Gender and Religious Discrimination in Islamic Countries

Gender and Religious Discrimination in Islamic Countries ANTHROPOLOGY: CONFLICT AND CULTURE Introduction Some of the vices of the society that were supposed to have been done away with ages ago are still so pronounced in the society today. There are some controversial cultural practices that continue to thrive even in this 21st century though have been passed by time: such includes the discrimination of the minority in the society. Its expected that with the development emanating form advanced science and technology, men should have developed parallel with technological advance hence overlook some destructive cultural practices based on myths proven scientifically to be wrong. This is not the case as religious and gender discriminations continue to deepen its roots in many cultures especially among the Muslims. This paper endeavors to unveil the evils of minority discrimination based on religious laws. The minority discussed in this paper are the religious and gender based in Islamic nations using a case study of Saudi Arabia. This study is based on a thesis statement that discriminatio n based on Religion and gender is pronounced and in continuity in Islamic based nations. The religious cultures are the sources of the controversies and minority discriminations. Discrimination The concept of discrimination has triggered much reaction in the society we live today because the adverse effects it has on the victims. Discrimination is the treatment taken against an individual or a group of people and based on category or class (Benton, 2007). According to the United Nations, discriminatory behaviors may take a variety of forms but all having a common factor: they include some form of rejection or exclusion. Any action that treats a group of people in an unfair manner because of their membership to a particular social group is discrimination (United Nations Cyber School-Bus, 2010). Minorities and Discrimination The minorities in the society are a group of people who do not constitute formulate the dominant majority of the total population in a given society. Minority group does not necessarily mean numerical majority, rather may include any group of people considered subnormal in relation to the dominant group of people in terms of wealth, employment, class, political power, education and social status (Traiman, 2006). The minority may also be referred to as the ‘subordinate group while the majority group may be referred as the ‘dominant group instead of minority and majority respectively. The term minority group is mostly used in reference of an ethnic group which may include: nationality, language, religion, gender and culture. Some other minority groups may include: The working minorities (unemployed and working poor, people with disabilities, age minorities who are older or younger than the typical working class and the sexual minorities (Lovelace, 2006). The commonality of the term ‘minority group is manifest alongside the discourse of collective rights and civil rights gaining prominence from the 20th century. Those who fall under the category of the minority group frequently fall prey to different treatments in the societies and the countries where they reside. The discrimination can be based on the individuals perception as belonging to the minority group failing to notice an individuals personal successes or occur indirectly based on the social structures that do not offer equal opportunities to the entire subject. Those who belong to the categories of the minority groups are often identifiable while tabling of complains of maltreatments and demanding for equal rights (Lovelace, 2006). Religious Discrimination: Saudi Arabia case study The focus of this paper is to look into the minority groups in the Islamic nations and how they are discriminated by the society and the governing laws within their nations. The two major categories of minority groups within the Islamic culture are the religious minority and gender minority: women. One of the most established Islamic states of the world is Saudi Arabia; though our focus is the Islamic culture in general most of the examples shall be obtained from the monarchy of Saudi Arabia. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is governed by Sharia laws that are derived from the Holy Quran. The kingdom has no legal protection in relation to freedom of religion hence no authority offers such protection to the minority groups: those who do not profess the Islamic religion such as the Christians and the Buddhists. The requirement of the Sharia law is that all people should be Muslims. The government does not condone a public practice of non-Muslim religions, in fact its illegal. The non-Muslims are only allowed to conduct their worship in private. Nevertheless those limited rights are not always respected and contravention does not necessarily carry a lot of weight (International Labor Office, 2007). The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a population of about seventeen million with about seven million foreigners. The foreign population includes about 36,000 Americans, 40,000 Eritreans, 130,000 Sri Lankans, 150,000 Lebanese, 250,000 Palestinians, 800,000 Filipinos, 800,000 Egyptians, 900,000 Pakistanis, 1 million Bangladeshis, and 1.5 