Is Islam Misogynistic? (Half the Sky Chap. 9) #sjbc

This post is part of the April Social Justice Book Club. This week we are discussing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.

Conversation Questions for Chapter Nine:

What would you say to a Muslim who proposes that conservative attitudes are not based on their religion, but their culture?

How are early Christian beliefs on gender roles similar to early Islamic teachings? How are they different?

A Saudi Arabian woman states that the west considers them victims, but that “it’s Western women who are repressed, because they have to show their bodies—even go through surgery to change their bodies—to please men.” Pg. 154

How do you respond to this? Are they victims? Is it us who are repressed by our “Hollywood” culture?

“The best role for Americans who want to help Muslim women isn’t holding the microphone at the front of the rally but writing checks and carrying the bags in the back.”

What are your thoughts? Is this something that you are willing to do?

How much U.S. foreign aid goes to Afghanistan for guns and weapons? Where can this information be found? Could one-fourth of that really make a difference if put into education? Who can you share this information with? Are you willing to share your thoughts on this matter with your elected representatives?

Source: The above questions come from the organization Global Women.

Please share with us your responses to the questions above or any thoughts or questions you have about gender and Islam in the comments section below.

The Social Justice Book Club is a project of Independence Rock Group: Center for Faith, Ethics, and Social Justice. Please consider supporting the Social Justice Book Club and our other projects. Find other posts about the Book Club and Half the Sky here.