Oppression is in the Eye of the Beholder: Family Planning in Islamic Countries

As a race, humans tend to simplify what they don't know into stereotypes or generalizations. It is much easier to group all Muslims and "Eastern" behavior into one category and attribute everything to Islam that is reported by the media rather than critically learning about the situation and forming one's own conclusion. This typical behavior is what prompted inquiry into what influences affect the advent of family planning within Islamic countries, and whether culture or religion plays a larger part in hindering its popularity and advancement, as well as the past and present effects of family planning as documented through sociological research and literature.

When seeking to support a stance from religious text, proponents and opponents of family planning programs in Islamic countries often use the same verses from the Qur'an to justify their stances on family planning. This is because unlike Christianity, there is no organized clergy or authoritative body that doles out rulings universally in the Islamic faith (Maguire 112-114). Historically speaking, neither the Qur'an nor prophetic traditions take an absolute stance on birth control or family planning, so it's left to the interpretation of local religious authorities. Researcher Donna Lee Bowen did fieldwork in Morocco and other Islamic countries and concluded that many local religious leaders who oppose contraception have relatively limited education in Islamic scholarship, and these local regions are the ones that often have the most impoverished residents and the least resources to support large families (Maguire 119).