Asalaamu Alykum wa Rahmatullah,
I just wanted to comment that the religious retrictions in Saudi Arabia shouldn’t be criticized so much. In comparison with the overly promiscuous and unsafe behavior found among teens and young men and women in the United States, or any other western country, I believe Islamic teachings should be followed as it is in Saudia Arabia in regards to men and women. It is the fault of the person who are doing things that are haram such as described in this article because they might feel repressed, when in fact they should take a second look at their actions and see if its worth the displeasure of Allah and his will, rather for their own pleasure and immature actions.

Islam is too rigid and it is not being practical. I think there is no such thing as kindness, tolerance, equality, patience, respecting womanhood etc., in Islam. I may be wrong, but it is the perceived impression about Islam.

Religious teachings are meant to equip ourselves to succeed in the changing times. It is meant to better our lives ultimately. But Islam enforces blind faith that are centuries old and refuses to accept change.

No other religion suppresses women the way islam does. It is very pathetic. As the author rightly pointed out, islam treats women and men as two different species, whereas they both are equal before god.

I particularly liked the line ”Saudi women move about the street like living ghosts”... which truly reflects the state of saudi woman clad in traditional outfits (burkah?)

It is natural that women will turn rebellious and try to break away from religious and social compulsions.

Islam is not to ridged or harsh. As a matter o fact islam is one of the easiest religions!!! It is forgiving, understanding and kind. I am american and converted to islam, my husband is muslim and never pushed me to convert and even when I did he questioned my intentions making sure it was for the right reasons, he never obligated me to wear abayas or hijab (head scarf) I do so because I want to honor allah, myself and my husband. Covering ourselfs is asked of us to preserve our modesty and integerity not to opress us. Again I think that this is a combination of culture and religion and every muslim should not be judged because of this.

However, if you were in Saudi Arabia you would be forced to be veiled by law and would not have the choice whether or not to wear one. I definitely agree that muslims should not be judged for their choice, but they should be given one. Living in an American society which is democratic people are given choices and that applies to religion.

It only becomes oppression when the women of Saudi Arabia feel oppressed. It might be an entirely different perspective from their end.

However, if they do think themselves as victims of gender bias, and they can’t speak up and speak out about how they feel, then oppression takes a new light.

Islam is the most natural religion. It teaches us how to live as human beings in this world, not as animals. Read the Quran for yourself if you doubt, don’t judge the book by its cover. Many so called muslims, they themselves don’t wish to follow the Quran, because essentially they don’t want to follow any rules. In Saudi they cry outloud wanting to get rid of the strict rules, while in western countries, women cry outloud wanting to be respected by men, wanting men to look at them as a person when they wearing a piece of strings to cover their boobs and a handkerchief to cover their below region. Islam doesn’t condone both of these extremes, the key in Islam is modesty.

Women are meant to cover, so they won’t be a source of jealousy to other women, nor a source of gaze for men. When muslim women cover themselves to the extreme (and move about like living ghosts ?), true this cause hardships for them. Can you imagine being the only child, female, single and have no father, and live in Saudi ? What can you do for yourself ? Islam actually gives rights to this person to move about freely and safely to live her life. In Saudi, they guard women so strictly that they took away their rights. And it’s only natural for those who lost their freedom, to fight back. I wish though that they fight and at the same time keep themselves on the right path.

I am an new revert to Islam and I started wearing hijab the day I took my Shahada. I have noticed a big change on how people look at me. Before I was wearing tight fitting skimpy clothing and I almost always showed some cleavage. I couldn’t understand why men couldn’t hold a deceint conversation with me.

Now that I am covered, I can see clearly how wrong it was to expose myself like I did. I do see some people, men and women, do a double take when they see me. But all-in-all I have noticed that when I carry a conversation on with a man, he is listening to me and spending less time looking at my body.

This has shown me, that even if I weren’t Muslim, I would still practice modesty. It really is liberating.

As far as the strictness in Saudi Arabia, I am glad that I am in America because this allows me to gradually learn and accept the Muslim ways.

To be honest I don’t know if I could ever accept the strict interpetion that the Saudi’s have of the Quran.

Zahrah

I go running in the morning with shorts, swim in the lake with a bikini, wear a business outfit for work and jeans and a t-shirt after work, and it never happened to me that a man couldn’t hold a decent conversation with me because I was not covered. i work together with men and women and there’s no difference. For me men are not horny monsters that will rape me because I am a liberated independent women. I don’t need to cover to have dignity.

But I know I couldn’t life like that in a Muslim country. I wouldn’t be allowed to run in the morning, I wouldn’t be allowed to dress comfortably, I wouldn’t be allowed to have a job, I wouldn’t be allowed to earn my money, have a job with high responsibility. Men wouldn’t respect me, I would have to live under the rule of man.

Islam is very liberal relegion. It will not restrict woman doing exercise, from morning walk, holding reasonable jobs, doing her own business,(Hazarat Aisha(Mother of Muslims ran race with her husband), Hazarat Khadija was business woman. Woman were allowed to do whatever they like but follow the order of Allah(God), muslim woman are schelors, scientists, business ladies, holding top jobs but at the same time they follow the rules made my God. They are permited to do any thing which is not forbidden by Allah. No muslim man will stop them. At the same time I will ask western woman to remain western and do whatever they like and let muslim woman remain muslim the way they like. If its good for u that is also good for them. Why western people want to change whole world according to their view. Let people freely follow, what they wish. I saw many non muslim covering their head but at the same time a muslim woman is covering her head its become objectionable for them. Why? Have u not seen nuns? How are they dressed? and why are they dressed like this? who and how their right of living normal life has been taken? why whole west is against muslim woman. Let them live freely as they wished according to rules of their relegion.

i cover like the saudi women, Totally and have no problems with it when i’m out and about . yeah people stare or are scared at first or take double looks, but i know its all with curiously and ”surprizement”.

why should i be bothered with other peoples opinions or hang ups. Most women stay in their homes away from the grind and danger thats in the streets. the home is the best place for women, its not a big deal. the Media trys to make out the muslim women as if shes some poor thing that cant help herself i DONT AGREE WITH THAT. its only the media and haters that hate and try to degrade the religious muslim women for their own whims. men and women have always been different never the same.

manhood should be promoted and womanhood should always be protected.

everyone has their role, so play it.

no where does it say to be harsh to the muslim woman. no where does it say the the muslim man hates his sisters, mothers, aunts, daughters just because he has a responsability towards her welfare, dont let the media twist your minds .....ok!

There is a great difference between Islamic law and Saudi Arabia’s interpertration of Islamic law. It is not accurate to generalize and say that woman in Saudi Arabia are forced to follow the Islamic Law. As a muslim woman from North Africa, living in the United States, never has my father, uncle, brother or any other male member of my family forced me into the hijab or anyother form of it. Nor have I ever been denied my rights to study, go out, interact with other people, etc.. both in the states and my homeland.
If the muslim woman continues to be view through the western eye, she will always be viewed as oppressed. Islam teaches a woman to be modest; to be dressed modestly and carry herself in a modest way. Some people have their own interpretations of the teachings of Islam, and if for them covering themselves completely is what they would like to do, then it is not oppression. As ’Grace’ stated, it only is oppression when the woman feels oppressed. Now the right for to chose when and if she feels oppressed is the issue, and whether she can do something to fight this oppression. That however, has nothing to do with Islamic law. That is as I said before the government’s interpretation of Islamic Law.