Muslim Women Reformers by Ida Lichter: Book Review

 

Publisher: Prometheus Books | Published: May 26, 2009 

Hardbound | 513 pages | ISBN: 978-1591027164

Imagine that you live in a country where, as a woman, you are not allowed to look a man in the eye, cannot leave the house without permission, and fear being forced into a loveless marriage each day. These are hardships that Muslim women face in their day to day lives. In Muslim Women Reformers their stories and the stories of women who have taken a stand come to life. 

These women face things that we can only imagine in our nightmares.  One account tells of a woman who was punished because she left her home, when she was deathly ill, without a male escort. According to Shari’ah law women are not permitted to leave the house without permission from their husband or male guardian. Once they leave the house they must be covered from head to toe and walk with their heads bowed. Shari’ah law also states that women are not allowed to choose their spouse, the spouse is chosen by their male guardian. They are also never allowed to marry a non-Muslim. Once married, a woman is not allowed to divorce her husband even though, under the law, husbands are permitted to beat her if she is disobedient. If she is raped, she is regarded as a temptress and may be punished with lashings or stoning, most of these happenings result in death. If she dishonors her family due to disobedience or an affair the men in her family must take her life. Muslim women are tired of the cruel treatment they receive and many have stood against their male counterparts and Shari’ah law.

Unfortunately, many of these women have lost their lives due to their strong stance against the government. But, their bravery lives on in these pages. They have risked everything to help other women out there. Some women are luckier than others and have managed to be voted into the government. These women  have begun to change their countries as a whole by creating pro-women’s rights committees and passing laws that go directly against Shari’ah law. Others have found religious leaders who say that Shari’ah law is wrong and that the Quran wishes for all to be equal. These courageous women, for the most part, live their lives in hiding and staying in a different house every night because they fear the government eliminating them. Many of these women have lost contact with their families and children. They crusade for the woman who cannot help herself, and often pay with their lives.

This book was absolutely phenomenal in my eyes. While we think that we have eliminated the Taliban for the most part, this book shows us that it is still an everyday threat for many. Before I read this book I knew that Muslim women were treated unfairly, but I had no idea how unfair it really was. I was moved by the heroic women who stood up against the rest of their country. While women in the U.S. complain about not having an equal role with men, Muslim women must face inequality times ten. The stories shown in these pages will make any woman think about just how lucky they are and how they can help women who are not as fortunate as them. Many charities and organizations are mentioned throughout the book, I implore you to get involved, because I certainly will after reading this book.

Ida Lichter, is a clinical and research psychiatrist and contributor to The Huffington Post. Living in London for over 12 years focused her interest on the large Muslim populations in the UK and Europe and brought her closer to the eye of the storm in the Middle East. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

 

A complimentary copy was provided by Lisa Roe,Online Publicist,for purposes of review. 

In no way did it influence or alter my opinion of the book.