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Baad: A traditional way of settling a dispute within families by trafficking a female from the male perpetrator’s family to the victim’s family. This practice has been going on for years because most families don’t want to involve authorities. The girl that is being trafficked is usually the youngest family member and are traded against their will. Some girls or women that are traded are treated as a slave to the family as revenge. Much of the domestic abuse of women stems back from Baad, because of the mistreatment of some girls when traded. It is also illegal, but does not stop families from practicing this tradition and most authority look the other way due to corruption in the government. The only other way for the authorities to actually recognize this as a crime is if the traded girl goes to the authorities, which is uncommon for fear of retaliation. While as others can be treated as another daughter. This is seen as an acceptable practice because it doesn’t provoke more violence or murder amongst the families, which is prohibited in the Quran.
United Nations: The United Nations believes that there is such corruption in the Middle East due to poverty, wars or conflict within a country, or social conservatism. There was said to be a distinct age range of domestic abuse cases which are from 15 to 44 in 2008 then getting cancer, traffic accidents, war, and malaria. 1 in 3 women around the world will be raped, beaten, or abuse during their lifetime. Half of women that are murdered are done so by current or a former partner. The solution is to provide women with more services to get aide. More investment and greater leadership with politics will also help to get women out of this terrible strife for equality. However, these solutions may not work for all countries, but hopefully in the Middle East this would make an impact on their social views. Therefore, they created the United Nations Development Fund of Women that is helping to stop the violence against women in the Middle East and other countries.
My Solution: After carefully looking at the issue, I found that education plays a large role to stop women from being mistreated. Having an aid group or organization more readily available in these countries will show women that they are not alone and should not be ashamed of coming forward. Men should also partake in meetings that are being generated around the area by other men (such as the ones that are religious leaders) to show that equality should be a mass priority. This way by spreading the awareness, men will find their behavior not only destructible for the women in their lives, but also to their surrounding areas. According to the research that was done, in poverty stricken or war torn areas violence against women is more prevalent. Law enforcement offices should continue with their expansion of programs to help aide women who fear ridicule in their communities for coming forward. By making the experience of going to the authorities a positive one, then more women will feel comfortable in going then living in fear of their living situation.
Global Campaign for Equality: The Global campaign for Equality had a meeting in which the people believe that the origin of violence against women is the new interpretations of the Koran. The larger issues being polygamy consent to marry, inheritance rights, and custody of children after a divorce. They feel that ever since the new interpretation has occurred that the only way to have equality is a democratic community. This is due to the fact the society is ruled by a religious leader which allowed men to manipulate women into thinking they need both a religious and political divorce. Women discussed these issues and the discrimination that was faced for their specific gender. By having women of Islam come together from all over the world it will allow them to bring “musawah” or equality to Muslim women. Hateon Alfassi, a Muslim woman, said that after being told to sit in the back of a mosque at prayer time; “I found that was very telling that we are at the back of this religion.”
Iran: Women in this country are oppressed by having men, by being the over ruling opinion, instill fear and their on views on how a woman should be treated. This causes the many women who are abused in domestic or other violent cases to not report what is being down to them. There were between 19 and 50% of women that did not report their abuse and could be more. However, In Iran more women are rebelling against the Iranian Revolution’s change of laws that say that women should be more modest. More women are wearing colorful veils pushed farther back on their heads, and speaking out against the lack of equality. A man by the name of Mohsen Kadwar believes that the definition of modernity is a key component in tackling women’s rights. However, he feels that the definition is given by the country in which they reside in. Therefore, those in Iran due to being a patriarchal society with laws that change with the times, feel that their modernity is within their religion. Hard liners, or people that are more religious, want to go back to the “true value of men and women” (assuming as unequal) as said by their leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Iran.
Religious Leaders: In the Muslim world, women are seen as being the back of the religion because of their gender. Although it’s not entirely stated in the Quran, some men interpret passages to make it socially acceptable. In the eyes of Zulebya Seker, a Vaize or religious leader says that due to hearing men preach about their religious views, it does not give the opportunity for women to be seen as equals. Imam leaders were at an outrage when female religious leaders were appointed saying that Muhammad, Islam’s profit, didn’t permit it. However, Seker argues that if Muhammad were born at a different time that the religion would have a different outlook. To stop this, she is amongst the many that are conducting groups for women to educate them about the religion and ways to help stop discrimination. Amongst Seker, other religious leaders that are male that support her point of view and believe that everyone in the religion should be seen as equals.
Taliban: Taliban are an extremist group that uses the Koran as a religious law. They believe that women should be beneath men and have made it increasingly difficult for women to get equality. In Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents were threatening teachers that if they didn’t quit their jobs then they’d “suffer consequences.” Not only are the female teachers disrespected and threatened, but also the girls that attend these schools. They have conducted burnings, acid attacks, and put their demands in the Swat Valley that girls should be “heavily veiled.” The literacy rate of women in Afghanistan is only 13% (in 2006.) This is an important aspect in having women fight for their equality.
West Bank/Gaza Strip: Due to poverty and lawlessness in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip there is more violence against women through domestic abuse or within the government. 23% of women say they were abused within their household and only 1% reported it. 2/3 of women are subjected to psychological abuse via name calling, harassment, etc. The punishment for rape in this society can be absolved if they marry their victim. Therefore setting the women up to be in an even worse domestically abusive relationship with their “husband.” Honors abuse or violence are normally not even brought up to court and instead are dealt with by tribal leaders who are biased in the sense that they will punish the female victim. The victims live in a constant fear of social stigma, complaining, or retribution by relatives which may result in an honor killing. However, police officers are attending workshops on how to handle sexual abuse cases properly and attitudes are beginning to change.
Afghanistan: The Taliban having lost its influence in 2001 now allows women to get more help by being sent to shelters. However, this is only in cases that the government officials feel that it is unsafe for the women to go back and are reluctant in separating families. In this way most women are sent back into these horrific situations. At first they will try to give them counseling and mediation, if this fails they will give a divorce. Some shelters such as one run by a Ms. Naderi in Afghanistan will find new husbands for the victims who will not put them through the chaos they had once had. Since these men cannot afford a dowry, or a bride price, they will be better appreciate the women. One of the new laws that were put in place by President Hamid Karzai of Pakistan says that a husband can have sex with his wife every 4 days, unless she is ill or will be harmed by the act. This law will affect the Shiite communities that make up 40% of the Afghan people. Those who support the inhumane law say that there are certain places in the Quran where modesty and male patriarchy should be followed. Blame (according to some in the Middle East) is on Western influence that women may do as they please. One woman that is following the rule says the West focuses too much on Islam as the main component of the ill treatment of women. Saying that is only the West’s misinterpretation and it is a woman’s duty to follow this patriarchal system. There were more women for the law then against it. However, on the other side there were men and women who found the law degrading including politicians, intellectuals, and cabinet members. Women’s rights are being violated for their safety in their own homes, allowing this supposed “coessential sex” to be played out. The women are being treated as property and the law was submitted to the Justice Department to be revised. The afghan constitution is unclear on the rights that women have to this, saying that Islam is the highest authority.
Violence Against Women in the Middle East
Honor Killings: One of the many problems that are faced by Middle Eastern women is honor killings in which a woman is accused of supposedly “dishonoring” the family by committing adultery, bringing shame on them, or infidelity. This is generally done by a father or brother that feels pressure from their society to do this crime to “avenge their family honor.” They do so because they would be laughed at by society for being too lenient with their female family members. Over the last 4 years in Pakistan alone there were 1,957 honor killings that were reported.