million Indians. Of the entire population in the Saudi society, the majority are Muslims with minority Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews. There are very few of the foreigners who are Muslims. There is a high degree of cultural homogeneity as well as high social stratification (Federal Research Division, 2004). The freedom of religion does not exist, Islamism being the official religion; all the citizens are required to be Muslims. The government is an Islamic monarchy declaring Prophet Muhammads Sunna traditions to be the governing constitution. The government is fully conservative observing the precepts of the Quran to govern the country. The government as well as the society do not allow for any separation between the government and religion. The Muslims societies are allowed to adjudicate their legal issues using the Shia Muslims traditions. This is at the expense of the minority groups who are not Muslims since they are judged according to the Muslims laws: this becomes unfair since the non Muslims are not versed with the basic knowledge hence may contravene the laws out of ignorance. On the same note the non Muslims do not enjoy the Christian festivals and holidays since the only permissible public holiday is Eids, Eid Al-Fitr done as a wrapping up of Hajj (International Labor Office, 2007). The religious minority suffers in that the system of education is based on the Islamic laws. Some other religious teachings such as Christian religious Education are not provided for, the parents and guardians have to organize for tutorial classes to teach their children the basics of their religions. Those who have attempted to advocate for some forms of democratic systems or criticized or written opposed the Islamic administration have faced the Sharia law some being imprisoned while others have faced reprisals. The minority groups pay the revenues to the government which is used in the establishment of Mosques. The government also uses collected revenues to pay the Imams who are the prayer leaders and the other mosque employees though it does not permit the establishment of churches (Abir, 1993). The jurisdiction in the legal system treats the majority, Muslims, unequally to the minority: other religions. For example the retribution sort for blood money varies from that of a Muslim man from that of a member of the other religions. The blood money payable to a Christian man is half that of a Muslim man. The members of the other religions are valued 1/16th of a Muslim man (Saudi Arabian Government and Law). Gender Discrimination The acuity of the womenfolk as a minority group facing discrimination has been publicly debated from time immemorial. The concept of gender discrimination is based on belief that women are a lesser sex in the society. Its generally propagated by attitudes and beliefs concerning the gender of a person. The attitudes and beliefs are social nature normally not carrying legal consequences. The treatment of women varies from one society to another and from institution to another (Tofilon, 2005. The advance in development continues to provide for more opportunities for women. Though not many societies have managed to achieve a level of equal rights for all people despite of their gender, the Islamic based countries do not even make the initiative to provide equal opportunities for all. Gender discrimination can arise in different settings. The discrimination may involve an employee being asked some discriminatory questions in job interviews or while working: if a woman presents herself as a Chief Executive Officer of a given company others may doubt her ability to run such a position based on cultural beliefs that a woman ought to take less task positions not such which involves the control off the entire company. Such cultural beliefs have been impacted on women to an extent that some have accepted the position as a reality of life. Unfair discrimination of women follows gender stereotypes that are held by the society (Hyde, 2005). Gender Discrimination in Saudi Arabia The discrimination of women as the ‘minority group is most pronounced among the practitioners of Islamic religion though also very evident in other societies such as in America: it was identified that more than half of the masters degree programs are offered to women though this is not reflected in the management of organizations; over 95% of senior management positions in organizations remain occupied by men (U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission, 1995). In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gender discrimination is so pronounced in almost all circles. The greatest challenge in pursuit of gender equality in this monarchy is faced owing to the fact that not many including the womenfolk are willing to see change; many are contented with the status quo. This is chiefly because the discriminations are not perceived by the women since its based on the laws of God: Sharia from the Holy Quran, to them God ordained men to rule as women serve the men (Kline, 2005). Despite the fact that about seventy percent of those enrolled in universities are women only five percent of the workforce is composed of women, 95% of workers are men. This ratio is the most unusual in the world. Any attempt to increase womens opportunities in