Women in the Middle EastWomen in the Middle East

• How would you describe these women?

• What words come to mind?

Interpretation Interpretation • And say to the believing women that they

should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments.

• Qur'an 24:31

InterpretationInterpretation

•  Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

• 1 Peter 3:1-3

Covering by countryCovering by country

• Iran – loose fitting clothing and a head scarf that covers her hair.

• Jordan – not enforced by law, but 60% of women wear coverings

• Saudi Arabia – everything covered except the eyes; no bright colors

• Afghanistan – mandatory burkas under the Taliban; now optional; very socially unacceptable to not have one in the south.

The desire to return to the fundamental life of strict Islam crashes into the reality of globalization and peoples desire to have “what the West has.”

Women’s rights are at the forefront of that conflict, as

some rights that women have here in the US strongly contradict

Islamic law, or sharia.

Iran

A Region of ConflictA Region of Conflict

Ms. Bahrain

*For instance, in many cases a woman

must ask for her husband’s consent in

order to divorce.

Do’s and Taboos in the Do’s and Taboos in the Middle EastMiddle East

Cy-Woods HS

2009-2010

Women’s RightsWomen’s Rights

• In Saudi Arabia, which of these pictures shows a woman doing something illegal?

• The woman in the car.

Women are not allowed to eat in the regular dining area.

They must be accompanied by a

man.

The clash of globalization and

fundamentalism in Saudi Arabia today.

Women’s rightsWomen’s rights

Reading, volunteers, Burka Reading, volunteers, Burka BandBand

Women’s RightsWomen’s Rights

• Why would this woman not be allowed into government buildings in Turkey?

• Like France, most religious symbols are not permitted in government buildings.

SecularismSecularism

Turkey is a prime example of a secular society: one that is

NOT based on religious law.

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia

• You hold the door open for a very distinguished looking Saudi, but he just stands there, waiting for you to go in first. Why?

• The person of “lower” rank always goes in first.

Do’s and TaboosDo’s and Taboos

• You are walking down the sidewalk with an Arab business partner and he suddenly grabs your hand. What do you do?

• It is not uncommon for men in the Middle East to hold hands. It is simply a sign of friendship.

Do’s and TaboosDo’s and Taboos

• What do you have to be careful about when eating a meal in Arab countries?

• Eating or passing food with your left hand. That hand is reserved for sanitation purposes.

Do’s and TaboosDo’s and Taboos

• Why might an American find talking to an Arab man a little uncomfortable?

• Arabs generally don’t have a concept of “your space”.

• They may

carry on a

conversation

about a foot apart.

Do’s and TaboosDo’s and Taboos

• Why can an Orthodox Jew eat a giraffe but not a pig, but only if they don’t have a glass of milk with it?

• Giraffes are kosher, meaning they have cloven hooves and ruminate (chew their cud), pigs only have the cloven hooves.

• Meat and dairy are not to be mixed.

Do’s and TaboosDo’s and Taboos

• What is this baby thinking if she has an understanding of Arabic customs?

• “You are lower than the dirt on my feet.”