but where i lived in the Gulf for over half my life
Khaleej? Come on now, the gulf countries are where all the rich people are at, When im in lebanon, the only Benz's, Land Rovers, Porches, BMWs, Bentlys etc... (mind you that these are all the latest models), I see ALL have gulf countries represented on the license plate. And according to your observation of muslim women (spoiled was the word you used), you are probably using that to influence your opinion and are most likely refering to the same rich Khaleeji that roll around in 100thousand$ cars.
SO of course women arent gonna have a problem were there is an abundance of money. This rich population is a minority in the middle east, Check the poor areas out, check the middle class areas out. Check the fundamentalist household. Observe normal women Like women that dont have any connections with amirs or sultans. See how their life is.
huh? Suraht An-Nur Ayat # 2
Misunderstanding here, i didnt mean adultery, i meant a single muslim woman, is not permitted to have relations with a single infedal male, and if there is relations, in a lot of cases, the woman is killed and again in most cases by her own family. And this murder is permitted by the islamic doctrine either directly or indirectly. On paper, arab country gov. would not permit this, however there is a lack luster effort to enforce womens rights. And i believe that Islam plays a major role in this.
In contrast to the female situation, It is common to find arab males traveling to more liberal arab countries, Europe, or to the local whore house to get their freek on with women, infedals, other dudes, etc... and guess what, no one there is to stop them, also with various implications derived from their religion, they will feel less guilt.
Really, because after what i have just posted it showed me something totally different, that the man and the woman get equal punishment. Now some countries for instance like Iran, and Taliban Afghanistan they did opress women, which is a sad thing because the Quran doesnt teach that nor did the prophet s.a.w, Infact people like the taliban could be put in the group "Kharijin" which the prohpet s.a.w talked about them that they will be like the arrow shooting away from the bow (which is Islam) meaning they will completley deviate from the religion.
Well you earlier refered to people you personaly knew from each of those countries, However you cannot use that to speak for the whole population. Im assuming that your experiance of the middle east is sheltered which lead you to believe that women and men are treated equal in most arab countires. Because my experiance lead me to a different persepective. Granted the situation is getting better, but the current situation is by no means acceptable.
Cant argue with that. But i can argue about whats corrupted and whats not and thats womans rights.
On paper, women's rights may not be tarnished, but in the minds of the politicians that run each of these countries is. Do you honestly believe that these politicains have the same type of modern opinions as you or me?
So where have you lived in these Arabic countries? because clearly it is not Islam that opresses woman but it is cultures that opress women
The arab culture is HEAVILY influenced by Islam.
So when you say the culture is what opresses women, underneath it all the
culture is a product of
Islam.
To answer your initial question, i have spent alot of time in Lebanon (im lebanese) and have been to most of the other Levant area countries. My mother lived in UAE for 4 years. So i personally (through my own observations and through my mother) have somewhat of an experiance of the situation regarding women's rights in the arab world.
ive gone through this before but i believe True Islam can be truly seen in America and some European countries, thats why woman are converting to Islam like crazy in the US its 4 women to every man, and in some parts of Europe its 7-10 women for every one man. Now if ISLAM was so opressive towards woman then why would all these women convert?
You say that true islam is practiced correctly mostly in the western world. What happens when an islamic leader living in the middle east is asked where is islam practiced most correctly? I garentee you they're not gonna say "In the Western World". SO the people that live in Mecca, the center of islam, where the quran is broken down and analyzed to the haraket of each letter dont practice islam as correct as the liquor store owner in Detriot? That is a matter of opinion, but logicly people are inclined to believe the islamic clergymen in the land of islam that their villages practice the truest form islam and not you and the western world.