the working force has faced pronounced resistance from without the government (men citizenly and religious police) and within the labor ministry. The position of a woman is at home according to the Saudi peoples cultures and Islamic religion. Most of these cultures state that a woman was created to take care of her husband and family. The segregation for this minority group is continued even to the home settings where there are some special doors that are set mens usage. In Saudi Arabia women are prohibited even from driving cars and those who drive do it out of contravention of the law, they are very few for not many husbands would allow their wives to drive. They are allowed to fly aircrafts but have to be chauffer driven to the airstrips (Kline, 2005). Women in Saudi Arabia are not even allowed to contend for political positions. They are just allowed to vote. The discrimination of women among the Islamic nations is not only manifest in Saudi Arabia, in Iran there is no much difference; there are so many rights that women are denied from accessing based on the Islamic religion. If a Muslim man commits adultery with a Muslim woman he receives a penalty of 100 lashes, but if with a non Muslim woman there is no provision of the punishment involved. If a non-Muslim man commits adultery with a Muslim woman the penalty is death sentence. Iran law allows a Muslim man to marry a Muslim woman but a Muslim woman can never be married to a none-Muslim man (FIDH report, 2003). Conclusion The discrimination of people in todays society based on beliefs and practices that can not be proven has received vast criticism from many circles. With the current advance in scientific and technological advance its expected that most of the cultural myths that continue to thrive in the society should have been done away with along time ago, but this is not the case. Minority discriminations based of cultural beliefs are so evident in many circles of life especially in the Islamic religious societies. Religious decimation against the minority and gender discrimination are so pronounced in Muslim societies. The minority groups continue to encounter massive challenges in an attempt to fit in these societies. The Saudi Arabia Kingdom which is our case study is a monarchy run in accordance with Islamic religious ethics. The constitution of this monarchy is based on Sharia form the Quran. The greatest percentage of Saudis citizens is Muslims hence all the rest fall under the category of minority group subject to various minority discriminations. Women in the society from time immemorial receive a different perception and treatment by the society. This is based on the belief that they are a weaker sex; the Islamic nations have not been left behind in unequal treatment of women. The paper has outlined the various religious and gender discriminations especially in Islamic based states using the case study of Saudi Arabia. References Abir, M. (1993). Saudi Arabia: government, society, and the Gulf crisis. New York, NY: Routledge. Benton, A. J. (2007). Are Your Genes Protected: Federal Legislation and Genetic Discrimination: The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, Iowa City, 10(2), 285-311. Federal Research Division. (2004). Saudi Arabia A Country Study. Montana: Kessinger Publishing. FIDH and the Ligue de Dà ©fense des Droits de lHomme en Iran. (2003). Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran, Paris – France. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/ir0108a.pdf Hyde, J. S. (2005) â€Å"The Gender Similarities Hypothesis†, American Psychologist, (International Labor Conference); 96th session, I (B). Publisher International Labor Organization. International Labor Office, (2007), Equality at work: tackling the challenges: global report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work International Labor Office Series Volume 91; Volume 96 of Report (International Labor Conference) Report. Publisher International Labor Organization. Kline, J. (2005). Ethics for international business: decision making in a global political economy. New York, NY: Routledge. Saudi Arabian Government and Law. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://www.jeansasson.com/law_and_government.htm Tofilon, L. (2005). Masters of Discrimination: Augusta National Golf Club, Freedom of Association, and Gender Equality in Golf. The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice. Iowa City: Fall, 9(1), 189-20. Traiman, L. (2006). Guidelines but No Guidance: GaySpermBank.com vs. FDA. The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice. Iowa City: Spring, 9(3), 613-623. U.S. Glass Ceiling Commission. (1995). â€Å"Glass Ceiling Commission A Solid Investment: Making Full Use of the Nations Human Capital A Solid Investment:† Making Full Use of the Nations Human Capital. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117context=key_workplace United Nations Cyber School-Bus. (2010). What is discrimination? Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from: http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/discrim/id_8_ud_print.asp

Misconceptions of a Tenth-Century Muslim Traveler

