Muslim women cover their bodies and hairs

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Posted: 30 May 2006 at 11:40am

Bmzsp

Your quote: "If you really want to see women of the whole world in Hijaab, please take a look at any woman's pic of the early 19th Century or perhaps even in that late 19th Century."

The topic is about the religious obligation by Muslim women to wear a hijab or even more than a plain headdress, not fashions decided by traditions.

herjihad

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Posted: 30 May 2006 at 2:06pm

AbRah2006 wrote:

The Quran, the Muslim's holy scripture, clearly enjoins Muslim men and women to dress and behave modestly. Muslim women are specifically instructed to cover their heads when in the presence of non-mahrem (potentially marriageable) men:

Surah Al-Nur (the Light) (24:31) in the Quran states: "They (the believing women) should draw their head coverings over their bosoms...". . Surah Al-Ahzab (33:59) states: "O Prophet [PBUH] Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should put on their outer garments; that is most convenient in order that THEY MAY BE RECOGNIZED (as Muslims) and not be molested."

Both of the above Quranic references instruct the Muslim woman to cover herself with a large, loose overcoat (jilbab) and full head covering (khimar) so that no provocative part of her body will be visible. Her modest appearance would MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT SHE IS A CHASTE, BELIEVING WOMAN, and no one is to molest her or sexually exploit her.

let us shed some light on what is considered in the west as the greatest symbol of women's oppression and servitude, the veil or the head cover. Is it true that there is no such thing as the veil in the Judaeo-Christian tradition? let's set the record straight.

According to Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer (Professor of Biblical Literature at Yeshiva University) in his book 'The Jewish woman in Rabbinic literature', it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in public with a head covering which, sometimes, even covered the whole face leaving one eye free. He quotes some famous ancient Rabbis saying," It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk out with heads uncovered" and "Cursed be the man who lets the hair of his wife be seen....a woman who exposes her hair for self-adornment brings poverty."

Rabbinic law forbids the recitation of blessings or prayers in the presence of a bareheaded married woman since uncovering the woman's hair is considered "nudity". Dr. Brayer also mentions that "During the Tannaitic period the Jewish woman's failure to cover her head was considered an affront to her modesty. When her head was uncovered she might be fined four hundred zuzim for this offense."

Dr. Brayer also explains that veil of the Jewish woman wasn't always considered a sign of modesty. Sometimes, the veil symbolized a state of distinction and luxury rather than modesty. The veil personified the dignity and superiority of noble women. It, also, represented a woman's inaccessibility as a sanctified possession of her husband. It is clear in the Old Testament that uncovering a woman's head was a great disgrace and that's why the priest had to uncover the suspected adulteress in her trial by ordeal (Numbers 5:16-18).

What about the Christian tradition? It is well known that Catholic Nuns have been covering their heads for hundreds of years, but that's not all. St. Paul in the New Testament made some very interesting statements about the veil," Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head - it is just as though her head were shaved.

If a woman doesn't cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man didn't come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head." (I Corinthians 11:3-10)

St Paul's rationale for veiling women is that the veil represents a sign of authority of the man, who is the image and glory of God, over the woman who was created from and for the man. St. Tertullian in his famous treatise 'On The Veiling Of Virgins' wrote," Young women, you wear your veils out on the streets, so you should wear them in the church, you wear them when you are among strangers, then wear them among your brothers..."

Among the Canon laws of the Catholic church today, there is a law that require women to cover their heads in church. Some Christian denominations, such as the Amish and the Mennonites for example, keep their women veiled to the present day. The reason for the veil, as offered by their Church leaders, is "The head covering is a symbol of woman's subjection to the man and to God" : The same logic introduced by St. Paul in the New Testament.

From all the above evidence, it is obvious that Islam didn't invent the head cover, but Islam endorsed it. The Quran urges the believing men and women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty and then urges the believing women to extend their head covers to cover the neck and the bosom "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty......And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms...." (24:30,31).

The Quran is quite clear that the veil is an essential part of a recipe designed for the purposes of modesty, but why modesty? The Quran is still clear "O prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their bodies (when abroad) so that they should be known and not molested" (33:59). This is the whole point, modesty is prescribed to protect women from molestation or simply, modesty is protection.

Thus, the only purpose of the veil in Islam is protection. The Islamic veil, unlike the veil of the Christian tradition, is not a sign of man's authority over woman nor is it a sign of woman's subjection to man. The Islamic veil, unlike the veil in the Jewish tradition, is not a sign of luxury and distinction of some noble married women.The Islamic veil is only a sign of modesty with the sole purpose of protecting women, all women.

