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A master’s degree thesis recently written in Turkey reveals the attitudes of the students at two Islamic studies departments concerning violence against women, polygamy and gender-based segregation in education. The findings of the thesis make us once again pose this significant question: Would an “Islamic reform” make the Muslim communities more humanitarian and a safer culture, particularly for children and women?
The Turkish newspaper BirGün reported on July 28 that 735 students at the Islamic Theology departments of the universities in the cities of Bingöl and Samsun were interviewed regarding the thesis, which was uploaded on the website of the National Thesis Center of Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Here are some of the findings:
The students were asked if they thought “it was wrong to beat women in certain cases”. Eighty-six of them said they did not find it objectionable to beat women and 108 partially agreed. Some 541 did not support beating women.
51.5% of students at Bingöl University said they did not support polygamy. 29.2% supported the practice, while 19.3% partially did. Twenty percent of the university in Samsun supported the idea of marriage with multiple women in some cases.
Segregation of girls and boys in education is very popular with Islamic studies students at these two universities. 46.4% of the students said men and women should be educated in separate classrooms and 16.6% partially supported the practice.
These findings demonstrate that many students disagree with the teachings of Islamic scriptures. But what should be noted is that the beliefs of those who agree with practices such as violence against women, polygamy and gender-based segregation are based on Islamic scriptures – as Islamic theology does, in fact, sanction these practices.
“Does Islam allow a man to hit his wife?,” asks the website TheReligionofPeace.com. The answer is:
Yes, but only if she doesn’t do as he tells her. The beating must stop if the woman complies with her husband’s demands. Behind verbal abuse and abandonment, beating is intended as [a] last resort solution to coerce submission.
According her testimony in the Hadith, Muhammad physically struck his favorite wife for leaving the house without his permission. It is not known how he treated his less-favored wives.
When wife-beating is normalized or excused by a certain religion and practiced in Muslim communities for centuries under the protection of that religion, women are increasingly dehumanized and violence against them becomes a widespread part of the culture.
Another question: “Does Islam permit a man to have more than one wife?”
The Turkish newspaper BirGün reported on July 28 that 735 students at the Islamic Theology departments of the universities in the cities of Bingöl and Samsun were interviewed regarding the thesis, which was uploaded on the website of the National Thesis Center of Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Here are some of the findings:
The students were asked if they thought “it was wrong to beat women in certain cases”. Eighty-six of them said they did not find it objectionable to beat women and 108 partially agreed. Some 541 did not support beating women.
51.5% of students at Bingöl University said they did not support polygamy. 29.2% supported the practice, while 19.3% partially did. Twenty percent of the university in Samsun supported the idea of marriage with multiple women in some cases.
Segregation of girls and boys in education is very popular with Islamic studies students at these two universities. 46.4% of the students said men and women should be educated in separate classrooms and 16.6% partially supported the practice.
These findings demonstrate that many students disagree with the teachings of Islamic scriptures. But what should be noted is that the beliefs of those who agree with practices such as violence against women, polygamy and gender-based segregation are based on Islamic scriptures – as Islamic theology does, in fact, sanction these practices.
“Does Islam allow a man to hit his wife?,” asks the website TheReligionofPeace.com. The answer is:
Yes, but only if she doesn’t do as he tells her. The beating must stop if the woman complies with her husband’s demands. Behind verbal abuse and abandonment, beating is intended as [a] last resort solution to coerce submission.
According her testimony in the Hadith, Muhammad physically struck his favorite wife for leaving the house without his permission. It is not known how he treated his less-favored wives.
When wife-beating is normalized or excused by a certain religion and practiced in Muslim communities for centuries under the protection of that religion, women are increasingly dehumanized and violence against them becomes a widespread part of the culture.
Another question: “Does Islam permit a man to have more than one wife?”