Historical and cultural accounts are important documents in order for the next generation to mirror the past and learn from the early people. If such accounts are incomplete and biased, the people being described may be underestimated and the readers may be misled. The essay written by Al Mas'udi on the natives of Oman or the Zanj tribe is one example of a cultural account lacking in information and depth.As a merchant, Al Mas'udi gave a commercialist account of what can be found in Oman. In focusing much on what he could benefit from in the country, he failed to give a truthful observation of the people—their culture, beliefs, and traditions. This narrow point of view by a merchant traveler, if given serious consideration, may be dangerous as it may picture the people of Oman differently.In his essay, the author regarded the sail to the sea of Oman as the most dangerous, saying, â€Å"I do not know of one more dangerous than that of the Zanj.† This introduction could l ead the readers to be disappointed from going to the place because of the danger he stated. Also, Mas’udi used the term Zanj to refer to all the people in Oman, but this is not proper because the word has a connotation that may demean his subjects. Such terms are said to be taboo, just like the term â€Å"Negroes† for Black Americans for this remind the Blacks of their painful past.The journal of Mas’udi also contained misconceptions about the natives of Oman as he pictured them to be like savages who â€Å"do not use [elephants] for war or anything but only hurt and kill them.† This statement is too rude as it depicts a tribe that did not pay respect for animal life, but a tribe that was so cruel and uncivilized.On the positive side, though, the author mentioned that the people had a beautiful language and they had a preacher to teach them about God. However, he said that there were no religious laws, which leads us to asking, what do the preachers preac h aside from the law of their god? Truly, this statement gives a confusion on the people’s beliefs.As a traveler, one thing that Mas’udi must have done was to respect the people he observed and carefully write about them, without missing out on details which could lead the audience to misconceptions.This is similar to the term lesbian which was given a misconception from its original meaning of â€Å"people of Lesbos,† an island where the poet Sappho originated. The term was later given negative interpretation due to interpretations of the author’s poems which depicted platonic love between women. Indeed, we can see, â€Å"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!† (Pope 1709)Work Citedâ€Å"Lesbos Lived on an Island.† Pearl’s Rainbow Key West. 3 December 2007.. Misconceptions of a Tenth-Century Muslim Traveler Historical and cultural accounts are important documents in order for the next generation to mirror the past and learn from the early people. If such accounts are incomplete and biased, the people being described may be underestimated and the readers may be misled. The essay written by Al Mas'udi on the natives of Oman or the Zanj tribe is one example of a cultural account lacking in information and depth.As a merchant, Al Mas'udi gave a commercialist account of what can be found in Oman. In focusing much on what he could benefit from in the country, he failed to give a truthful observation of the people—their culture, beliefs, and traditions. This narrow point of view by a merchant traveler, if given serious consideration, may be dangerous as it may picture the people of Oman differently.In his essay, the author regarded the sail to the sea of Oman as the most dangerous, saying, â€Å"I do not know of one more dangerous than that of the Zanj.† This introduction could l ead the readers to be disappointed from going to the place because of the danger he stated. Also, Mas’udi used the term Zanj to refer to all the people in Oman, but this is not proper because the word has a connotation that may demean his subjects. Such terms are said to be taboo, just like the term â€Å"Negroes† for Black Americans for this remind the Blacks of their painful past.The journal of Mas’udi also contained misconceptions about the natives of Oman as he pictured them to be like savages who â€Å"do not use [elephants] for war or anything but only hurt and kill them.† This statement is too rude as it depicts a tribe that did not pay respect for animal life, but a tribe that was so cruel and uncivilized.On the positive side, though, the author mentioned that the people had a beautiful language and they had a preacher to teach them about God. However, he said that there were no religious laws, which leads us to asking, what do the preachers preac h aside from the law of their god? Truly, this statement gives a confusion on the people’s beliefs.As a traveler, one thing that Mas’udi must have done was to respect the people he observed and carefully write about them, without missing out on details which could lead the audience to misconceptions. This is similar to the term lesbian which was given a misconception from its original meaning of â€Å"people of Lesbos,† an island where the poet Sappho originated. The term was later given negative interpretation due to interpretations of the author’s poems which depicted platonic love between women. Indeed, we can see, â€Å"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!† (Pope 1709)Work Citedâ€Å"Lesbos Lived on an Island.† Pearl’s Rainbow Key West. 3 December 2007..

