CUSTOMS OF THE MIDDLE-EAST(Jasmine kaur-2012043 Shreya Kumar-2012100)

What are Customs? “A custom is a cultural idea that

describes a regular, patterned way of appearing or behaving that is considered characteristic of life in a social system.”

Examples…..

Customs for Middle-Eastern Muslim Women guided by primary Islamic

sources of law

religious guidelines, pre-Islamic traditions

impact on women’s life

dress code of Muslim women

Kinds of Head Scarves

Religious Life unusual for women to worship

in  mosques

men and women on opposite sides of

the aisle

men in front of women

women in second floor balconies

separate rooms

Politics Saudi women given the right to

vote in 2007

Egypt-25 percent reservation in the constituent assembly

Iraq-25 percent representation in the parliament

Tunisia and Libya- “zippered list model”

(Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan)

Education Colonial rule- compulsory

education to a select elite

Post colonial rule: majority of women still excluded from higher education

focus on religious education

In many countries, women must obtain permission from a male guardian for attending university

Employment MENA region ranks lowest in

women labour force participation in the world

Islam- women allowed to work subject to certain circumstances

Limited opportunities- restricted to fields like medicine and teaching

Role of women as mothers and wives is stressed upon

Property Rights Women do not have to give their pre-

marriage possessions to their husbands- receive “dower” instead

All their earnings through employment are theirs to keep

Iraq-women cannot own property, inherit less than half of what their brothers do

Marriage Marriage is a contract-

requires consent of women Female circumcision - part of

a ritual before marriage Muslim men can indulge in

polygamy Endogamy is common in

Islamic countries In some regions, child

marriages are forced.

Inter-Faith Marriages A Muslim woman cannot marry a

non-Muslim

But Muslim men can marry Jewish or Christian women

A Muslim woman cannot convert her religion

However, a man can leave Islam or convert to another religion

Behavior and rights within a Marriage A woman’s space is the private sphere

of the home;  man’s space is the public sphere Women must fulfil marital and maternal

responsibilities men are financial heads

In case of death of the husband , wives get a share of the movable property but have no right on the immovable property such as land, farm or real estate.

Divorce In Islam, a woman can initiate a divorce in some

circumstances-

‘Sharis’ law seek a ‘tafriq’ under certain allowable reasons.

The second method, by far more common in wife-initiated divorces, ‘khul’ is a divorce without cause but mutual consent.

Women applies for divorce- complicated legal procedure which may take up to 2 years

In some regions, men can divorce their wives just by saying “you are divorced!” three times.

Movement and Travel No limitations or prohibitions on women’s

travelling alone is mentioned in the Quran In some countries, if a journey longer than

3 days is undertaken, the woman must be escorted  by a male guardian.

In some regions, women are not allowed to drive or even ride a bicycle.

These customs originated for the safety of women.

A Book and Movie based on a true story…. (Movie) The Stoning of

Soraya M.  is a 2008 American Persian language drama film   adapted from French journalist Feridoune Sahebjam’s 1900 book ‘La Femme Lapidee’ based on a true story.   

Famous Books written on true narratives…. The Princess Trilogy

Princess : A true story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

 Princess : Sultana’s  Daughters

  Princess : Sultana’s Circles

Recent Changes The government has

granted women the right to vote.

Participation in the local elections.

The women have been allowed to ride bicycles .

Implementations that could improve the situation Education of women should be stressed.

The system of male guardianship should be abolished.

Steps should be taken to improve the female workforce.

The religious body should be separated from the political and judiciary system.

Women representation in the religious Islamic Body.

Thank You!