Well im doing the same as others and placing a grad 12 assingment on the internet but i wont bore you with some YAWN BOM piece or anything. Here is my Modern History peice currently unmarked and i dont want to hear any sassy you spelt this wrong or you have chosen the wrong verb conjugations or any of that crap. If you infact read it please make a valid and sensible comment and say something about content and disagree or agree with me.
Comparative Essay
While Western women struggle for independence, eastern women struggle for freedom from oppression, while the two may appear to be disparate, fundamentally they are the same both struggling against the worldwide patriarchy. Fully comprehending this statement it is necessary to focus on a few topics, firstly a definition of East versus West must be established to allow for a clear comparison. Secondly a look at the women’s movement gives a western perspective of independence and the Catholic Church’s view. Thirdly to be able to compare east and west as an eastern perspective on the position of women in society must be obtained and in doing so revealing the Qur’an’s position and past interpretations in reference to the position of women in Muslim society. Fourthly examining the position of a Muslim woman living in contemporary Australia and comparing that with the position of a third wave feminist also living in Australia. In doing this a clear opinion can be formed, being that these two struggles are not against religion but against the past and current patriarchal societies.
Over time our definition for East and West has changed, through the two world wars, the Cold War, the Gulf War and the Second Gulf war we can see a major modulation between the two. There are two sectors that can be viewed to define eastern and western nations being, Government and Religion. Government in eastern nations is quite complex and varied; in contrast a general statement about western countries is that the majority of nations are democratic in some form. No such antonym can be made as a general statement when referring to Eastern nations. The complexity lies in the varying types of government, for example Turkey is a republican parliamentary democracy, Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, Iraq is a former dictatorship and currently has no official type of government and finally Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic. These countries are essentially all different and through this no collective name or definition can be made, except under the term of Islamic World by Wikipedia meaning “the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims” (1)
Religion is the second fundamental disparity between the East and West, as stated previously the eastern world can be retitled the Islamic World. The East versus West conflict was typified during the Crusades. Louis Brethier wrote for the New Advent Catholic encyclopaedia, “The Crusades were expeditions undertaken, in fulfilment of a solemn vow, to deliver the Holy Places from Mohammedans tyranny.”(2) Catholicism was the sworn enemy of Islam as Islam’s central devotees were based in the Middle East; due to that fact that the religions were based around the same inaugural location they shared many of the same sacred sites. Julie Zimmerman wrote for the American Catholics Organisation about the holy places in the Middle East and discussed their inter-religious conflict, “Disputes over these places, especially in the Holy Land, have probably caused the sharpest divisions and hateful feelings—as well as the most violent actions—among Christians, Jews and Muslims.”(3) Included in the definition of east and west the constant conflict that these two religions faced must be accepted, despite this women of both religions face one common evil; the patriarchy, existing on both religions and influential within the two growing faiths.
The history of any type of ‘ism’ is crucial in understanding the meaning and intention, and the same can be said for feminism. The origins of feminism can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where women were not the dominant sex but an equal, it was women who initiated relationships, many of which were those between slaves and to glorify the importance of women, when women married male slaves those males became freemen. Anwar Shaikh confirms this by stating “Both sexes had substantive rights recognised by the law. Woman's share in matrimonial property was one-third. She initiated and performed all those legal acts that a man could.”(4) The invading of Iran and Greece into Egypt tore down this so-called Age of Equality. “…[the] Rise of religions such as Christianity and Islam, overreaching by women, male jealousy, and so on.”(5) Mr Shaikh stated that this was the downfall of the feminist age. Despite this the rise of feminism is only as important to the aggregate as the performance of the first wave feminists and their fight for equality.
After thousands of years of taking the back seat women of the first wave of feminism fought long and hard in Europe to gain the simplest of women’s rights. Beginning in the French revolution women of the time supported the male quest for equal rights against the lavish living of the extravagant monarchs and all the while campaigning under the banner of the Revolutionary Republican Women Citizens in supporting the Jacobins, a male political party vying for the right to form a republic. The first wave found itself supported by now some of the most influentially regarded women in history, including Mary Wollstonecraft, Florence Nightingale, and Emmeline Pankhurst.