Sarah Cloyce Accused in the Salem Witch Trials

Known for: accused in the 1692 Salem witch trials; she escaped conviction though two of her sisters were executed. Age at time of Salem witch trials: 54Also known as: Sarah Cloyse, Sarah Towne, Sarah Town, Sarah Bridges Before the Salem Witch Trials Sarah Towne Cloyces father was William Towne and her mother Joanna (Jone or Joan) Blessing Towne (~1595 - June 22, 1675), accused once of witchcraft herself. William and Joanna arrived in America around 1640. Among Sarahs siblings were two also caught up in the Salem witch hysteria of 1692: Rebecca Nurse (arrested March 24 and hanged June 19) and Mary Easty (arrested April 21, hanged September 22). Sarah married Edmund Bridges Jr. in England, about 1660. She was a widow with five children when she married Peter Cloyce, father of six; they had three children together. Sarah and Peter Cloyce lived in Salem Village and were members of Salem Village church. Accused Sarahs sister, Rebecca Nurse, 71, was accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams on March 19, 1692. She was visited by a local delegation on March 21 and arrested the next day. Magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin examined Rebecca Nurse on March 24. March 27: Easter Sunday, which was not a special Sunday in the Puritan churches, saw Rev. Samuel Parris preaching on dreadful witchcraft broke out here. He emphasized that the devil could not take the form of anyone innocent. Tituba, Sarah Osborne, Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey were in prison. During the sermon, Sarah Cloyce, likely thinking of her sister Rebecca Nurse, left the meetinghouse and slammed the door. On April 3, Sarah Cloyce defended her sister Rebecca against charges of witchcraft -- and found herself accused the next day. Arrested and Examined On April 8, Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Proctor were named in warrants and arrested. On April 10, the Sunday meeting at Salem Village was interrupted with incidents identified as caused by the specter of Sarah Cloyce. On April 11, Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Proctor were examined by magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin.  Also present were Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, Isaac Addington (secretary of Massachusetts), Major Samuel Appleton, James Russell, and Samuel Sewall, as was the Rev. Nicholas Noyes, who gave the prayer. Rev. Samuel Parris took notes. Sarah Cloyce was accused in testimony by John Indian, Mary Walcott, Abigail Williams, and Benjamin Gould. She shouted out that John Indian was a grievous liar and refused to confess. Among those who accused Sarah Cloyce was Mercy Lewis, whose paternal aunt Susanna Cloyce was Sarahs sister-in-law. Mercy Lewis took a less active role in accusing Sarah Cloyce than she did in accusing others including Sarahs sister Rebecca Nurse. That very night of April 11, Sarah Cloyce was transferred to Boston prison, along with her sister Rebecca Nurse, Martha Corey, Dorcas Good, and John and Elizabeth Proctor.   Even after her jailing, John Indian, Mary Walcott, and Abigail Williams claimed to be tormented by Sarah Cloyce. Trials Sarahs sister Mary Easty was arrested on April 21 and examined the next day. She was briefly set free in May but returned when the afflicted girls claimed to have seen her specter. A grand jury indicted Sarahs sister Rebecca Nurse in early June; on June 30 the trial jury found her not guilty. The accusers and spectators protested loudly when that decision was announced. The court asked them to reconsider the verdict, and the trial jury did so, then finding her guilty, discovering on reviewing the evidence that she had failed to answer one question put to her (perhaps because she was nearly deaf). Rebecca Nurse, too, was condemned to hang. Gov. Phips issued a reprieve but this was also met with protests and was rescinded. Rebecca Nurse was hanged, with Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin and Sarah Wildes, on July 19. Mary Eastys case was heard in September, and she was found guilty on September 9. Together, the surviving sisters Sarah Cloyce and Mary Easty petitioned the court for a fayre and equall hearing of evidence for them as well as against them. They argued that they had