Free Essay Example: Gender, Islam, and Patriarchy

Deniz Kandiyoti discusses one of the profound topics of all times. The role of women in the global context has come under much focus and discussion, especially owing to the strict religious binding that the women in the Middle East have been subjected to. Through the article on "Islam and Patriarchy," the author has gone over and above in lifting the lid on some of the fundamental issues that arise as the hindrance in the achievement of the gender balance, not only in the Middle East but in the vast Muslim religious nations. Whereas so many strides have been made as far as obtaining freedom for women world over in the context of gender balance and recognition of their rights, so much is left to be desired in as much as religious rules and regulations are concerned.

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So many Muslim scholars continue to write and provide much information pertaining t the strides and the grounds that have been covered world over in as far as securing the women rights and freedom. Most of the scholarship endeavors emanate from the ideology; however, there is confusion in discerning whether these confusions are laced with analytical goals. The close examination of the Quran, Hadith and the successful women in the Muslim regions are the core sources of information pertaining to the lives of the Muslim women. The common finding is that the Muslim religion and faith has had so much influence and turned a blind eye to matters affecting women in society.

There is also sufficient research that narrates of the women role in coming up with sufficient influence in the aspect of socioeconomic ability. The transformation that has been taking place int eh lives of women especially in the Middle East that has seen the rise in the influence of women in social-economic factors such as trade sector is a matter with consideration. In some aspects, there is a general agreement by a number of scholars that the modern Muslim society has become more tolerant of the women influence in the running of critical levers of the economy. For instance, the lifting of the driving ban that was imposed on women in Saudi Arabia is an example f the transformation that is slowly but surely sweeping across the Muslim religious societies.

There has not been a clear way of discussing Islam male dominance without rubbing feathers with influential personalities in society. It is public knowledge that indeed Muslim is a radical religion that is laced with strict adherence to the law. Therefore, questioning some of the cultural and social practices may be seen as going against the religious teachings. The struggle with the gender balance in the Islam religion is blanketly referred to as patriarchy. There is a sufficient pointer to the extents of male dominance in the Islam religion, which traces back to the working systems in the different kinship systems.

The author of this article admits that not enough incursions into the feminist theory have been able to undo the patriarchy system that exists in the Muslim religion. However, on the other fronts, there have been attempts by the radical Muslim feminists in attempting to undo the male dominance in the Muslim religion. This has been made possible by allocating the patriarchal tendencies sufficient ideological spheres that include the labour differences between gender according to Marxist theory; allowing level political playing field as well as developing sufficient economic ground. The article concludes by alluding the fact that there is adequate hope at the end of this struggle with the attempts to secure freedom for the Middle East females gaining momentum quickly.