Of course Islam is not to blame for the problem. Never mind that rather than regarding women as human beings equal to men, the Qur’an likens a woman to a field (tilth), to be used by a man as he wills: “Your women are a tilth for you (to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will” (2:223).
The Qur’an also declares that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man: “Get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her” (2:282).
It allows men to marry up to four wives, and have sex with slave girls also: “If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice” (4:3).
It rules that a son’s inheritance should be twice the size of that of a daughter: “Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females” (4:11).
Worst of all, the Qur’an tells husbands to beat their disobedient wives: “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them” (4:34).
It allows for marriage to pre-pubescent girls, stipulating that Islamic divorce procedures “shall apply to those who have not yet menstruated” (65:4).
Never mind all that (and there’s lots more where that came from). Islam is not the problem. Islam is not the problem. Islam is not the problem. Why? Because the UN really, really, really doesn’t want it to be.
“UN urges freedoms for Arab women,” from the BBC, with thanks to Lawrence:
Discrimination against women is holding back economic and social development across the Arab World, a report by the UN’s development agency says.
Arab women must be given greater access to education, employment, health care and public life, the report says.
The Arab Human Development Report is an annual overview compiled by Arab academics and experts in the field.
Islam is not to blame for the problem, the report says, but rather political inflexibility, male domination and war.