ABUSE CRISIS: Iraqi Women Officials Vow to Implement Sharia

New and upcoming women officials of the new Iraqi government have stated they will implement the Sharia form of Islamic Law. From women's Islamic uniforms to a husband's right beat their wife when she is not obedient and it does not leave a mark. They however state in the article that Sharia must come with civil rights concerning women's wages, work time during pregnancies and many other issues pertaining strictly to women. This is an unexpected result of America's dealings with the Iraqi people, their society, culture, religion, and government.



Is Islamic culture so different that we truly do not understand it. That we judge Sharia based on what we see not on what we know. That from the outside it looks cruel and unusual but form the inside seen as the right way to live life in society? Alas we cannot and do not condemn Islamic values, just the way they deal with the punishment of breaking laws aimed at keeping values holy and sacred such as fidelity and honesty to name two.

Or is it that the oppressed cannot see out from under their literal veil of oppression and will choose to keep it over themselves out of fear of the unknown or out of conditioning and brainwashing?

This is an interesting new development. Women advocates for Sharia. What do you think? Please read the article above in full to get the scope of the women's perceptions. The link takes a while to load abut it does work. Please do not generalize about this and be specific in your responses. It should show you have read the article. The first paragraph reveals nothing of the situation.


[edit on 25-2-2005 by 00PS]

But how about the women that does not follow the muslin Islamic tradition of Sharia, under Saddam women were not obligated to wear veil.

And now the new favorite candidate to PM has the blessing of the highest clerk, AL-Sistani.

It is me only the one that see how the Iraqi government is heading?

Is Islamic culture so different that we truly do not understand it. That we judge Sharia based on what we see not on what we know. That from the outside it looks cruel and unusual but form the inside seen as the right way to live life in society? Alas we cannot and do not condemn Islamic values, just the way they deal with the punishment of breaking laws aimed at keeping values holy and sacred such as fidelity and honesty to name two.

Or is it that the oppressed cannot see out from under their literal veil of oppression and will choose to keep it over themselves out of fear of the unkown or out of conditioning and brainwashing?

So Marg, what do you think? Is it actually oppression or is it a cultural difference that we cannot comprehend?

It's interesting to see what you wrote. I don't really know where Iraq is heading, but it should be going the American way now.

Interesting that this received a no vote. Is the Christian Science Monitor not a trustworthy site or is it that bad news such as this should not be published?

I think people are too busy believing Muslim males are evil to women so when they read this they don't know what to think, just ignore it.

So is it opression and the cycle of it repeating and the women making sure it stays in place or is it actually we don't understand the different culture and view it from the outside as cruel and unusual.

I think we don't have a clue.

So is it opression and the cycle of it repeating and the women making sure it stays in place or is it actually we don't understand the different culture and view it from the outside as cruel and unusual.

I think we don't have a clue.

That is pretty much it in a nutshell. It was painfuly obvious from the start and wanting to change 6,000 year old traditions of every Muslem annd have them conform to our ways will not work by force, it has to be done of their own accord. Those who want change seek it.

Sharia is a good idea, they say, if it is mixed with civil rights to guarantee they won't become second-class citizens. But Umm Hibba, who declined to give her full name for security and because it is sometimes considered inappropriate for a married woman, believes sharia is the only option. She has been told a secular government means one run by "infidels."

Ms. Abid says that, as a good Muslim, she supports sharia. But she likes a secular government and supports Allawi, who campaigned on his secularism.

Umm Sermat, who also would not give her full name, thinks Islamic law is a good idea but wants the protections she had under Mr. Hussein's secular regime. "The law [then] was with the women 100 percent," she says. A man "had to get his wife's permission to take a second wife. They should share the [assets] if the wife is separated. In a divorce, they have to prepare a furnished house for her.... We don't want a sharia constitution like the Iranian model. We're not worried about [UIA] being like Iran because it also includes (Ahmed) Chalabi, a Shiite" who is secular.

