materials presented on this part of the
site explore the debates around culture, religion and human rights. "

You will find the following links on this page:

Articles: annotated bibliographic references to scholarly articles
with links to full text where available

Documents: annotated references to conventions and UN Reports, NGO
reports, case law and legislation with links to full text where
available

Books: 

Links: to other websites with annotations 



http://www.hds.harvard.edu/wsrp/pages/radspir.htm
RADICAL SPIRITS - A Review of this Book

"Spiritualism and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America
By Ann Braude

Illustrated. 268 pp. Boston: Beacon Press, $24.95

By Milton Rugoff

As long as people dream of a life after death or of communicating with
the dead, any number of individuals will be eager to persuade them
that there are such possibilities. And others will be equally ready to
scorn such beliefs as a pathetic delusion. For a century and a half
countless publications, right down to current New Age promoters of
"channeling" and Shirley MacLaine's best sellers on reincarnation and
the spirit world, have explored both sides of the subject. If "Radical
Spirits" by Ann Braude, assistant professor of religion at Carleton
College, were another of these, I would have little interest in it.
But her work is about spiritualism's remarkable influence on the
women's rights movement in the 19th century. As such, it will come as
a revelation to most readers."

There are many reviews of this book available on the Internet. Another
at http://www.semcoop.com/detail/0253215021 states:

"...While much has changed in the academy since the book was first
published, feminist historians continue to view religion as the enemy
of women's emancipation, while historians of religion see signs of
feminism in women's religious activities. Braude proposes to address
this scholarly impasse and to press further her argument for the
importance of religion in the study of American women's history...."

CNN has a transcript of a chat session with Gloria Steinem that may be
of interest to you:

http://www.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/12/27/steinem.cnna/
Gloria Steinem: Restoring women's rights in Afghanistan
December 27, 2001 Posted: 5:02 PM EST (2202 GMT)


"Gloria Steinem is a writer and a champion of women's issues,
including equal rights, equal pay, and abortion. In the early 1970s
she co-founded the Women's Action Alliance to develop women's
educational programs. She founded Ms. Magazine in 1972, a
revolutionary publication that challenged mainstream thinking about
women's places in society, and she is now chair of Liberty Media for
Women, LLC, the present owner of Ms. Magazine. She is the author of
three books, including Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions.

CNN: Welcome to CNN.com Newsroom, Gloria Steinem. It's a pleasure to
have you with us today.

STEINEM: I'd like to say hello, and I wish I could hear your voices! 

CNN: Issues such as freedom of reproductive choice and equal pay have
been at the top of your activist agenda. What are your expectations
for the women of Afghanistan?

STEINEM: The women of Afghanistan are strong, smart and very brave. If
we give them the aid they need, even a third of what we have spent on
dropping bombs, they will be able to take control of their own lives.
But right now, the U.S. State Department has refused to give aid to or
through women-led organizations. Instead, they give them through
U.S.-based NGOs, which often start with training that these women
don't need. They've already been operating schools and hospitals. So,
much depends on us..."
 

From the ISHR West African Committee

http://www.ishr.org/sections-groups/wac/africanwomen.htm
Factors inhibiting women's rights in West Africa  
By Davies Iber, ISHR WAC 

"Religion, culture and harmful traditional practices

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
Against Women is the most comprehensive articulate of gender
perspective of human rights known to the world. It captures the three
components of women's rights namely: gender Affirmative Action, the
Principle of Equality and the complementary Principle of
non-discrimination. Together these three principles constitute the
composite and involving concept of gender justice. On the general
note, there has been much improvement in gender relations in other
parts of the world but in West Africa, traditional practices or
customs continue to be the main obstacles in the progress towards
gender equality and justice. In most countries, such traditions
usually backed by religious beliefs are recognised and practised to
the extent that they have become societal norms even though people are
fully aware of their negative impact on the health and rights of
women. It is well documented that the following practices still
persist in some West African countries;..."


The Muslim Woman.com
http://www.themuslimwoman.com/herrights/womensrights.htm

"Women's Rights In Islam 
The Conditions of Women in Arabia Before Islam 
In those days before Islam, women were treated like slaves or
property. Their personal consent concerning anything related to their
well-being was considered unimportant, to such a degree that they were
never even treated as a party to a marriage contract.

Women were used for one purpose, and then discarded. They had no
independence, could own no property and were not allowed to inherit.
In times of war, women were treated as part of the prize. Simply put,
their condition was unspeakable.