Despite this, it was not until 1857 that women were granted partial basic civil rights and these were not amended to include full ownership of earnings and property until 1882. Following the success of the 1889 Women’s Franchise League a more militant women’s group was formed titled Women’s Social and Political Union, which would exemplify the actions that the first wave of feminism would be known for. Militancy was the weapon of choice the WSPU organised violent rallies and public protests outside ministers houses this was a common practise, until franchise was achieved in 1928 for those who were over twenty-one. An action by Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenny that clearly defines the actions of the WSPU was recorded by John Simkin a renowned history professor and publisher, he wrote
“When Grey was talking, the two women constantly shouted out, "Will the Liberal Government give votes to women?" When the women refused to stop shouting the police were called to evict them from the meeting. Pankhurst and Kenney refused to leave and during the struggle a policeman claimed the two women kicked and spat at him. Pankhurst and Kenney were arrested and charged with assault.”(6)
These types of militant activities were typical of the actions of the WSPU, and for the women of the time these actions were vital in assisting the fight for the right to vote. The fight was against the Parliament, a primarily patriarchal establishment and statistics show that even in contemporary Australia the number of women in the parliament dwindled. They rested below 13 percent in 1994 of the New South Wales House of Representatives as quoted in Diagram 9.2 of the Women’s Movement in the Historical Foundation to Contemporary Issues textbook. (7) The women of Europe and Britain primarily faced opposition to equal rights in the seats of power and under the Westminster separation of Powers’ principle (8) explained by Roger Woodgate etal, these institutions are fundamental to the growth and development of a nation however these were mainly male filled roles.
The Catholic Church’s position remained largely unchanged; however the competing religion in Britain at the time of the Suffragette movement was the Anglican Church, which supported divorces and the position of women as Ministers. Christianity has developed to include two different ‘Natural Orders’; Genesis gives many examples of the clashing ideologies, both explained by the Church of England’s Women Bishops In The Church Of England? Study Programme “God created men and women to be different with women as helpers to men and acknowledging their headship” (Gen2: 20). Genesis also goes on to say “God created men and women to be different but equal in every respect” (Gen 1 & 2) (9), now these conflicting interest have been weighed and compared in the Church of England’s Rochester Report. The finding can be summed up on page 236 where it states “Women could be appointed as bishops within a reformulated episcopate which would have a team of bishops in each diocese…”(10) Episcopate meaning “The area of jurisdiction of a bishop”(11) provided by Dictionary.com.
From the above mentioned evidence it would be clear that the wall stopping the growth women’s rights was not in fact religion but the male dominated positions of power.
The Qur’an, the Torah and the Bible are the Holy books of the three most prolific religions in the world. Islam holds women in the highest regard, this is contrary to the public opinion that Muslim women are oppressed and forced into a world of submission. The basis and interpretation of a religion in contemporary times is mainly done from the holy books, and if questions arise followers largely consult these same books for answers. In the case of the position of women in Islam the Qur’an makes clear what their position is, Prof. Abdur Rahman Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Nigeria can be quoted in saying;
“In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur'an says:
And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226)” (12)
Past Islamic governments have forced women into submission, Ayatollah Khomeini was a prime example, his reforms in Iran were hailed as great for Islam and yet they were oppressive and constricting to the women of Iran and although he used religion as his reasoning the Qur’an is not the answer. A personal choice dislike or belief was the reason Ayatollah Khomeini decided that removing many civil rights from women was necessary, just as Hitler believed the Jews were the reason for the economic downturn in Germany. Islam, the Qur’an, Christianity or the Bible are not responsible for the constant and congruent oppression of women, the male driven society is to blame for the degraded position of women in the social order.
Feminism takes many forms and since the backlash of the androgynous second wave feminists, their new and constant struggle for basic rights is ever-continuing. The position of the average women is necessary to understand what is seen to be acceptable and extremely topical is the position of a Muslim women living in contemporary Australia. The equality of men and women in any relationship is important and Mrs Khan a Muslim mother of four children explained the relationship in great detail.
