Opression on Women in the Middle East; Is the Pressure Still on Today?

The Qur'an simply states, "And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women." [2:226] According to the holy book Qur'an, women and men are equal, but is this the reality of the Middle East and groups such as Al-Qaeda? There are many opposing viewpoints that come along with this argument, both agreeing and disagreeing that oppression of women in the Muslim society still exists today. But last year several suicide bombings were preformed by women, who were part of the international terrorist organization called Al-Qaeda. So the question stands; Is sexism still a huge problem in the Muslim society, or is it slowly disappearing into the past?

In early Muslim communities and in the life of Muhammad, women played very important roles. Women fought in battles, and nursed the wounded during the time of the Prophet. They were consulted about who should succeed Muhammad after his death. Women also contributed to the collection and compilation of the Qu'ran and played an important role in the transmission of the numerous hadith (prophetic traditions). Women in early Muslim communities owned and sold property, engaged in commercial transactions, and were encouraged to seek and provide educational instruction. [Esposito] Though, during the Abbasid period, when Islam's foundations were developed, leading scholars and thinkers were exclusively male. They had no experience with revelation first hand, had not known the Prophet directly and were sometimes influenced by intellectual and moral cultures antithetical to Islam. They moved away from the Qu'ran's ethical codes for female autonomy to advocate instead women's subservience, silence, and seclusion. Women came to be discussed in law in the same terms as material objects and possessions. [Yuan] This is where Islamic women's journey begins.