In addition, the birth of a daughter in a family was not an occasion
for rejoicing, but was regarded with humiliation. The practice of
killing female children was uncontrolled.

With the advent of Islam came the verse from the Quran condemning
those who practiced female infanticide:

"And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to
any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward
grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that
whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury
her in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision."
(An-Nahl 16:58-59) 

And as part of a description of various events on the Day of Judgment,
the Quran mentions:

"And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to
do)
shall be questioned. For what sin she was killed? (At-Takwir 81:8-9) 

Outside Arabia conditions for women were no better. In India, Egypt,
and all European countries in the Dark Ages, women were treated worse
than slaves. They were not regarded as human beings but as sort of a
sub-species between humans and animals..."

This page goes on to further enumerate Women's Rights that were
granted by Islam.

"Rights That Islam Gives to Women
 
Human Rights 

Islam considers a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as
his partner in this life. Women have been created with a soul of the
same nature as man’s. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:

"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single
person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from
them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom
you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the
wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you."
(Al-Nisa 4:1)

And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), 

"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Sahih reported by
Abu-Dawud (RA)

Islam does not blame Eve alone for the First Sin. The Quran makes it
very clear that both Adam and Eve were tempted, that they both sinned
and were both forgiven after their repentance..."


Western Views International also praises Islam and its religious view
of women:

http://www.westernviews.com/issue1/womensrights.htm

NO? Women's Rights in Islam
Raheela Ali, Toronto (Contributing Writer, WV)

"Social Rights

   Islam recognizes woman as an equal and full partner to man in their
matrimonial relationship.  Man is the chief and holds greater
responsibility of financially supporting his family, and woman is the
administrator of internal household affairs and bears the greatest
burden of bringing up the children.  The role of both is equally
essential for the successful working of the family life.  It is also
the fundamental and primary root of human civilization...

...   In conclusion, it is imperative for all women to take charge of
our precious lives and realize our true purpose for moral perfection
and spiritual sense of mind.  We can’t be lost in the glitter and
false attractions of the West.  In the 21st century, we will be faced
with greater and unexpected new challenges, therefore, we should all
unite as one Muslim Ummah for the service of Allah..."

Several interesting quotes from this article:

http://www.ffrf.org/fttoday/march98/courcey.html
Freethought & Women's Rights
By Kevin Courcey

"...This disparaging opinion of women seems to permeate organized
religion. In Hinduism, the reward for a lifetime of being a virtuous
woman is rebirth as a man. Last summer, Orthodox Jewish Rabbis went
out onto their balconies and threw bags of excrement at women who had
the audacity to pray at the "wrong" section of the Wailing Wall. The
Mormons have God-ordained polygamy and a patriarchal family structure.
Pope John Paul II recently asked a female UN representative, "Don't
you think that all irresponsible behavior of men is caused by women?"
Clearly these statements all embody the same antipathy toward women
that fuels the evangelical Christian Promise Keepers and the
Islamic-based Taliban.

As American feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton noted, "The Bible and the
Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of woman's
emancipation." According to the 1997 Encarta Encyclopedia, "The belief
that women were naturally weaker and inferior to men also was
sanctioned by god-centered religions. In the Bible, God placed Eve
under Adam's authority, and Saint Paul urged Christian wives to be
obedient to their husbands.

The Bible, it seems, is a virtual handbook on the subjugation of
women. It is filled with passages that teach that women are evil,
unclean, should be kept silent, should be submissive to their
husbands, and may be raped, sold, or even sacrificed. Early Christian
writer Tertullian said "each of you women is an Eve. You are the gate
of Hell, you are the temptress of the forbidden tree; you are the
first deserter of the divine law." Not wanting there to be any
question of the status of women in the new Pro-testant Reformation,
Martin Luther decreed: "If a woman grows weary and at last dies from
childbearing, it matters not. Let her die from bearing, she is there
to do it."


The Christian History Institute speak of the First Women's Rights
Conference:

http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2002/07/daily-07-19-2002.shtml

What Happened this Day in Church History
July 19, 1848 • First Women's Right's Convention 

"Quaker Lucretia Mott was at the center of the first women's rights
conference.

"It is high time we publicize the wrongs done to women," said
Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It was July, 1848. Of the five women gathered
in Martha Wright's home in Waterloo, New York, all except Elizabeth,
were Quakers. One of them, Lucretia Mott, was a preacher. Most had
been active in the movements against alcohol and slavery and had
attended conventions.

