To Fix Islam, Start From the Inside

Islam is not the only religion that oppresses women, but it is the worst offender. Let's start to liberate Muslim women by getting rid of the offensive hijab. Muslim women are forced to wear this scarf because they are supposed to be evil creatures luring men to sin with their beauty. If that's the problem, why don't men have to wear one over their crotches? That's where the "evil" begins. Muslim women are told that they are the seed of all lust and villainy in the world, that they have to be ashamed of being women. What foolishness. Be proud that you're women -- and demand the right to be treated like a human being, and to see the men who rape you punished instead of yourselves carted to the village square for stoning. You are the victims!

I hate this hijab or scarf or burkha what ever it is. People are saying this is to protect the women. It is nonsense. Tomorrow, these fenatics will lock the women in a locker saying that that will protect them more. Showing face is different from showing skin. Understand that and try to respect the women rights. If you get bad ideas by just looking at women face, then thats your problem not theirs. You cover your face with scarf don't cover their face. it is so simple. Not giving them a choice and making it a law is worst thing that can happen to women.

Empowering female islamist does nothing to eliminate Islamism. It simply offers it a new face. The core issue is not whether a demographic shift would bring about a change is social and cultural beliefs. Remember, the crowning of Elizabeth and Victoria as Queens of England led not to more liberation for women or advancement of human dignity but more restrictive moral regimes and more violent colonialism.

The key to ending Islamists violent grip is to understand what brought about its rise - the elimination of a moderate, yet non-pro-Western regmes in the Islamic world. Most Muslim countries are split between authoritarian pro-western regimes (often totalitarian but sometimes Islamist as in the Kingdom) and authoritarian anti-western regimes (often Islamist). In each case, the rise of these institutions happened after a prolonged period where they were provided either the sonic monopoly (through post-colonial transitions as in the Kingdom or to the Pakistani military) or the monopoly of opposition (as in Palestine or Iran).

In each instance, colonialism played a strong hand. In the former, it provided material and diplomatic support to ensure that they could have "people they could work with" after they lost direct control of a region. In the latter, it was the extension of the above mentioned support being pushed in a way that none but the most hardened of the opponents (who also tended to be the most militant and violent) survived.

In the end, there is where the problem lies. The solution is not in promoting a demographic group, but rather in stopping hegemonic practices that prevent a moderate middle from emerging (even if they are not favorable to the US). In the final calculus, a non-allied (or even anti-western), non-violent moderate Muslim group is significantly better for Western interests than either an allied totalitarian state or a militant Islamist state.

women in asia have definitely not been encouraged to empower themselves, but there have been more liberties, which have created an environment for different perspectives in business and marketing.
the title of this article should be amended. there should be no "fixing" of any religion... by whose standards are we "fixing" any religion? are we taking the place of God? do we now have the right to impose sanctions on religions that are not our own?

I am not how can someone with excellent credentials proclaim to have the fix for "ISLAM" or any other religion for that matter. Not to preach about ISLAM, but if you even bothered reading or learning about the Quran, there is a whole chapter (sura) named after what both Christians and Muslims consider the epitome of righteousness, Marry (Mariam). I do respect your article, but I would like, humbly of course, to differ with you on it. I believe, you need to fix "THE PEOPLE" not the religion, just like we fixed -hopefully- the US corrupt administration with a new and promising breath of fresh air, president elect Obama.

WOMEN AS A RULE ARE THE MOST CUNNING ELUSIVE DECEPTIVE MANIPULATIVE AND EMPOWERED CREATURES ON THIS PLANET NEVER MIND THEIR RACE OR RELIGION .
AND THE WRITER IS SURELY ONE OF THE PRIME EXAMPLES OF THAT RULE

I don't think Islam is the problem because I have muslim friends in India and they don't use Burkha to cover their face and their kids are going to school normally as other kids. They don't have 10 are 20 kids and they don't have more than one wife. So it is problem in few countries like Pakistan where clerics/fenatics dictate the law. They enforce Burkha. They stop girls from going to school. Islamic fanatics are the problem and you can find them in Pakistan plenty. So If we can shut these madarassa which are owned by fanatic clerics, Terrorism and extremism will go down drastically. These madarassas will teach only hate. Less science and Maths more Hate. These fanatic countries like Pakistan need regular schools where they teach only subjects like science and Maths not jehad.

Washington is not ignoring the islamic community worldwide. Washington should help but not just the muslim women but women in general and people worldwide. Having said that, Muslim nations like saudi arabia have enough money to give out loans to muslim women who want to run a business.

Muslims are the biggest enemies of Muslims.

Here are two sites that are absolutely worth stydying because they will reveal the fact that human rights laws do not apply in muslim countries as they have their own islamic human rights laws and they circle around sharia, which remains incomplete and does not favor woman and of course these laws are signed/approved by the West.

If a woman in a muslims country is stoned - the muslim communtiy looks to the West for help and when they don't get any that is not because the West doesn't want to is because we respect that laws that the 3 muslim countries have composed: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. This is not a conspiracy, it is a fact. http://www.alhewar.com/ISLAMDECL.html

Organization for the islamic conference: http://www.oic-oci.org/oicnew/
responsible for creating conflicts around the world. They exist and it is a dangerous organnization. The international community has to stop their funding. Terrorists are employees rather than investigating as to where they come from and their motivation we need to focus on who is financing them and arrest them immediately. When you stop funding no one is going to join a terrorist group. it is sort of that simple.

The thing is it is very easy to point fingers and get entangled in ideological labels - what we as human race ought to realize is that this is not 12th century. Our issues are new. We no longer ride camels and use swords. We must come together based on common values and respect for one another on those grounds. Religion creates seperation and is filled with fanatic ego. We can't promote such institutions whose very foundation depends on controling people with fear.

Muslim women have to stop being slaves to men. Islam doesnt help women at all -- in fact it turns them into submissive beings whose lives must circle around men. Their god is a He. Their prophets are males. same with christianity. What is the lesson here: it is all made up. the world is suffering because it refused to pop the bubble of lies it has voluntarily placed itself into. Embrace truth - it takes courage but the world will be yours.

No need to join any communtiy. No need for a label. Just love unconditionally. We all need to change.

Rightly said Civilized, NO in no religion you can make people so fanatic as to BLOW UP themselves as ISLAM.

Not to sound melodramatic but, the fact is Islam is a complete religion, and was completed by the Prophet (PBUH). It does not need to be "fixed", as u put it. There are no alterations needed, nor allowed. It is the single most women-empowering religion in the world. And as I heard on a tv program, 2/3 of new converts to Muslims. Islam gives women rights no other reliigion does. You might want to look into the inhuman raping of innocent iraqi women in jails by American troops. That reflects America's morality, as far as I am concerned.

What Iran or any other Islamic state does, is the state's fault, not of Islam. The state may act in the name of Islam, whereas its actions may be far from Islam.