The Islamic philosophy is that it is always better safe than sorry. In fact, the Quran is so concerned with protecting women's bodies and women's reputation that a man who dares to falsely accuse a woman of unchastity will be severely punished," And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations)- Flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors"(24:4).

Compare this strict Quranic attitude with the extremely lax punishment for rape in the Bible " If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives" One must ask a simple question here, who is really punished? The man who only paid a fine for rape, or the girl who is forced to marry the man who raped her and live with him until he dies? Another question that also should be asked is this: which is more protective of women, the Quranic strict attitude or the Biblical lax attitude?

Some people, especially in the West, would tend to ridicule the whole argument of modesty for protection. Their argument is that the best protection is the spread of education, civilised behaviour, and self restraint. We would say: Fine but not enough. If 'civilization' is enough protection, then why is it that women in North America, dare not walk alone in a dark street - or even across an empty parking lot ? If Education is the solution, then why is it that a respected university like ours has a 'walk home service' for female students on campus? If self restraint is the answer, then why are cases of sexual harassment in the workplace on the news media every day? A sample of those accused of sexual harassment, in the last few years, includes: Navy officers, Managers, University professors, Senators, Supreme Court Justices, and the President of the United States! I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the following statistics, written in a pamphlet issued by the Dean of Women's office at Queen's University:

In Canada, a woman is sexually assaulted every 6 minutes",

1 in 3 women in Canada will be sexually assaulted at some time in their lives",

1 in 4 women are at the risk of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime",

1 in 8 women will be sexually assaulted while attending college or university, and

A study found 60% of Canadian university-aged males said they would commit sexual assault if they were certain they wouldn't get caught."

SEXUAL ASSAULT in USA: Every year approximately 132,000 women report that they have been victims of rape or attempted rape, and more than half of them knew their attackers. It's estimated that two to six times that many women are raped, but do not report it. Every year 1.2 million women are forcibly raped by their current or former male partners, some more than once.

Something is fundamentally wrong in the society we live in. A radical change in the society's life style and culture is absolutely necessary. A culture of modesty is badly needed, modesty in dress, in speech, and in manners of both men and women. Otherwise, the grim statistics will grow even worse day after day and , unfortunately, women alone will be paying the price. Therefore, a society like France which expels young women from schools because of their modest dress is, in the end, simply harming itself.

THE BENEFITS OF HIJAB (COVERING) FOR WOMEN

For Muslim women, COVERING THE HEAD IS NOT THE SIGN OF DEGRADATION or oppression. It is a commandment from Allah, who is not male or female, and thus, would not discriminate against women, a segment of His creation.

Rather, HEAD-COVERING IS A SIGN OF PURITY AND DIGNITY. It highlights the Muslim woman as a pure, chaste woman and sets her apart from the immoral behavior associated with women who dress immodestly.

The HIJAB IS A SORT OF "SCREEN" BETWEEN THE CHASTE MUSLIM WOMAN AND THE EVIL THAT EXISTS IN THE WORLD. When a woman wears a hijab she is less likely to be harassed by men with lusty motives; SHE IS LESS LIKELY TO BE EXPLOITED FOR HER BEAUTY AND FEMINITY.

The Hijab allows a woman to move about outside the confines of her home WITH HER ATTENTION ON THE TASKS SHE HAS SET OUT TO DO. The Muslim woman does not try to impress anyone but Allah when outside of her home. She is not concerned if men find her attractive, or if people are impressed because she has the latest fashions, or the newest hairstyle. She leaves her home as a SELF-CONFIDENT PART OF HUMAN RACE, not as a fashion-plate seeking stares and adoration in order to gain self-esteem.

The hijab cuts down on competition among women. How many people in the West sacrifice financial savings and health in order to have plastic surgery - in a desperate attempt to meet up to an unrealistic standard of beauty. IN ISLAM, WOMEN ARE APPRECIATED FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE, PIETY AND CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY. When women wear hijab one finds that the most beautiful women are not necessarily the most popular. Rather, a woman is assessed for her mind, and not just superficial physical traits.

The Quran, the Muslim's holy scripture, clearly enjoins Muslim men and women to dress and behave modestly. Muslim women are specifically instructed to cover their heads when in the presence of non-mahrem (potentially marriageable) men:
Surah Al-Nur (the Light) (24:31) in the Quran states: "They (the believing women) should draw their head coverings over their bosoms...". . Surah Al-Ahzab (33:59) states: "O Prophet [PBUH] Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should put on their outer garments; that is most convenient in order that THEY MAY BE RECOGNIZED (as Muslims) and not be molested."

