1. America has always prided itself on freedom of thought, religion and the right of equal opportunities for all. The reason is simple: America has practiced freedom of religion. In fact, the very idea of separation of church and state makes it possible for everyone to practice religion without interference from or dispute with, the government. America was founded by many fleeing religious persecution in the Old World. This has continued to World War II where Jews came to this country fleeing the Holocaust. People from India and Africa and the Middle East came seeking more freedom from their ultra-conservative mullahs.
9/11 has changed some of these freedoms and rights. Some minorities, especially American Muslims, now are viewed with fear, even hatred and certainly some contempt because they look and worship differently. Yes, there is still anti-Semitism in America and there is the views of conservative Evangelicals which frown on abortion rights and homosexuality. But, sad to say, it seems to be American Muslims who are suffering the most in this trend toward anti-multiculturalism. In Chapter 5, there seems to be a happy ending in Houston for Tarmah, a woman determined to be more “modern” even to the extent of trying to persuade her daughter to remove her head scarf while in school. At long last, she was able to her a personnel officer tell her “Our company has been a leader in promoting multiculturalism in the workplace” (Sadrieh 167). Heartening as this is, one must realize that this was written fully ten years ago, before 9/11 and before the invasion of Iraq and America’s fear of “terrorists” as if they were lurking around every corner and under every headdress. Yet, at the same time, American Muslims still consider many of the ultra-conservative customs to be necessary. In some instances, even today, they tend to separate themselves from being part of the American mainstream. The New York Times wrote: “Many American Muslims – or at least those bent on maintaining certain conservative traditions – equate anything labeled “dating” with hellfire, no matter how short a time is involved. Hence the wildly popular speed dating sessions at the largest annual Muslim conference in North America were given an entirely more respectable label. They were called the ‘matrimonial banquet'” (Anon 1). What this indicates is that a segment of Americans- especially Muslims- do not insist on assimilation and thus being part of mainstream America in the sense of accepting all “American” customs and habits, but still want to be accepted as “Americans” in terms of allegiance to the principles of American democracy. It is fair to assume, however, that today Muslims in this country feel somewhat endangered and not part of a unifying sociological diversity with equality for all.
2. It is fair to state that women in many Muslim, Hindu and Eastern societies still lack the equality American women have now achieved. Remember that women in the U.S. could not even vote until a Constitutional Amendment made them equal to men in the voting booth in 1920. Religious conservatism,, family traditions an d theocracies in other parts of the world continue to see women not only as the weaker sex, but as somehow inferior to, or incapable of doing the same jobs or perform the same duties, as men. Unlike the US there are no laws offering full equality in many nations of the world, even today.
True, in Colonial America, arranged marriages were not uncommon. The idea was to populate the New World. But, arranged marriages continue to be part of Muslim and Hindu society. “Many consider the practice a central fabric of Indian society, reinforcing the social, economic, geographic, and the historic significance of India” (Harlan 2).
A few generations ago, brides were subject to the will (approval or disapproval) of the mother-in-law. While this may no longer be the case (except on TV and in the movies) the power of the groom’s mother still exists – even in today’s Russia: “Brides move in with the groom’s parents and serve as handmaidens to their mothers-in-law as well as to their husbands. Whether the new family is satisfied with her reflects on the family of the bride.” (Williams 1).
Americans, preferring to deal with oil in Arab nations, rather than assessing their attitudes toward women, ought to realize modern Saudi Arabia’s low esteem of women: “Saudi Arabia has possibly the worst record on women’s rights of any country. The kingdom has been (dominated) since the 1920s by the…, the Wahhabists… Under Wahhabi rule, women have no voting rights, almost no employment rights and are barred from even driving” (Howden 33). Muslim feminism, despite the optimism of Chapter 5, still has a long way to go.
REFERENCES:
Harlan, Lindsey, ed. From the Margins of Hindu Marriage: Essays on Gender, Religion, and culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. (excerpted on www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Arr.html )
Howden, Daniel: “Saudi couple victim of rise in ‘forced divorce'” LondonUK: The Independent, Feb 17, 2007
Sadrieh, Farid: “Chapter 5: The Cultural Environment” (1997)
Williams, Carol J. “Taking an Eager Step Back In Central Asia, young women are embracing arranged marriages, other traditions and rejecting Soviet-style equality. Resurgent Islam feeds backlash that some say poses serious risks” Los Angeles Times,June 3, 1995
No author listed: “It’s Muslim Boy Meets Muslim Girl, But Don’t Call It Dating” New York Times, Sept. `6, 2006
