Group Synthesis

A Geographic Look at the Identity of Middle-Eastern Women and its Ramifications




We decided to look at the identity of Middle Eastern women because their lives are so different from ours. In Middle Eastern society the roles of each individual is distinctly cut out. This mostly has to do with the Islam and the authoritarian rule which seasons it with such intensity. We will look at how these roles are played out and altered at the global level using three different lenses or approaches.

The Empiricist Approach

Background: While Muslims are found on all five inhabited continents, more than 60% of the global Muslim population is in Asia and about 20% is in the Middle East and North Africa. However, the Middle East-North Africa region has the highest percentage of Muslim-majority countries. More than half of the 20 countries and territories in that region have populations that are approximately 95% Muslim or greater.

Here are some basic rules that Middle Eastern Women have to adhere to:

1. Women cannot drive- single and all female families need to hire drivers.
2. No integration of sexes in school- different buildings, classrooms, and sides of the room for each sex required.
3. Women must marry, and cannot not live by themselves.
4. You must marry someone who believes in Islam.
5. There absolutely no romantic same-sex relations.
6. Women cannot talk to other men after they marry unless it's a member of their family.
7. Women cannot wear clothing which shows their figure.
8. Women have a specific uniform, fashion is discouraged.
9. No gossip or overly social behavior is tolerated.
10. Smiling to much is promiscuous.

Critical Theory Approach

The Muslim Religion within the realm of the world is a huge topic. It could be broken down into many different categories such as location, gender or even nationality. When considering Muslim women in America, it is important to consider how American society affects the identity of this group of people. Due to the fact that the Muslim religion is usually associated with Middle Eastern Countries, much of the Muslim population is relatively new to America. For example, many immigrants were drawn to the opportunities allotted by the auto industry in Dearborn Michigan. Now, Dearborn has the largest Arab-American population in the US, and is heavily influenced by the Muslim religion. Even though Dearborn has many comforts that cater to Muslim people, such as mosques and restaurants with traditional foods, Muslim women still have a very difficult time adjusting to the western world. American culture allows more opportunities and freedoms for these women, which makes it more difficult to be a “good Muslim woman” (Ravve, p.1). Here, they are allowed to drive cars, go to school, be in public by themselves, and even uncover their face and hair if they wish to. Many women feel uneasy about accepting these freedoms even though they are allowed to. One reason for their unease can be attributed to the guilt of not being true to their religion. Husbands of these women have been known to enforce the laws of their religion despite the laws of the nation. Another factor that affects Mulsim women is differences between themselves and other women within our society. Most places in the country are not as Muslim-oriented as Dearborn, and therefor creates a dissonance between the woman and the rest of society. This situation is different from most other religions, because the women wear hijahs that distinguish them as being Muslim. The differences that have been created because of a lack of knowledge about diversity and contrasting view point creates tension.

In France they have attempted to “fix” the segregation and negative associations with religion by creating a secular culture. Since 2004, France has placed a ban on head scarves in their public schools. This was part of a larger movement to outlaw all religious symbols and clothing. As one can imagine, This has been a controversial and very difficult rule for young Muslim women to deal with. On April 11, 2011, A new French law currently prohibits the wearing of burqas and any other forms of face veils. Women who arecaught wearing these and men who are caught enforcing women to wear them can be arrested on the spot. The reasoning behind this law is to create more "tolerance" for all citizens of France. The government says they hope to discontinue any pressure that women face to wear these oppressive clothing. Muslim women, on the other contrary, feel very invaded by these laws. They wear the veils because they are a part of something bigger, and it is part of their identity within that group. They also see the headscarves and veils as a sign of strength and empowerment that sets them apart from the scantily clad women of society. Modesty is an important part of the Muslim traditions, and many women feel that this law is an invasion of their religious rights.

The Constructivist Approach

In the globalized west women generally see the identity of Middle Eastern women are reciprocal to their own. They see the veils that Middle Eastern Muslim women have to wear as a red flag for the lack of Independence and individuality. The rules that adhere to women are there to implicitly state and confirm on an every day basis that women are second rate citizens. The reason they have to cover up their individualism to promote masculine authority (Fernea). Because there is so much more freedom of expression in the "western world", we tend to view the Middle Eastern women living outside their geographical setting as oppressed even though they may view themselves as having a balanced approach to their religion and goals as independent women.