no opportunity to defend themselves and were not allowed any counsel and that spectral evidence was not dependable. Mary Easty also added a second petition with a plea was focused more on others than herself: I petition your honors not for my own life, for I know I must die, and my appointed time is set .... if it be possible, that no more blood be shed. But Marys plea was not in time; she was hanged with Martha Corey (whose husband Giles Corey had been pressed to death on September 19), Alice Parker, Mary Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmott Redd, Margaret Scott and Samuel Wardwell on September 22. Rev. Nicholas Noyes officiated at this last execution in the Salem witch trials, saying after the execution, What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of hell hanging there. In December, a brother of Sarah Cloyce helped pay the bond to release William Hobbs from jail. Charges Finally Dismissed Charges against Sarah Cloyce were dismissed by a grand jury on January 3, 1693. Despite the charges being dropped, as was the custom, her husband Peter had to pay the prison for her fees before she could be released from imprisonment. After the Trials Sarah and Peter Cloyce moved after her release, first to Marlborough and then to Sudbury, both in Massachusetts. In 1706, when Ann Putman Jr. publicly confessed in church her contrition for her part in the accusations (saying that Satan had put her up to it), she pointed to the three Towne sisters: And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters [including Sarah Cloyce], I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and their families.... In 1711, an act of the legislature reversed the attainders on many who had been convicted, but since Sarah Cloyces case was eventually dismissed, she was not included in that act. Sarah Cloyce in Fiction Sarah Cloyce was the key character in the 1985 American Playhouse dramatization of her story in Three Sovereigns for Sarah, starring Vanessa Redgrave as Sarah Cloyce in 1702, seeking justice for herself and her sisters. The television series based on Salem did not include Sarah Cloyce as a character.

The United Colonies And Its Effects On Trade And Illegal...

The Caribbean rival colonies caused major disruption in trade and more illegal activities were spreading across the new land. The exportation of treasured metals previously deviated from Peru to Mexico causing the connection between the metropolis and the colonies to disintegrate. There were two types of societies that existed, the Maroons and the Buccaneers. The first type was made up of struggling settlers that had violent tendencies, plantiers, exasperated officials, slaves, and free persons of color. The second type was considered as a trans-frontier group to include, Maroons, slave escapees to defiant freebooters (Buccaneers). The Maroons formed a successful surrogate to the Europeans. They developed fierce personalities with great†¦show more content†¦Whereas the second type, gran marronnage was very different. This consisted of an organized attempt to establish political and social communities of European colonial enclave. Maroons acquired the necessities to survive i ncluding, firearms, tools, utensils, and food once successful marronage was enabled. Between the mid-seventeenth century to the beginning of the eighteenth century the Buccaneers were in their glory. Transitioning politically and socially, the Buccaneers economy was greatly dependent on selling hides and boutcan to the ships passing through the Mona Passage and the Windward Passages. They also achieved international fame by performing freelance attacks on the Spanish possessions in and around the Caribbean. With the support of rival states the Buccaneers continued their attacks on the Spanish, which helped the success of non-Spanish attempts at colonization. The communities of Buccaneers represented a phase in the shift from pioneering colonialism to organized imperialism. They began to make profits off of different kinds of animals such as dogs, horses, cattle, and hogs. The Buccaneers succeeded their attacks on the Spanish by maintaining support from other states and this created a greater opportunity for colonization. This developed a bond between the Buccaneers and other cultures around the Caribbean. The