"You're right," they said. What women needed was a convention to air
their views. It still galled them that at the World Anti-Slavery
Convention held in London in 1840, Lucretia and Elizabeth had been
refused participation although they were official American delegates.
In fact, they had been forced to sit behind a screen. It was time to
end this bias. Action must be taken!

That is why those who read the ads in the Seneca County Courier on
July 14th, saw this notice: "A Convention to discuss the social, civil
and religious condition and rights of woman, will be held in the
Wesleyan Chapel, at Seneca Falls, N.Y., on Wednesday and Thursday, the
19th and 20th of July, current; commencing at 10 o'clock, A.M."...



On a more contemporary note, this page addresses George Bush's War on
Women's Rights:

http://www.universalrights.net/people/stories.php3?start=2&category=women

"George Bush's War on Women 
by Pamela Bone The Age Newspaper USA 
 
January 17, 2003 
 
The religious right is holding the poorest women of the world hostage,
writes Pamela Bone.
 
Please do not blame all Americans for George Bush, for the old saying
about people getting the government they deserve does not always, or
perhaps even often, hold true.
 
Last year, I wrote about the Bush administration's blocking of the US
contribution of $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund (it
had accused the UNFPA - falsely - of funding coerced abortions in
China). In response, I received an e-mail from a group of women in the
US who were starting a campaign to persuade 34 million Americans to
each give a dollar to the population fund to make up for the money.
They called it "34 Million Friends"...

...Next Wednesday is the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the US
Supreme Court decision that recognised a constitutional right to
abortion. The legal foundation of this decision is now being
undermined in several directions - including a recent government
ruling that recognises a foetus, or even a newly fertilised egg, as a
"person", with rights to government funds above the rights of the
woman who carries it. The administration has also begun packing the
federal courts with judges known for their opposition to the Roe v.
Wade decision.
 
Many people have reservations about abortion, particularly in relation
to late-term or "partial-birth" abortion, which the administration
plans to criminalise first (these are rare in any case). But few are
as implacably opposed to abortion under any circumstance as Bush and
his Attorney-General, John Ashcroft. Moreover, as the New York Times
says, the drive to end abortions is part of a larger cultural battle.
If abortion were the only target, it says, the administration would
not be trying to block women's access to contraception (it's trying to
ban the morning-after pill, RU486, the drug that independent Senator
Brian Harradine succeeded in barring Australian women's access to), or
removing funding for sex education programs apart from those
recommending only abstinence, or taking information about
contraception off federal government websites.
 
"This administration is nostalgic for the days before women's rights,"
wrote Washington Post columnist Ellen Goodman..."


As I mentioned early on in my answer, the amount of information
available on this subject is simply overwhelming - over 100,000 hits
on Google! I hope the article I have chosen to highlight also pique
your interest.

 
I'll breifly list a few more links to sites that might interest you:

http://www.religion-and-gender.wolkenturm.de/webresources.htm
Human Rights / Women's Rights and Religion

"The title of this category does not intend to say that women's rights
are not subsumed under the universal Human Rights, it rather confirms
the fact that women's rights are a special issue within the
discussions around Human Rights. This is the case because everywhere
in the world women are most strongly affected by violations against
Human Rights. To strengthen women's concerns in particular there have
been a number of declarations which should be taken in account when
dealing with the subject of Human Rights and Religion."

http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/cqr_women.html
The CQ Researcher: Women and Human Rights

From the April 30, 1999 issue of The CQ Researcher, Volume 9, No. 16,
p. 358-360.

Is Islam inherently more oppressive toward women than other religions?

By Mary H. Cooper

http://waf.gn.apc.org/articles.htm
Women Against Fundamentalism
Journal no. 8 1996
Debate: What space is there in religion for feminists?

http://www.geocities.com/middleeastwomen/html/oppression.htm
"Women and Religious Oppression

It is really painful that we still have to talk about women and
religious oppression even on the International Women’s Day on year
2000. Non-the less It is a reality that millions of women in different
parts of the world are suffering and are oppressed by religious
beliefs and laws. The last twenty years has been some of the darkest
in people’s lives especially women’s lives..."


http://www.wluml.org/english/new-archives/nigeria/womens-rights-sharia-article-ayesha-imam-2002.htm
Women Living Under Muslim Laws

OF LAWS, RELIGION AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS: WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN MUSLIM LAWS
(SHARIA) BY AYESHA IMAM, BAOBAB FOR WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS
9 July 2002: Published as 2000 Women’s Rights in Muslim Laws (Sharia)
in The Place of Women Under Sharia CRP/FNS Lagos pp. 16-31.

http://www.geneseo.edu/~brainard/relfaulkner.htm
Researching Religion and Women's Rights in Milne Library

"Getting Started
There are numerous ways to conduct research and find primary sources
on the role religion played in the struggle for women's rights. In
Milne Library, you can access research tools that lead you to books
and articles in periodicals (magazines and newspapers) that document
American history."



