From: sherwani@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Naveed Sherwani)
Subject: Re: Contradictions in Quaran
Summary: Some laws in Islam may be sexist
Organization: Western Michigan Univ. Comp. Sci. Dept.
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 21:14:52 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.151506.24127@cs.yale.edu>, ahmed-shakil@CS.YALE.EDU (Shakil Waiz Ahmed) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Aug13.052249.9959@tamsun.tamu.edu>, gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal) writes:
> 
: There are many tribes all over the world that have been practicing polyandry
: for centuries. They live just as fruitful lives as any other.  I know for sure 
: there are some in Zambia and some in the Polenesian Islands. It doesn't matter 
: to them who the biological father is.  Since the fathers are unaware who the 
: actual biological father is, all the husbands of the woman treat all her 
: children as if they were their own. And further, akin to Islam, it is polygamy 
: that is not permitted in these societies. So your logic that polyandry would 
: fail or cannot provide strong social structure is not true. 
> 
> 
> I said polyandry cannot provide the social family structure understood
> by Islam, a structure that Islam places great emphasis on.
> 
> -- Shakil

I think all religions are product of environment and time.
In that sense, Islam is no different. Many laws in Islam can
be deemed sexist, because being a sexist was no big deal back
then. 

Islam improved upon many laws and customs, but lacks behind in
some. The question of polygamy is one example, where Islam
should have been more careful.

Islam is dilvered thru a city dweller, who had little or no idea
about jungles, swamps, probably never travelled  over water and
never experienced any other system then what he [pbuh] saw in arabia.
Arabia at that time was a nation of warring tribes, women had no
rights (none that can be mentioned) and they needed protection.
I believe Islam thought Polygamy is a good way of providing that
protection, but failed to see that no all societies may be a nation
of warring tribes. Not all treated their women that way. In fact 
at the time of Mohd[pbuh] there were tribes (and still are) in Africa
in which it is MEN who need protection.

I saw a National Geographic about an African tribe, in which  men
sit around home, cook and take care of kids. Women hunt and generally
control the tribe. At night, all men put on make up and are praded
in front of women, who choose a mate for THAT night. They interviewed the
tribeheadwomen and she said that "what can I do, men are so useless,
they are lazy and they should be grateful that we feed them." They
also showed that when men get old, they are left with a hut at the
edge of the jungle, where they are supposed to live rest of their 
life. (By old I mean sexually not attractive).
Certainly, in this society, it is MEN who need protection. 

Another example thet even great minds sometimes cannot see beyond their
time. Our greek philosopher Plato, supported slavery!, Plato claimed
that it is good for THESE people to work with hand, GODS made them
that way. Greeks also refused to do anything with hand, in fact, eventual
decline of science in Greece is attributed to slavery.

Ofcourse, muslims may say that Islam is from Allah[swt] and it is
timeless. A statement I am willing to respect, but then we must not
pay any attention to Hadith from Mohd[pbuh]. Since that is not 
completely from Allah[swt]. Some of the laws about family structure
are drawn from Hadith.

In summary, I would say that Islam scores big points in many
differnt categories but scores low points on the issue of polygamy
and family structure. It provided security for some women but 
deprived rights of  most women in centuries to come.
I have to conclude that Mohd[phub] may have been sexist like every other
man of that time, for otherwise, we have to conclude that Allah[swt]
is sexist, which would violate the definition of God.

This sexist attitude is common among all old cultures (almost) and
reflects the environment that culture has developed in. Islam is 
no exception. 

regards,

-Naveed

PS: If you get angry by reading this post, please drink a glass of
    cold milk. Milk will do your body good. Cold will do your mind good.
Xref: sparky soc.culture.bangladesh:4434 soc.culture.indian:27930 soc.culture.pakistan:13586