I've actually LIVED in one of the supposedly open islamic countries.
It's simply NOT racist to suggest that women are viewed in such places as a lower being than men. It's a matter of real fact.
Women simple don't 'do' certain things in these countries that we here take for granted. They don't go to certain places and if they do, they are often placing themselves at risk.
If bad things happen and the law comes into play, they suffer, more so than a man, pretty much every time.
The man DOES have it his way entirely, and if she doesn't like it, that's tough really.
It's utterly down to him how much freedom he gives her, what she can and can't do. Often she can't just pop out and tell him later what she's up to, she has to ask if it's OK, in advance, and he is able to say No, it's not, and she is not supposed to even raise her voice....
You're getting the picture now that I didn't exactly thrive in that environment now aren't you? You may even begin to understand my 'name'.....
FWIW, it's not sharia law that dictates that women need to be seen as half a man. From my understanding sharia law as it was written and originally intended, was a heck of a lot fairer at the outset than it is today.
It's the warped interpretation of the written law by today's men that has eroded female equality and basic rights.
In real terms, on the ground as it were, in muslim majority countries society itself now perpetuates the inequality. Women are pretty much so entrenched and used to the position they cling to, that nothing really gets done to redress the imbalance. Mothers teach daughters, Fathers teach sons, nothing changes. I saw it as a kind of mass Stockholm Syndrome actually.
Sure, Some women in places such as Egypt for example, are trying to raise the issue of better female rights, action on the horrifying amount of sexual harassment seemingly tolerated in their everyday society, etc, but it's painfully slow process. Sadly, it's often hampered by the women there themselves as they are scared to be seen to rock the boat. Again, their mothers would remind them that it's not becoming, that they'll never be married with ideas like that in their heads. Sure not all are like that but many, many are.
Authorities too are not particularly keen to see any section of society gaining in confidence either, so it's pretty risky most of the time.
It truly saddens me here that we always seem to get into a she said-she said argy bargy and tirade of theory, facts and figures to supposedly defend a religion that is at least somewhat suspect in its complicity on the lack of female equality and fairness.
And before the flamethrowers reach for the matches, I don't believe the religion is necessarily at fault, it's the modern-day male interpretation of it.
We are not scholars here, we are merely debating what we view as fair or unfair to us as women.
It matters not a jot on who's 'watch' we women are treated as second class citizens. It needs to be stopped and stopped right now.