I hope my research has lead you to interesting articles and
discussions on Women's Rights and Religion and has provided a targeted
answer to your question. If a link above should fail to work or
anything require further explanation or research, please do post a
Request for Clarification and I will be pleased to assist further.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

clouseau I am interested in teh links you've provided but I found a
discrepancy between one quote you posted and another quote on a link
you posted. Here are the two. I don't pretend to know exactly which
books or verses these are but they seem to be in opposition to one
another concerning Islam's view of women.

Filian

FIRST QUOTE:

""Rights That Islam Gives to Women 
  
Human Rights  
 
Islam considers a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as
his partner in this life. Women have been created with a soul of the
same nature as man’s. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
 
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single
person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from
them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom
you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the
wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you."
(Al-Nisa 4:1)
 
And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW),  
 
"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Sahih reported by
Abu-Dawud (RA)
 
Islam does not blame Eve alone for the First Sin. The Quran makes it
very clear that both Adam and Eve were tempted, that they both sinned
and were both forgiven after their repentance..."

SECOND QUOTE
from http://www.geocities.com/middleeastwomen/html/oppression.htm

"Quran says: "Men have authority over women, for that God has
preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have
expended of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient …
and those you fear may be rebellious, admonish them to their couches,
and beat them". (Quran, Women, verse 38)"

and 

" God charges you concerning your children: to the male the like of
the portion of two female" (Quran, Women, verse 11)"

and

"In Islam women is considered dangerous sexually and otherwise. The
word "fitna" means chaos. Therefore women should not to be allowed to
have any authority in society other than in their capacity of serving
and becoming extensions of men as wives or mothers. Islam’s prophet
says: "There is no salvation for a man or a nation who allows women to
rule over them""

"even more misogynist laws have been introduced and reinforced such as
ghisas (the law of Retribution), compulsory hijab and so on. According
to Islamic Law, the legal age for girl to be wed is nine. And this is
obviously sexual abuse and rape."

First of all, I have just discovered Google Answer not so long ago,
and this is my first comment. I'm interested in commenting this
question because I'm a moslem. However, I'm not a scholar therefore
it'll be brief.

To know how religions treat women, we need to know what is the real
rulings about women. That means the ruling must be supported by valid
proofs recognized in the religion. In Islam, the ruling must be
supported by Qur'an and authentic report from His Messenger.
Therefore, we cannot equate Islam and what Muslims do.

In Islam, men and women are equal in regards they have the same
obligation to adhere to the obligations and rights given by Allah
(swt) and His Prophet, Muhammad (saw). Because:

Allah says in the Qur'an:

I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me (QS.
Adz-Dzariyat 51:56)

It is not befitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has
been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about
their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is
indeed on a clearly wrong path. (QS. Al-Ahzab 33:36)

Equal doesn't necessarily mean the same. Can anyone say that a man and
a woman is the same? Biologically we are different. The difference
doesn't mean one is better than the other. However, the difference
brings about different rights and obligations.

Now, about the quotes you mentioned, I'll paste some quotations from

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/notislam/misconceptions.html

START QUOTE

"The first and most important observation to make about the popular
question "Are men and women equal?" is that it is a badly-formed,
unanswerable question. The problem which many people conveniently
ignore is that "equal" is not defined. This is a very critical point:
the equality must be specified with respect to some measurable
property. For example, women on average are superior to men if we ask
who is shorter in height than the other ("Growth and Development",
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1992). Women are also superior on average if
we ask whom do children bond to deeper, mothers or fathers. Women are
also superior on average if we ask who has a tendency to socialize
more. On the other hand, men are superior on average if we ask who is
taller in height than the other. And so on: every question can be
turned around, and more importantly these are properties which are
irrelevant.

What then, is the really important property which we are worried about
in terms of gender equality? Naturally, from the point of view of the
Qur'an and Sunnah, the obvious important property is who is dearer to
Allah, men or women? This question is emphatically answered in the
Qur'an (translation),

[4:124] If any do deeds of righteousness - be they male or female -
and have faith, they will enter Paradise, and not the least injustice
will be done to them.

