Gheddafi's provocations in Europe and its women?

Colonel Gheddafi during his last visit to our country, has not lost an opportunity to lead not only Italy but also Europe and the West. After having stated that "Islam should become the religion of Europe," did not hesitate to say that "in Libya, women are more respected in the West and the United States." Well, the claims of Islam are not new. What is most striking is the effrontery to judge the status of women in the West. Just read the report by Human Rights Watch, 2009 (http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79302) that about Libya's complaint states: "The Government's position with respect to violence against women remains a position denial, leaving victims unprotected and without solutions. Libya has a law to protect domestic and inadequate laws that punish sexual violence. The government pursues only the most violent rape, and judges have the right to offer marriage between the rapist and the victim as 'remedy social' crime. The victims of rape are likely in turn to be punished for adultery or fornication if they try to aggravate the charge. [...] The government has dozens of victims of rape places of 'social rehabilitation'. Many women are denied the right to object to the detention. The authorities oppose their forcible virginity control and punitive treatment, including isolation. "

I believe that as described above may in itself represent an aberrant response to Gheddafi's statements. However we must not forget that in 1970 Islam is the state religion in Libya. Therefore deserves a parenthesis also the description of the status of women in Islam.

The scriptures are an "enemy" important, but fictitious, for Muslims. Indeed it is not the Qur'an itself to be "hostile" to their condition, but a misinterpretation, conservative and fundamentalist - in fact very close to that in which Gheddafi believes - that it is provided. Unfortunately the Islamic preachers, whose pulpits are some Arab satellite television stations, all male, which means a "comfortable" literal interpretation of the Koran refer the woman to constant humiliation and violence and, more generally put it in a state of extreme inferiority. Unfortunately, in some countries, like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Libya, not least, this interpretation is practically the law of State. We analyze the situation. What is causing this situation? Machismo or sexism to a certain cultural tradition? Or is internal and organic to the Qur'an? As the Islamic holy scripture "Men are in charge of women." Some men apply to women only the principles reaffirmed by many imams, who are they to impose their superiority, with the ultimate aim of subduing their wives, making false shield of criteria that are misunderstood, although in some verses of the Koran emphasizes that women must be protected from man. And 'significant history of French, Dounia Bouza. Daughter of an Algerian and a French, is grown by respect of the two religions, Islam and Christianity. Later he married a Tunisian who after some years of marriage begins to beat her in the name of Islam. Bouza's reaction was to deepen the study of the Koran to understand if it was true what her husband claimed. The result of his study was the separation from her abusive husband and his conversion to Islam. In his eyes the Koran to protect women. Dounia Bouza today is one of the greatest exponents of Islam French fought with great courage Islamic extremism.

It 'true that the Koran has improved the status of women than when pre-Islamic Arabia: Before preaching both nomadic and urban environment dominated by the principle of patriarchy in which male offspring attributed to the male possession of women. Was a widespread practice of infanticide, restricted to daughters also mentioned in the text of the Koran (XVI, 58-59). With the advent of Islam, women also began to have property in their name. The lives of two wives of Muhammad, Khadija and Aisha, is significant. Khadija, the Prophet's first wife was a widow, rich and active is indicated by the Islamic tradition as the first convert to Islam. Aisha, the favorite wife, who was married at the age of nine years, however, led first-person battles. Regarding the status of women issues that arise are due to the ambiguity of the legal discourse and the confusion created over the centuries between human law and divine law. These problems are addressed in part in the Koran, where two 'sure' are dedicated to women one o'clock (IV) another divorce (LXV), and many other verses dealing with other problems such as adultery, modesty ol'eredità . The Qur'an not only states that "Men are in charge of women" (IV 34-35), but also that "men are a step higher" (II, 228). Moreover, the woman is worth half the man: you need two witnesses when a man would be sufficient. The portion of inheritance is generally half that of the same level of human sequence (IV, 11-12). Polygamy is allowed (IV, 3). A great indulgence is assured divine men "Even if you do not want to act with fairness with your wives, but not all follow your inclination, so as to leave as a suspended" (IV, 129) subject to certain limits: "Do not compel your maids to prostitution" (XXIV, 33) and certain prohibitions: "There is forbidden to take in marriage your mothers, your daughters, your sisters ..." (IV, 23-24). Even if the bride is free "as a field for you, then come to your camp at your leisure, but start with a pious act, be useful to you, and fear God" (II, 223). Hierarchically situated at the level of children and vulnerable beings to be protected (VII, 127, 141, XIV, 6; XL, 25), will be maintained by the Koran and paternalism over the centuries in a state of almost complete subjection.

