Women in Islam: Adorned with Dignity or Entangled in Limitations

How does Islam view women? Is Islam a religion that saved women from being buried alive and granted them dignity and human rights, or is it a religion that considers men superior to women and commands women to be obedient to men? Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh, a women's rights activist and theology graduate, along with Mohammad Javad Akbarin, a religious scholar, are this week's guests on Taboo to discuss this matter. We start this week's Taboo with the question of what position Islamic law and the text of the Quran place women in and how they view women. We begin the discussion with Mr. Akbarin's response: Mohammad Javad Akbarin, born on October 25, 1975, in Babol, is a religious scholar, political activist, and Iranian journalist residing in France. His works in the field of religion, culture, and politics of Iran and the Arab Middle East have been published in Persian and Arabic media over the past two decades. Akbarin states that women's rights during the time of the revelation of the Quran were not only respected but transformed women, who were considered a secondary gender, into a second gender. He argues that the Quran did not ensure equality of rights for men and women because there was no basis for such equality at that time. Abbasgholizadeh responds by discussing the historical conditions mentioned by Akbarin, noting that women had the freedom to marry younger men and engage in trade. She argues that the romantic relationships of that time were based on tribal relationships that were quite free. Akbarin counters that while there were instances of women having rights, the Quran addressed the patriarchal nature of society and aimed to establish a family structure with men as decision-makers. The discussion continues with both guests debating the historical context of women's rights, the interpretation of Quranic verses, and the implications of these interpretations on women's status in contemporary society. They explore whether Islam truly liberated women or reinforced patriarchal structures, with both sides presenting arguments and counterarguments based on historical texts and interpretations.