[33:35] For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for
devout men and women, for truthful men and women, for men and women
who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves,
for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for
men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who
engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness
and great reward.

The Qur'an and Sunnah repeat over and over again that Allah only
favors one person over another based on that person's awareness,
consciousness, fear, love, and hope of Allah (the Arabic word is
difficult to translate: Taqwa). All other criteria are excluded:
gender, ethnic group, country, ancestry, etc.

Given that Allah does not favor one gender over the other in His
attention to us (and it helps to remember that Allah is neither male
nor female), we can now address the differences between the genders in
Islam. First, men and women are not the same as we know. The Creator
states in the Qur'an (translation),

[3:36]...and the male is not like the female...
Men and women are different in their composition, and in their
responsibilities under Islam. However, both are bound by obligations
to one another, especially the following important one which must be
understood in any discussion on men and women. From the Qur'an
(translation),

[24:32] And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit
among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy,
Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is
Ample-giving, Knowing.
In this verse, the Creator emphasizes that marriage is to be
vigorously pursued by the Muslims: the state of being single is not to
be maintained. With this in mind, we can begin to understand the four
reasons cited above for the nonetheless erroneous conclusion.

Men and women are different in their responsibilities towards the
families that they are strongly encouraged to set up. Women are not
obligated to work, whereas men are obligated. The man must provide for
the family, but the woman does not have to spend out of her money for
it, though she gets a reward for doing so. Allah says in the Qur'an
(translation),

[4:34] Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of
them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for
the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in
secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear
rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge
them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is
ever High, Exalted, Great.
From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih
Bukhari, we find:

[2:24:545] Narrated `Amr bin Al-Harith: Zainab, the wife of `Abdullah
said, "I was in the Mosque and saw the Prophet (p.b.u.h) saying, `O
women ! Give alms even from your ornaments.' " Zainab used to provide
for `Abdullah and those orphans who were under her protection. So she
said to `Abdullah, "Will you ask Allah's Apostle whether it will be
sufficient for me to spend part of the Zakat on you and the orphans
who are under my protection?" He replied "Will you yourself ask
Allah's Apostle ?" (Zainab added): So I went to the Prophet and I saw
there an Ansari woman who was standing at the door (of the Prophet )
with a similar problem as mine. Bilal passed by us and we asked him,
`Ask the Prophet whether it is permissible for me to spend (the Zakat)
on my husband and the orphans under my protection.' And we requested
Bilal not to inform the Prophet about us. So Bilal went inside and
asked the Prophet regarding our problem. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) asked,
"Who are those two?" Bilal replied that she was Zainab. The Prophet
said, "Which Zainab?" Bilal said, "The wife of `Adullah (bin Masud)."
The Prophet said, "Yes, (it is sufficient for her) and she will
receive a double rewards (for that): One for helping relatives, and
the other for giving Zakat."

Given that husbands are obligated to provide for wives, and that
marriage is a highly recommended goal of Islam, it is easy to see why
women's inheritance share is half that of men. We note also that men
are obligated to provide a suitable dowry to women on marriage. In
fact, it is preferable at this point to speak in terms of husbands and
wives instead of men and women. Allah says in the Qur'an
(translation),

[4:4] And give women their dowries as a free gift, but if they of
themselves be pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it
with enjoyment and with wholesome result.
Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),

[2:228]...And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over
them in kindness, and men are a degree above them...

This one degree in no way affects the position of the Creator in which
He has stated that He does not hold women dearer to him than men, or
vice versa. Rather it is simply a way of partitioning responsibilities
in a household of two adults: someone must make the final decision on
daily matters. As will be shown below in a section on a different
misconception, though the final decision rests with the husband, it is
through mutual consultation that decisions are best reached at.

While men are allowed to marry up to four wives, they are also
commanded to meet the preconditions of being able to financially
support them. They must also deal with each wife justly and fairly
with respect to marital and economic obligations. Allah says in the
Qur'an (translation),

[4:3] If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the
orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye
fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only
one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more
suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.

Moreover, women are allowed to reject any marriage proposal made to
her by prospective suitors, thus if she does not feel she can abide by
the rules of the Qur'an and Sunnah if she marries a certain person,
she can reject his proposal. While it is irrelevant to Islam, it is
worthwhile to note that both Judaism and Christianity allow polygamy.
The idea is not as foreign to the non-Muslims as is often claimed.