But a look even more severe is aimed at "women of the Prophet" referential models that will more closely imprisoned in her veil and its prohibitions, "O women of the Prophet!" Who among you commit indecency'll manifest punishment doubled with two doubles, this easy thing to God! Who of you will be devoted to God and His messenger and operating the well, to give her reward twice, and prepared for her generous commission! O women of the Prophet! You are not like other women . If you fear God, do not be too humble to speak, that does not happen we want those who have a disease in heart, but spoken with dignity. Rimanetevene peace in your homes and v'adornate vain as they did in the days of idolatry, even Fulfill prayer, pay the tithe and obey God and His messenger. because God wants you to be free from all filth, or people in the house of the Prophet, and He will purify purification pure "(XXXIII, 30-33). Proponents of fundamentalism have hardened the positions of the Qur'an further support to the hilt the literal interpretation of sacred text. So the qualities that the second verse of Sura 4 Women should be paid immediately to the brides were never actually paid in this manner. The act of marriage, for example, in principle, stripped of all religious, concluded by offer and acceptance, without obligatory presence of religious authority, an act purely civil law is sacralized and becomes an act for the people subjected to divine law. The constraints imposed on women are increasing. Adultery, or unlawful carnal intercourse, punishable in the Koran with a hundred lashes for both men and for women (XXIV, 2) will then, for legal sanction the stoning to death of one woman. Even worse, if we consider that the Koran required four witnesses of the act of adultery before authorizing punishment (XXIV 4:13) practice will be back even faster and allow the death sentence of convicted suspected by her husband or brother .

In Islamic law the repudiation (II, 226-32 and the whole Sura LXV) is an absolute right reserved to the husband who is always (LXV, 2) use the testimony of trustworthy people. However, this principle has been narrowly failed in practice over the centuries. A new law would be established and allow humans to use the police to bring his wife to flee her home. Despite the constant reference to the Koran, even when it was would serve to sanctify the status imposed on women. The problem of the Arab woman has perhaps cause this "sacralization" of his inferiority. Ontologically, is a human being second fiddle, which comes after the man in the hierarchy of divine beings, submissive to his duties, powers and limited in not having a say in its making or on that of his body. All that concerns it was considered taboo. In this view, unfortunately widespread in many mosques in the West, the intellectual Tunisia Benslama Raja replied: "The question of women is inseparable from Islam. When I say that is inseparable means that there is a central question that reveals everything is a part of everything that is revealed and so is a matter paradigm, central because the woman is the other primitive, is the first else to open their eyes and then determines the ratio of each community in relation to ' otherness of every other. And 'the woman on the meter which can measure the degree of tolerance of society and its capacity to transform the difference into inferiority. The companies that do not accept the otherness of women as free and his equality, his equality as such, accept no other, and transform all the different minorities who embody what you call the feminist literature become female, which is precisely represented by a series of categories that do not necessarily represent the women. discrimination builds hatred, a hatred wisely elevated system, is a mine in action, is a machine that attacks women, continues to break the lives of all beings become children of all traditional and patriarchal society. Men weak, poor, children, homosexuals, the insane, the handicapped, the bastards, not the fellow. The issue of women is inseparable then as part of the Islam. Islam and women have a common enemy , which is religious totalitarianism in all its forms. Our sacred texts can no longer be a source of law except by creating the worst inequalities freedom. We must abandon the idea, which I think is a sham IP, widely used even among females and among the anti-feminist Islamic, that Islam has liberated women, which makes sharia justice, which puts it on equal terms with men. This thing is not true, is a real denial of historical reality . It thus remains unacceptable to allow a guest of our country, in this case, Colonel Gaddafi, to say that the best woman alive in Libya and the Islamic world. Nobody denies the commodification of the female body in the West, but also occur with the "Amazons" does not mean respect the woman as a person. It would be good for Italy in particular and Europe in general and to invite the media gave prominence to those women, intellectuals or activists, who fought within the Islamic world today to "become a people" and they pay on their skin arrogance el 'arrogance of a society in which radical interpretation of religious text and tradition go hand in hand male.

Adapted from CulturaCattolica.it