The ideas of propaganda against islam.

I have read numerous articles about religious intolerance in America and how we have misinterpreted and used pre conceived ideas about the islamic faith. Well, I was married to a muslim man for 7 years. He was from Egypt and was very well educated. He had a phd in Physics and Chemestry and I was very much in love. As most people know, when your "in love" you tend to ignore alot of things that you would normally find hard to swallow if you were not in that heart felt state. We had alot of friends, (mainly his) that we associated with, most being also muslim. I, as a woman, was introduced to their culture and ways. Being an american, I was not used to being treated in the mannor I had to get accustomed too. Let me begin by saying that I still have great respect for my x-husband but found the differences between our cultures to hard to overcome. I am myself a born again christian, but even so, I still have an open mind about culture and I love the diversity God has given all his people.

I found that being a woman in the islamic world is very very difficult indeed and it is hard for me to understand why most of the muslim women in the world submit to it. In christianity we are taught all men (women included) are created equal. In the muslim faith, I felt treated more like a piece of property than a human being. I was made to walk behind, not allowed to speak in the presence of his friends, was not consulted when major decisions were to be made, and was basically blaimed for everything going wrong if I didn't do exactly as I was told. Although my husband was not an extremely religious man, he was into islam enough to instruct me in the way muslim women acted. I refused to wear the garments though. I was told the garments covering the women were to keep the eye of lust off them from others. Well, in our society, I realise that the dress has gone the total opposite from this. Again, why is it always directed toward women? Muslim men have no code of dress that they have to adhere to. Jehan Sedat did alot to further the cause of women in the middle east. I applaud her for speaking so openly. I don't know if many people in the west realize that they have a practice toward women that is totally appauling. It again is used to control and keep the women under the thumb. It is called female circumsision. The islamic faith practices this and also preaches it as part of their beiefs. They totally cut away the female part of the anatomy rendering them totally sexless in their ability to have an orgasm or express any sexual gradification and it also indangers them in respect to child bearing. I have read and have heard stories about dull blades, infections, and advanced scar tissue that restricts safe and normal deliveries of babies. They call this " cleaning the girl or woman" to prepare her for her life as a wife of a muslim man. It in respect, is a permanent solution to the chasity belt used during the middle ages. Controling the sexual urges of the woman, but leaving the man fully free to explore any of his urges by marring 2, 3, or 4 women at once. This is again reinforces the idea of ownership instead of free will that is a basic constitutional way of our country. Their are cases in the UK and the US of "girls" or "women" being murdered by family members for simply not wanting to conform to these practices. They are not given "free will" but again are preconditions into believing that this practice is wonderful for them and is a passage into womanhood. After being taught this for years, what girl would not want to participate in this? They totally do not understand what is really happening. Again, I state that Jehan Sedat was instrumental in discussing this practice and bringing medical information to light in respect to what it actually does. Even so, this is still widely practiced. Their are many many other things that I could write about that during our 7 year marriage I discovered. I just hope that any girl or woman out there that reads this knows that there is a loving God in our universe that doesn't require all the instruction of "man" to make it to heaven. I just pray for open understanding for all faiths.