The Qu'ran, Women and Modern Society

Divine injunctions from the Quran and traditional practices in Islam are reinterpreted in light of the fundamental Islamic values of justice and equality in this study on women's status in Islam. Sociopolitical values and medieval social ethos, not scriptures, are presented as the origins of repressive practices, and these values are dispelled to provide a vision of Islamic gender relations that allows women full equality in public and private life, employment, and education. Controversial issues including domestic violence, polygamy, the veil, and family planning are discussed from a faith perspective that encompasses both religious and contemporary social ethics.