What I am eager to better understand is the dynamics of women in Islam. In various readings, including the book I am reading in book club, authors are firm in their stance that Islam is not inherently oppressive. It is through different interpretations of sacred texts that people practice Islam. Prevalent in these readings though, is women are equal to men but are not valued like them. For instance, women doing housework and men working outside of the house.
Or in the context of homosexuality, gay people are not oppressed in religion itself, but face scrutiny by individuals. For instance, practicing Islam but being outed by a member of their family. The tensions between different minority identities and how they are treated in religion at it’s core versus other religious practicer’s are two very different things.
How are these tensions mediated? Especially when authority figures like policemen perpetuate these issues?
Further, I am not suggesting religion itself is the problem. I am just suggesting that the intentions of Islam versus the way it is practiced by people individually are two different things. The same goes for Christianity and the intentions of government. In theory there should be a separation between church and state. In practice, church and state is not separate. I just feel like it’s important to look at intention versus how different values are carried out.
