There are many misconceptions about the conditions of women in the Middle East; some truly think that women in the Arab-Muslim world, especially in the ME are suffering from oppression, or deprived from certain or many rights.

The degree of severity for these misconceptions varies from one place to the other depending on the ideology of the people, their background and certainly their first-hand exposure to other cultures.

Some of these fallacies were very extreme, like the one talking about girls’ rights of education, and that girls are not allowed education in some areas of the ME, or that girls are forced to get married against their will. And some were less extreme like forcing women to cover themselves head to toe, their voting rights, or they cannot participate in decision making, etc…

To say that all off the above is 100% wrong, would not be right, but calling it a common practice, or normal living conditions in these areas is absolutely wrong. There are some individual practices that might demonstrate discrimination against women, but such practices are not limited to certain geographical areas, and are not acceptable by any of the religions or beliefs in practice in the ME, especially Islam.

If one reads into the ancient history of the ME, and women’s rights in this area before Islam, they would be able to easily discover all the wonderful things Islam brought to women, and if you look at the way women were treated in pre-Islamic societies, you will be able to understand why Muslims are bothered and surprised by accusations of injustice towards women.

To be clearer, here is a summary of how women were treated in ancient history:

- Hellenes: Called women “The Poisoned Tree”, and women used to be sold like goods.

- Romans: Claimed that women had no soul.

- Ancient Chinese: Called women “The Painful Water that Washes Happiness” and if the husband died, his family would inherit his wife.

- Ancient Indians: Said “Women are worse than death, hell, poison, snakes and fire” and women had no right to live after their husband’s death, and they used to be burned with their dead husbands.

- Persians: allowed the man to marry any woman he desires, including his sisters.

- Ancient Jews: called her a curse, because she was considered the cause of seduction, and the father had the right of selling his daughter.

- Ancient Arabs (Before Islam): use to extremely abhor having a baby girl born for them; to the level they would bury their new born girls alive.

And by default, the women had absolutely no rights what so ever in these cultures, until Islam came and gave women all the rights she was dispossessed of, and by shortly listing the rights that Islam granted for women, we can see that it covers all aspects of her life. These rights included:

- If the wife got a divorce while she is pregnant, the ex-husband is obliged to financially support her until she delivers.

- If a pregnant woman committed a crime, she is not to be punished until she delivers her baby, and finishes the breastfeeding period. 

- The father is obliged to financially support his new born girl from the day she is born, until she decides that she no longer needs his support.

- Islam granted women her rights in inheritance, regardless of her age.

- Islam granted her rights in marriage, as she has the right of choosing and accepting or rejecting any man, the man who chooses to marry her is obliged to pay her the wedding dowry of her choice, and after marriage, the man is obliged to provide for his wife and kids, and she is not expected to work unless she desires to. If she can’t bear living with her husband, she can ask for divorce. And divorced women are entitled for the end of marriage dowry and the husband is obliged to support her and her children.

- Islam insured women’s esteem and social position, as she is not to be dealt with as a seduction object, therefore, in Islam, men who would even look towards women aside from their wives in a way that implies pure sexual meaning or lust are sinned.

- Someone who would even accuse a woman of adultery without proof would be flogged.

- Children are not to even show their resentment of their parents, they are not to yell at them or in their presence, they are obliged to respect and honor them, they are to take care of them when they are sick or old, and they are to show respect to them even after their death by showing respect to their family members and even their friends, and in this regards the mother had the greatest share as per instruction of Mohammed (Pbuh) the messenger of Islam, when he was asked by a man “Who is the most worthy of my good companionship (behavior and attitude)?” the Prophet answered “Your Mother”, the man asked “Then whom?” the Prophet answered “Your Mother”, the man asked again “Then Whom?” the Prophet said “Your Mother”   the man asked again “Then Whom” the prophet answered “Your Father”, which shows the extreme importance Islam placed on the caring and nurturing of the mother.

- In religious practices as well, pregnant women are excused from fasting until they deliver.

These mentioned rights and others show how much Islam cared for women, their being, their respect, their honor and their social position.

Women are entitled to everything the man is entitled to, and if one had more rights than the other, then he/she will have more obligations.

For example, men are entitled a larger share than women in inheritance; at the same time, men are obliged to support women, and women are not obliged to do so, and can only do that if they choose to.

So, any practice or behavior there is in the ME or the Arab-Muslim world that is considered unfair towards women is only reflecting the beliefs of the person or group of people who are practicing it, and referring to the entire region or religion as “women oppressors” is very clear and unfair stereotyping.