Finally, the wearing of the veil by women is also an illogical premise
to claim that women are inferior to men. It is more appropriate to
indict a society of female exploitation if it tolerates pornography
rather than if it enforces the veil. Given that Allah is neither male
nor female, given that He does not endear people to Himself based on
their gender, given that the Creator cares about all of us male or
female, given that the sexual and violent drive of men is stronger
than that of women...given all this, it is illogical to cast a
negative light on the following injunctions contained in the Qur'an
(translation),

[33:59] O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing
women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or
are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be
Muslims) and not be annoyed...

[24:30-31] Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze
and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them;
and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the
believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments
except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw
their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to
their husbands...

On this misconception, there is a great deal more to write, most of it
showing how current practices in many Muslim lands go against what the
Qur'an and Sunnah have ordained, lands in which women are treated as
property (unIslamic), are not educated (unIslamic), are forbidden
their economic rights (unIslamic), and more. On this point in
particular, we encourage everyone to consult the Qur'an and Sunnah
before incriminating Islam. Always remember that Islam is a complete
way of life from the Creator, and that Muslims are people who claim to
follow that way of life. A Muslim may claim to follow Islam, but be
wrong."

END QUOTE

Another quote from a scholar's writing:

http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=WMN01&articleID=WMN010001&articlePages=1

START QUOTE

"The status of the Muslim woman in Islaam is a very noble and lofty
one, and her effect is very great in the life of every Muslim. Indeed,
the Muslim woman is the initial teacher in the building of a righteous
society, providing she follows the guidance from the Book of Allaah
and the Sunnah of His Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Since
adherence to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah distances every Muslim - male
or female - from being misguided in any matter...

The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and
responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties that she
has to shoulder - responsibilities and difficulties some of which not
even a man bears. This is why from the most important obligations upon
a person is to show gratitude to the mother, and kindness and good
companionship with her. And in this matter, she is to be given
precedence over and above the father...

A man came to Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and
said: O Messenger of Allaah! Who from amongst mankind warrants the
best companionship from me? He replied: "Your mother." The man asked:
Then who? So he replied: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who?
So the Prophet replied again: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then
who? So he replied: "Then your father." [Related by al-Bukhaaree
(no.5971) and Muslim (7/2), from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu ‘anhu]. So
this necessitates that the mother is given three times the like of
kindness and good treatment than the father.

As regards the wife, then her status and her effect in making the soul
tranquil and serene, has been clearly shown in the noble aayah
(verse), in His - the Most High’s - saying:

"And from amongst His Signs is this: That He created for you wives
from amongst yourselves, so that you may find serenity and tranquility
in them. And He has put between you love and compassion. Indeed, in
this are signs for those who reflect." [Soorah Room 30:21].

...And do not forget about ‘Aaishah - radiallaahu ‘anhaa - and her
great effect. Since even the great Sahaabah (Companions) used to take
knowledge of Hadeeth from her, and many of the Sahaabiyaat (female
Companions) learn the various rulings pertaining to women’s issues
from her..."

END QUOTE

Another site you may want to read:

http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~islamic/ilm/sisters/status.html
http://www.wponline.org/Magazine/The_Pioneer/V1I1/15.Wife_Her_Status_and_Rights_in_Islam.html

About the "beating", it's mentioned as a form of warning (light
beating) after the lighter warnings have failed. You can read:

http://www.geocities.com/IslamAwareness/Wife/beating2.html

that discusses the issue.

START QUOTE

"Narrated Mu'awiyah al-Qushayri: "I went to the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) and asked him: What do you say (command) about our
wives? He replied: Give them food what you have for yourself, and
clothe them by which you clothe yourself, and do not beat them, and do
not revile them.  (Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 11, Marriage (Kitab
Al-Nikah), Number 2139)"

Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn Haydah: "I said: Apostle of Allah, how should
we approach our wives and how should we leave them? He replied:
Approach your tilth when or how you will, give her (your wife) food
when you take food, clothe when you clothe yourself, do not revile her
face, and do not beat her.  (Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 11, Marriage (Kitab
Al-Nikah), Number 2138)"
"

END QUOTE 

Finally, Islam is a complete way of life. It's not only about how to
pray and do other rituals. If someone says hat Islam doesn't let women
do anything she wants. Yes, Islam will not do any women or men do
anything s/he wants because people need to have law and rulings in
life. We wouldn't it anyone do anything one wants, would we? Because
whatever s/he thinks good is unecessarily mean it's really good. It
may actually be a bad thing. Therefore, we need a standard to tell if
something is good or not. Islam provides it.

That's all for now.