Mrs Khan stated “ The part about being subordinate to the husband, we believe that men and women are created different but equal. They have been created for biologically different purposes. Women nurture children and men go out to work, but it doesn’t mean that the roles cant be swapped, because in the family someone has to make the final decision. That decision has been given to the man, probably because he earns the family’s wage, but not necessarily as far as owning property. Actually, since the start of Islam women have had the right to own property, and it was actually the first religion to recognise the right for women to own property. If the woman has her own income she actually doesn’t have to contribute the family. That burden lies on the male’s shoulders, and actually if the women gives her earning to her husband it’s like the husband receiving charity, because it’s his duty to provide for the family. Women are not even required to nurse their family although most of them do… I think that most of the problems come from cultural issues and also because of the males’ dominance in society, regardless of where they come from and what religion or country they come from. Women have been oppressed all over the world, not just in Islam. I think it just stands out a bit more in Islam for a lack of knowledge.” (13)
In comparison the position of a Australian third wave feminist is equally important because the two cultural differences give an added depth. Joan Kirner one of Australia’s first female Premiers expresses her feeling regarding “seizing the moment” towards feminism. She said, “Thousands of women are anxious to be included in determining their own and their children's futures," she said. "Women's collective experience is important, our collective wisdom is unbeatable, our collective strength is formidable, and our continuing exclusion from an equal share of power in shaping society is untenable.”(14)
Two passionate pleas for equality among the sexes and defiant justification stands behind both the statements, both “feminists” are qualified to give such statements and the justifications lie in the cultural backgrounds.
Woman have been fighting ever since the Age of Equality to regain the most basic human rights, and although some great battles have been won there are many more feminist and people in general have to fight. While Western women struggle for independence, eastern women struggle for the freedom from oppression, while the two may appear to be disparate, fundamentally they are the same both struggling against the worldwide patriarchy. Partial equality is not equality, obstinate acceptance is not total recognition of the female worth, and it is time that those who are treated justly fight for those who are prejudiced and let those who are be supported for once by the majority. Let those in power act in accordance with the popular opinion and change laws that prevent equal opportunity. References
(1) Islamic World Wikipedia; The Free Encyclopaedia.[Online] Available At: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_world [2005-10-13]
(2) The Crusades; New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia [Online] Available At http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04543c.htm [2005-10-21]
(3) Zimmerman J. 2004 Friar Jack's Catechism Quiz: Christianity, Islam and Judaism [Online] Available At http://www.americancatholic.org/e-News /FriarJack/fj021304.asp [2005-10-24].
(4) Shaikh A. 2003 Rise Of Feminism [Online] Available At http://islamreview.org/AnwarShaikh/sexual/RiseofFeminism.html [2005-10-24]
(5) Shaikh A. 2003 Rise Of Feminism [Online] Available At http://islamreview.org/AnwarShaikh/sexual/RiseofFeminism.html [2005-10-24]
(6) Simkin J. 2000, Women’s Social & Political Union [Online]
Available At http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wwspu.htm 2005-10-29
(7) Cowie, H.R., Carroll, L.D., Coombes, P.N., Danaher, G.R., Danaher, M.J, Danaher, P.A 1996, Historical Foundations to Contemporary Issues, Thomas Publishing, Melbourne.
(8) Woodgate, R., Black, A., Biggs, J., Owens, D., 2003 Legal Studies for Queensland, Vol 2, 4th Edit. Watson Ferguson and Co. Brisbane.
(9) Women Bishops in the Church of England? Study Programme; Anglican Church [Online] Available At E:\Mod. His. Research Task Women & Middle East\Comparative Essay(1).doc 2005-10-29
(10) Women Bishops in the Church of England? Study Programme; Anglican Church [Online] Available At http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/papers/womenbishops.pdf
(11) Dictionary.com Meaning Episcopate [Online] Avaibale At : http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=episcopate 2005-10-31
(12) Prof. Abdur Rahman., Women in the Qur’an and the Sunna Available At http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/humanrelations/womeninislam/ womenquransunnah.html
(13) Chalkley Z. , Interview with Mrs Khan Dated 10th of October 05’
(14) A woman’s Suffrage and the three waves of Feminism. Available At http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/women_and_politics/suffr7.htm 2005-10-31
