In our multicultural age, many liberals are reluctant to criticize the subjugation of women in Muslim countries and Muslim immigrant communities, fearful of promoting the notion of Western superiority. This is the essence of cultural relativism and it is pure evil. Even in academic feminist groups criticisms of the patriarchal oppression of women in Muslim countries are often met with hostility unless accompanied by disclaimers that Swedish women too are oppressed.
Being a classical liberal, it is natural for me to accept all sorts of ways of living your life in a society. This goes as well for being Muslim. It does not however have to mean I like it. I am a strong critic towards Islam and Christianity. But I want them to co-exist in and with our society. As long they respect a free and open society, we should respect them and their ways. But of course they have to adjust to laws and order built on our basic human rights. If they cannot accept this, they have no place in our society and ought to leave if they constituate a threat to our civilization.
Furthermore, Islam is a different religion on the matter it mixes religion and politics in a way other religions tend not to do in the same way. Islamic law is above “human” law. The result is called theocratic-fascism, in political science. The final destination is a Khalifah, with a ruler appointed by a minestry of priests. This means that Islam is incredibly dangerous. Especially because Islam (as Christianity, but not in the same way) is a missionary religion and want to spread all over the world.
I have been having relationships with girls from Muslim families (Kurdish, Arab, or Persian background). And it has more or less always been the same problem. I am not blaming Islam entirely for these problems I’ve encountered since it is more linked towards cultural traditions than to Islam, but Islam is not exactly making it easier or condemning such behavior. I have been having an affair with a Christian girl with roots from Lebanon as well and she did not have this problem. If Islam does condemn and prohibit suchlike behavior I would like to get a list of references on that, please.
And yes, it is my firm belief that – after what I’ve seen, experienced, and learned and according to Islam in practice in the world today (where Islam is not a minority religion but the main one) – Islam is pulling society backwards. Muslims ought to stop bragging about Islam’s Golden Age. It is OK to be proud about it but it died out and ended with an even longer period of backwardness and poverty for the Muslims. They should concentrate on fixing that instead! And to do that, an update is needed, but that has Islam shown itself unwilling to do when it comes to go through and change your inheritance laws and property laws written down by Islamic scholars 1500 years ago. Islamic civilization collapsed after exhausting its resources in internal fighting. The Mongols expanded and smashed the Islamic culture to bits and pieces. And the Plague kept returning to the Islamic world up to the 19th century!! And freedom of thought, investments in philosophy, astrology, finances, and science turned a totally different direction around the middle of the previous millenium!! Illiteracy swept over the devastated lands and life expectancy dropped. But it is not only due to outer factors the Islamic civilization ceased to be civilized, but it lagged behind that of the West because of it became stagnant in itself! It didn’t update, and meanwhile Europe grew stronger after around 800 years in a coma and developed more modern laws of ownership and trade, they still had serious limitations of Islamic partnership law and inheritance law. This restricted the growth of Middle Eastern enterprises, and prevented the development of corporate forms. This shows quite well that civilizations and countries who adapt liberal economic policies thrive and flourish, to the exact opposite to those who don’t.
Let me make it clear; using the language of tolerance to justify oppressive practices is a grotesque perversion of liberalism. But no amount of rhetorical sleight of hand can disguise the fact that the veil makes women, literally, more or less faceless. Especially the full-face burqa or the niqab. Some Muslim women in the West may choose this way of life but their explanations often reveal an internalized misogynistic view of women as creatures whose very existence is a sexual provocation to men. What’s more, their choice helps legitimize a custom that is imposed on millions of women around the world who have no choice.
“….fearful of promoting the notion of Western superiority.” —-While i agree that there are many many areas that muslim/islamic societies need to improve, this can be done by resorting to Quranic principles rather than “Western” principles and such arguments would be far more effective agent of change. For example—the Quran says oppression is worse than slaughter—and the message of Justice and Equality is prominent and clear in the Quran. Those Islamic/Muslim, societies that practice oppression and/or injustice/inequality, are going against the principles of the Quran.
As to hijab (I personally oppose Niqab—but agree that women should have the right to choose)—If a women is wearing this as a form of protection from male molestation/harrasment, then obviously she has not understood the purpose of hijab.—however, most women who choose it, do so for God—not man. It promotes self-respect in women. They empower themselves to decide their image and are not enslaved to the dictates of fashion/men.