Dear Joe,

Of course I agree wholeheartedly.

Muslim women in Australia are treated by their husbands exactly as they would be treated in their homeland. In many Muslim countries where shariah law is enforced women are only equal to an animal.

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-women-in-society/

Differences between those who want sharia to be the official law and those who do not are most pronounced when it comes to the role of wives. In 10 of the 23 countries where the question was asked, supporters of sharia as official law are more likely to say wives must always obey their husbands. Especially large gaps are found in Albania (+44 percentage points), Kosovo (+34), Bosnia-Herzegovina (+34) and Russia (+33).
Muslims who favour an official role for sharia also tend to be less supportive of granting specific rights to women. For instance, in six countries, those who want Islamic law as the official law are less likely to say women should have the right to divorce, including in Russia (-34 percentage points), Morocco (-19) and Albania (-19). However, the opposite is true in Bangladesh (+13) and Jordan (+12).
Additionally, in seven countries, supporters of sharia as the official law of the land are less likely to say sons and daughters should receive equal inheritance. And in five countries, those who favour sharia as the official law are less likely to believe a woman should have the right to decide whether to wear a veil in public.

Presented are excerpts from Azam Kamguian’s book, Islam & Women’s Rights. http://centerforinquiry.org/blog/islam-and-womens-rights/

Religion in general and Islam in particular are women’s enemy. Women’s inequality is god’s commandment, in Islam enshrined in immutable law by Mohammad and eventually recorded in scripture. In most countries under Islamic states or under the influence of Islam, Koran’s directives are incorporated into contemporary law.

Family law in these countries generally follows the prescriptions of Koran. Veiling (hijab), divorce laws, a very young legal age of marriage, custody of children, polygamy, women’s rightlessness in matters of employment, travelling, choosing the place of residence, honor killing are all aspects of Islamic Shari’a based on the Koran and Islam’s doctrine. Together with these, in countries under the Islamic states, women are stoned to death for engaging in voluntary sexual relations and are stripped of their basic human rights.

Good on you, Foxy :)

I could write about women is American Christian cults [name Churches that are cults]
But answered our absent author here
I can not hide even here in our progressive country some, far too many, treat all women badly
And yes Foxy some Muslim women here are treated dreadfully,by us
Not in my view the threads direction, but if it has become so, let us not put the PC Blinkers over our ears and eyes
This is a western country and always will be
Tell me the BURKA is other than male control over a woman
Then tell me how long would I live if I arrived in SAUDI ARABIA wearing thongs and shorts and drinking a beer as I walked around

Dear Belly,

The vast majority of modern mainstream Christians,
Jews, and Muslims in our country are not
fundamentalists, because they are modern
people with normal family and social
relationships, and have an least partially rational views of how
the world works. They are not waiting for Armageddon, or a
future coming of a saviour. Nor are they waiting for anything else
that exercises the theological minds of fundamentalists.

We have to keep in mind that the religiously-minded modern
person is not a "card-carrying fundamentalist."
The latter are a tiny minority. Of whatever faith, a
psychologist would be likely to declare them of unsound mind.

however, unfortunately, to many Westerners. Islamic
fundamentalism seems like a scandalous return to a medieval
morality. It conjures forth images of women behind veils,
of adulterers being stoned, of thieves having their hands
cut off, of public floggings and executions, of martyrdom
in holy wars, and, in extreme cases, of political
fanaticism exemplified in aircraft hijackings and terrorist
bombings.

This is the picture we get in our media. It's based on
what's newsworthy and of course does influence us in our
perception of Muslims.

As I said previously, the best way to dispel these
perceptions is through education and actual contact with
people. The more we learn, perhaps our perceptions may
change.

I remember the many myths that existed about migrants
in this country. About the Maltese, the Poles, the Italians.
With time perceptions changed. Maybe things will change for
Muslims here as well. My GP is a Muslim. And she does not
wear a burka or look any different to anyone else. Also
my eye surgeon is also a Muslim. As are many of the staff
in the aged-care facility where I volunteer.

Anyway, for Muslim women are working towards making changes.
Hopefully (like Rose Batty in her work against domestic
violence) they too will be successful.