I have read this in a book by an islamist
"94. Is it true that Islam looks down on women?
The status of women in Islam is one of the most critical issues that many Westerners and some so-called Muslims claim a point of weakness. Yet, a good reader should not agree or disagree with such view before examining these points:
1. Contrary to the Bible, the Holy Qur’an does not make the woman the only person guilty of Adam’s first mistake. The Holy Qur’an says: ”And O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise, and eat thereof as you both wish, but approach not this tree"
2. Righteous women along with righteous men will enter Paradise and occupy a high rank in it. “And their lord has accepted of them, and answered them: never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female [3:195]
3. Islam prohibited the Arab’s habit of killing their female babies. ”And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them (the disbelievers of Mecca); his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief. He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed, shall he keep her with dishonour or bury her in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision.”[16:58,59]
4. In Islam the woman has the right to choose her husband. The Holy Prophet said, “ A maid is to be asked for permission. Silence is her approval.”

I don't think women as they are represented in the Qur'an is what is under so much condemnation. It is how women are treated in certain nations that have adopted Islam as a national religion.

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lambaste me not

...I'm not familiar with this "wonam" you speak of. Is it some kind of genetically deformed boy?

Darken

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Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything...

Show your kids you love them by buying them the No. 7 brand.

I think Islam is just like every other religion, there are those who will use relgion to enforce their beliefs upon others whether it is from their scripture or not. Remove religion, man has been oppressing women for a long time now. Religion isn't the source, it's the excuse.

-Demosthenes

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"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

as i am a muslim women i should tell you this. our religion supports equality between men and women. but what i think you have misinterpreted was some traditions which keep women inferior to men. but slowly we are changing.. so you must understand the difference between tradion and culture or religion because muslim arabs especially in the middle east ( which i am from) hold on to their traditions but also advancing and developing but equaling out tradition and religion with the idea's of today. what i want to tell you is that dont think of a couple of muslims as representaion of islam. i mean if i saw a christian man running naked, drunk and shouting his head off in a street iw ould not think that christianity is why he is doing it. or like many many americans are beaten by their husbands i wouldnt think that his religion or where he came from really is the reason why he beats her. u see peoples actions are not always right.. and dont think because he is a'so-called' muslim that islam allows such a thing. its the person not the religion, its the same with the american man.

I agree. It is not religion so much as social inequality that should be questioned. However, women's social inequality in America has stemmed from the Christian religion which in practice historically has been unfair to women. So the assumption has been the same for the Muslim religion. I don't know much about the Qur'an, but I know that the modern world is shaped by the worlds religions. Are you telling me that in the Muslim religion all women are treated equally to men?

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lambaste me not

I would first suspect alcohol, not religion. At least that is the cause when I do these kinds of things. So, eh, that was you with that veil on, eh?

If you're a women, no, if you're a man, hell yes.

It's not quite so simple. I've recently heard that there is a feminist movement claiming that Islam has more potential for feminism than Christianity. It is largely because the creation myth is retold as to place the man and woman on equal ground and to equal accountability for sin.
However don't expect the Muslim institutions to suddenly start plugging this. Most still say the very women who make these claims are inferior as women and unable to make judgements of the Koran.

I still hold that the brand of religion doesn't matter as much as the social changes around the religion. Culture changes religion more than vice versa. Religions that do not go with the flow for real world change and circumstances die. If and when women get their power in the Islamic regions, Islam will become a more feminist religion.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

Arabs oppress women more, its part of their religion. Are you able to give me an example on religion enforcing opinions?