Is there a problem with Islam?

[LeafBud7]

My answer to this has always been, no, even if there are problematic elements within Islam especially for women, you can say the same about any culture or ideology, or religion.
I have been reading and thinking more about this recently, and i'm going round in circles. My brother in law is Muslim, and I am going to ask him what he thinks when I next get the chance for a proper chat, also a female colleague who I think would be open to talking about this..
In the meantime, what do you think? Is it as I have always thought, above, or is there something potentially within the religion what makes it more problematic, or is it not the religion itself, but more how things evolve in some communities? Is it all just a imaginary "problem" used by racists to whip up a storm?
One thing is for sure, it seems one is not really allowed to ask these questions in some circles, without being accused of being racist, which I find really unhelpful.

I recommend reading anything by Maryam Namazie
https://maryamnamazie.com
She’s a wonderful ex-Muslim woman who speaks out fearlessly for women’s rights.

Also One Law for All,
https://onelawforall.org.uk
which opposes the spread of sharia and other religious legal systems in the UK.

I’m coming in late, so apologies if someone has already given this information. But I think it’s essential.

Thank you! Will take a gander.

There is also the Council of Ex-Muslims in Britain which is excellent. There were on an episode of Anti-social on Radio 4 which is well worth a listen.

Will check that out too. Many thanks.

This is becoming a bit like a BNP meeting, no Sharia law is not likely to become law here and most Muslims wouldn’t want to live under Sharia law either. I think most people are able to appreciate the historic nature of hadiths. Muslims by in large do not go around raping and enslaving women. If you knew any Muslims I’m sure you would find them just normal people. This is to usename101010 and hairyesterday.

We have Sharia Councils in the UK, so we have Sharia law here.

Thanks for enlightening me to the fact that Muslims are normal people, I wasn't aware. I don't see anyone on the thread talking about the great replacement or other racist or xenophobic tropes but please report them if you do.

I think most people are able to appreciate the historic nature of hadiths.

I thought that Islamic countries based their laws on the Qur'an and the Hadiths. Isn't that correct?

Well of course. My point is that all the major world religions were birthed in extremely patriarchal times which had no understanding of women as equal to men and in particular had no understanding of women having control over their own bodies. I am only talking about Islam because that is what the thread is about. But when people try to make arguments that any of these religions support in their texts equality for women, I don't think its unreasonable for people to start to argue against this. I don't think there is a feminist case that can be made for any of the major religions.

Username it depends on the country what they choose to include and how they interpret things. Honestlymade, Islam is not going anywhere. What real feminists do in these countries is work within the culture and religion of the country to get better rights for women. For example in Algeria feminists have made it law that the first wife must give permission for any second wives.

Of course they do. I am aware of the feminist interpretations of Islam and Christianity in particular and have read quite a bit from women of both of these religions.

My own view, having studied academically quite a bit of the Bible, and done quite a lot of my own study of Islam, as well as having studied most of the other world religions, and some minor ones as well, is that the fundamentalist, conservative interpretations of these religions are closer to what the original writers of these texts would have understood. I think the modern, liberal, progressive interpretations would have been quite unrecognisable to them.

Of course, religions change as people change them to suit their own values. Believing misogynists will find misogyny in them, believing feminists will find feminism in them.

For example in Algeria feminists have made it law that the first wife must give permission for any second wives.

Sounds like they're making great strides.

What's a real feminist?

This had always been the ancient Islamic tradition in most north African and Arab countries and it’s older than Islam. Islam subverted it

Do you think it's appropriate for a man to have many wives?

This is nothing like a BNP meeting. It isn't about 'most' Muslims it's the proportion of fundamentalists and their sway within community politics.
I had to evacuate a public library due to bomb threats over Satanic Verses back in the day. It was local Muslims who alerted Khomeni to the book. All of the many Muslims I worked with were moderates and thought they were a bunch of nutters.
However, here we are today with Rushdie being attacked, and the Batley school teacher still in hiding, a boy being forced into a grovelling apology for scuffing a copy of the Quran, an MP murdered and a new political organisation called the Muslim vote, not to mention threats of a law on Islamophobia. Even without it there is a chilling effect on criticism of Islam, your hyperbole being an example.
Where you are correct is that most victims of these fundamentalists are Muslims, particularly women.

Are you saying that Muslims are should not be covered by human rights law? Women on here are more than ready to support Muslim feminists.

What depressing scraps.

Well this hurts my feminist mind, it's not really selling the ideology to me

I’ve given you one example of where Muslim feminists have improved things for women in their country and you just taking the piss now.

What's a real feminist?

Which "BNP style hatred"?

No piss taking here, I find it too concerning for that

Is anything you don't want to hear BNP style hatred?

No more than there is than with any of the other religions.
They are all man made.
If anyone tells you that they know what god wants of you don’t believe them.
They are claiming to know something that they cannot possibly know.