The United States Impact on Women's Rights in the Middle East and Islamic Feminism

Abstract

The main argument of this paper is that Islam, as a religion, is not inherently sexist and misogynistic. There have been many factors that play a key role in how many Middle Eastern countries have become oppressive states. There is a lack of understanding in the West when it comes to what the principles and beliefs of Islam actually are. This becomes dangerous when people make false assumptions about the religion and the people who practice it. The United States, in particular, has played a big role in supporting countries that are leaders in violating not only women's rights but human rights. The media also has not played a helping role in accurately depicting Muslim women. In some countries, women have been able to form organizations to help pass on the knowledge of Islamic feminism and have been very successful. In this paper, I will be explaining what feminism looks like in the Middle East and how it compares to the Western discourse on Feminism. I look at how the relationship between Saudi Arabia and America has affected Saudi women, the ways in which Afghanistan has been impacted by the Taliban, and how the involvement of Western nations in Iran has forever changed the lives of Iranian women.