Muslim Women Rights

Muslim Women Rights The human right awareness in the world has taken a quite interesting shape in the attempt to achieve sisterhood and recognize women rights as human rights. This has been a subject of debate and extensive criticism as it is perceived as having potential to â€Å"homogenizing the issues that might be different to different women. There is also the risk of universalizing feminist ideas that are practiced in the western countries and use them to solve the problems facing all women around the globe. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Muslim Women Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Societal development and political maturity of a society is currently appraised by the extent the women rights are being enforced. In my opinion, is support that women problems should not at all be homogenized or feminist ideas universalized because the problems of women are not similar around the world and different women take different cou rse in addressing their problems. The issue of women rights has brought about hot debates in the world especially regarding veil put by Muslim women and other issues like polygamy. As presented in this essay, the issue of veil which is a discursive issue in the world is discussed as described by Leila Ahmed. Leila Ahmed tries to seek the discourse about women and gender in the Islamic has emerged and exploring what is the root cause of such debates in current worlds. She seeks from the debate whether the Islamic culture and societies are really oppressive to women. Te center of her concern was the discourse of veil where women in the Islamic societies were required to appear in veils and other clothing that are connected to the Islamic traditions. The mail question that lingered in her mind is whether the issue of veil and the traditional clothing was meant to boost pure Islam favoring both sexes or otherwise. Ahmed first focuses on the gender pattern in the Middle East prior to th e emergence of the Islam in order to gain ground to describe the Islamic doctrine on women that were practiced in the past. She describes how the Arab societies propagated the debates about women and gender within the Islamic societies that have become so prevalent in the world today. She explores the issue of women and gender both in Islamic contexts, social and also the historical background. She conducts an extensive study of debates and ideologies about women within the Islamic societies and demonstrates how the debate is so prevalent in the current world. She advocated tat unveiling women could be a great step to transforming the social status of the Islamic societies. His survey acted as a strong onset of the feminism within the Arab culture. According to Ahmed (23), Muslim men and women have expended a lot of effort in the attempt to discard the veil from their culture but others believe that the veil is important for feminist struggle. She demonstrates that the veil was a w ay used by the colonizers in order to promote their cultures in other territories forcing them to undermine their native culture. It is among other things a strategy of colonial domination in an area.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some Muslim women in different part of the world demand it as their right to be allowed to choose whether to veil or not. The concept explored by Leila Ahmed is very vital and closely connected to the Inderpal Grewal’s â€Å"the regime of human rights†? According to Grewal (1), similar to Ahmed argument, oppression of women by global feminism comes in form of universalization and generalization of women issues and approaches. This is oppressive because the women issues are not the same in all places in the world. There is very high correlation between the issues presented by Ahmed and that by Grewal because they both discuss issues r elated to women rights. They both argue that human rights are based on western notion that is generalized. The international organization present the western women as superior and they spill over their feminism notions to their third world counterparts without considering the cultural differences. To achieve â€Å"a radical complexity in the practice of feminist politics† as termed by Grewal, women should be allowed to pursue their demand for women rights their own way depending on their culture. Homogenization and universalizing women problems deprives some women the right to deal with their issues the best way they can by forcing them to adopt the western culture. Women oppression should not be homogenized or universalized because women in different countries differ in culture, politics or have social system that only suits their own problems. According to Ahmed, these are strategies to achieve western domination and erode the culture of women in minority communities. Ahme d, Leila. â€Å"The Discourse of the Veil†. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Grewal, Inderpal. Women’s Rights as Human Right: Feminist Practices, Global Feminism and Human Rights Regimes in Trans-nationality. (PDF) Citizenship Studies 3, no. 3 (1999): 337–54

Jane Eyre Questions for Study and Discussion

Jane Eyre Questions for Study and Discussion Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre is one of the foremost works of British literature. At its heart, its a coming-of-age story, but  Jane Eyre  is much more than girl-meets-and-marries boy. It marked a new style of fiction writing, relying on the title characters internal monologue for much of the storys action. A womans internal monologue, no less. Put simply, the story of Jane Eyre and Edmund Rochester is a romance, but on the womans terms. Originally Published Under Male Pseudonym Theres no small irony in the fact that the distinctly feminist  Jane Eyre was originally published in 1847 under Brontes male pseudonym, Currer Bell. With the creation of Jane and her world, Bronte introduced an entirely new kind of heroine: Jane is plain and orphaned, but intelligent and proud. Bronte depicts Janes struggles with classism and sexism from a perspective that was almost unheard of in the 19th-century Gothic novel. There is a heavy dose of social critique in Jane Eyre, and distinctly sexual symbolism, also not common with female protagonists of the time period. It has even spawned a sub-genre of criticism, that of the madwoman in the attic. This, of course, is a reference to Rochesters first wife, a key character whose impact on the plot is significant, but whose voice is never heard in the novel. Regularly on Top 100 Best Book Lists Given its literary significance and its groundbreaking style and story, its no wonder that Jane Eyre regularly lands on Top 100 best books lists,  and is  a favorite among English literature instructors and students of the genre. Questions for Study and Discussion What is important about the title; why does Bronte choose a name for her character that has so many homonyms (heir, air). Is this intentional? What is significant about Janes time at Lowood? How does this shape her character?   Compare Brontes descriptions of Thornfield with the descriptions of Rochesters appearance. What is she trying to convey? There are many symbols throughout Jane Eyre. What significance do they hold for the plot?   How would you describe Jane as a person? Is she believable? Is she consistent? How did your opinion of Rochester change when you learned what his secret was? Does the story end the way you expected?   Do you think Jane Eyre is a feminist novel? Why or why not? How does Brontes portray other female characters besides Jane? Who is the most significant woman in the novel other than its titular character? How does Jane Eyre compare to other heroines of 19th century English literature? Of whom does she remind you?   How essential is the setting for the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? Do you think Jane and Rochester deserved a happy ending? Do you think they got one?   This is just one part of our study guide on Jane Eyre. Please see the links below for additional helpful resources.