As Muslims, we have rightly claimed that when it comes to women in Islam, the media has it all wrong. Women are not oppressed, we argue passionately. Women were given property rights in 7th century Arabia, while prior to Islam, women were considered property. Women have the right to education. Women have the right to earn money, which remains theirs.
Women have the right to keep their last names after marriage.
Islamic dress protects women, it doesn't hinder them. And on and on and on. But in these discussions, Muslims compare Islamic ideals with Western reality. They do not look at the sad, sad reality of so many Muslim women today. Sexual and physical abuse.