I see women who want the freedom to practice their religion, their way without interference from their government unless the practice is abused. That's the best face I can put on these comments. However, one of the comments - she had been told a secular government means one run by infidels - makes you wonder how much pressure these women are under from religious leaders.

I have to admit it is difficult for me to see such statements based on my own culture and upbringing. But if this is what they want for now - so be it. Sometimes the best course of action is to allow things to change on their own slowly and methodically. Once (and if) the country ever becomes stabilized - the less sharia will be a factor and women will begin exercising more civil liberties in their own homes like they now are in the government. One thing that can be said for sure is that none of the women in the article want it left solely up to the religious leaders - if they feel they are being treated unfairly they want a legal protections there, just in case.

B.

great article - I voted yes.

This a good article and something that we should discuss, I have not problem with Islamic women that want the veil to wear the veil.

But will all women be told to wear the veil with no choice? Even the ones that does not follow Islam? that's what I wonder.

Sharia is a good idea, they say, if it is mixed with civil rights to guarantee they won't become second-class citizens. But Umm Hibba, who declined to give her full name for security and because it is sometimes considered inappropriate for a married woman, believes sharia is the only option. She has been told a secular government means one run by "infidels."

( emphasis mine )
This is the reason, at least in this one case, why Iraqi women are for sharia. Of course it's impossible to know how many women are swayed by this disinformation.

The best solution, one which the Iraqis may not be ready to comprehend, is government based upon separation of church and state. Perhaps educational seminars delivered by women from countries where secularism is the basis of laws would help change some minds.

You have a point there Jsobecky,

Well it seems that has been some violence against women in the past by Islamic extremist I wonder if more violence will come if some women will decided no to used the Sharia.

BAGHDAD — Islamist extremists are targeting the city's universities by threatening and even attacking female students who wear Western-style fashions, setting off bombs on campuses and demanding that classes be segregated by sex.

www.washtimes.com...

Also I found another link on how women are still waiting to see what kind of rights they will be given under the new elected government, it seems that women still have not set place in the new Iraqi society.

That troubles me.

Also are Christian women also under the sharia implementation?

www.feminist.org...

Marg, You have definately looked into this and found those who would be further oppressed by Sharia based on their adherance to a different code of life such as Christianity or what not.

I think we should also look at the women who are of the Islamic community who know their sisters in Iran live under Sharia and are deathly afraid of it themselves.

I think we should also explore further why these women of Leadership are vowing to implement Sharia, when their countrywomen are fearful of it and how it will restrict their lives. I watched two or more movies about Sharia and as much as they may be propaganda, they are frightening.

Please check this article out www.alternet.org...

Sad very sad thanks for the link, obviously the new Iraqi population has already giving up to the possibility of theocracy and the repercussion of disobedience, so how can a democracy flourish if the population is already starting to go alone with theocratic views and be afraid.

So even after election is obvious also that the Islamic extremist will use force to make the population accept the Islamic rule.

Under the horrible rule of Saddam women’s enjoy choices as employment and some freedoms that their Arab counterpart did not.

For some reason violence against women by fundamentalist went rampant after the invasion, and now they live in fear of more violence if a theocratic government is enforced.

"Shiite political groups want to impose Islamic sharia and let it override the civil code that we've had for 30 years. This will turn women not into second class citizens but into third and fourth class citizens," says Mohammed, who heads The Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, which opened the first domestic violence shelter for women escaping abuse or "honor killings" from their families.

So it seems that Iraqi women in An Iraq post invasion will become a target to Islamic law.

Marge hits the nail-

Exactly. Post Saddam Iraq will be more 'archaic.'

I've always had this thought about veils on women-

Men like the veils to hide ugly women,
women like the veils to hide pretty women

Probably just me. I can see a few 'hags' being elected and wanting the entire female populace covered.

I guest wearing veils really puts a new twist on Blind dating. I never thought of it the way you put it. That's why I asked if this is just something we really can't understand. Their whole culture looked at from the outside seems strange and odd and maybe oppressive to westerners. Is it that we just don't have an inside view of the situation?

I don't know, Some forms of Shar'ia are pretty brutal in my opinion.