Bismilllah,

Your article comparing these faiths is interesting and informative. However, as a Muslim woman revert who wore scarf for about 15 years, I respectfully state that from my personal knowledge of men, women, history, and life that the stated facts quoting assault only in Western countries is indeed misleading.

The statistics for assault are not published or are not accurate or are not well known in Muslim countries. It is vitally valid that we compare these facts correctly in order to be honest and find viable modalities to implement genuine protection of the poor, the weak, and women and children from abuse, neglect, starvation, assault including rape and the degradation which societies and they themselves heap upon them.

As a trustworthy and circumspect Muslim woman revert, I personally have had Muslim women from non-Western countries confide in me when they had told noone else their entire lives of rapes in their childhoods by uncles, cousins, or just family trusted friends. And then there are stories such as the one of May in Pakistan who was raped publically by many members of the local city council as a punishment for speaking in her brother's defense (While she wore her hijab).

Wearing modest clothing is incumbent upon us all to encourage good behavior. We just need to get our facts straight and research this fully to understand under what circumstances women really will be safer from attack.

And I would never say a woman was attacked because of her clothing. It is a man's evil intentions and behavior that is the sole cause. Avert your eyes brothers, for women will dress in ways that may allure you (some might be, and I have been told this, excited by a sparkly hijab). You are responsible for your own behavior, and also need to protect your family and community members from harm. And don't blame the victim or ostracize her, min shan Allah!

Peace

Edited by herjihad

Al-Hamdulillah (From a Married Muslimah) La Howla Wa La Quwata Illa BiLLah - There is no Effort or Power except with Allah's Will.

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Posted: 30 May 2006 at 7:24pm

Dear sister herjihad,

Assalamulikum to you sister...Congratulation to you for you are chosen by Allah to be Muslim who believe in Allah and His messenger the prophet Muhammad and thank you for your opinion and I appreciate it. If we believe in Allah and His messenger we should obey them.

Your statement: As a trustworthy and circumspect Muslim woman revert, I personally have had Muslim women from non-Western countries confide in me when they had told noone else their entire lives of rapes in their childhoods by uncles, cousins, or just family trusted friends. And then there are stories such as the one of May in Pakistan who was raped publically by many members of the local city council as a punishment for speaking in her brother's defense (While she wore her hijab).

We should be careful when we hear or read the stories above because we don't know what had really happened. We did not personally witness the events so how could we believe in them unless they bring us the reliable witnesses and proofs to support their claims. After all we are not the judges to say that one party is wrong and the other is right. The women should report the alleged rapes to the police or bring the matter to the court!

We all know that the Western media is biased against Muslims and Islam so we should be careful when we read any news about Islam and Muslims. We should investigate to know whether the news is genuine or a fabrication. The media is known to be biased against Islam and Muslims and it even discredits Muslims as terrorists and Islam as a religion of terrorists. In fact it prejudges Muslims. For example: The Oklahoma bombing inwhich Muslims were accused of bombing the federal building and as a consequence of the lie Muslims were persecuted by non-Muslims etc. Later we found out that it was the Christians who bombed the Federal building!

Islam forbids rape so raping any woman is a crime in Islam and the rapists must be punished severely.

�The Prophet said, �There shall be no infliction of harm on oneself or others".�Others� includes all people, so also women and girls ! Raping a woman or girl is clearly doing her harm (emotional and physical) which would be a big sin for a muslim to commit and violation of the above hadith.

And again in another hadith the prophet (saw) makes clear that rape of female slaves is forbidden, The prophet (peace be upon him) said: �Whoever causes harm to others subjects himself to harm caused by God.�

Let us look at how Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him dealt with the rapists:

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

"When a woman went out in the time of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) for prayer, a man attacked her and overpowered (raped) her. She shouted and he went off, and when a man came by, she said: That (man) did such and such to me. And when a company of the Emigrants came by, she said: That man did such and such to me. They went and seized the man whom they thought had had intercourse with her and brought him to her.

She said: Yes, this is he. Then they brought him to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). When he (the Prophet) was about to pass sentence, the man who (actually) had assaulted her stood up and said: Apostle of Allah, I am the man who did it to her.

He (the Prophet) said to the woman: Go away, for Allah has forgiven you. And about the man who had intercourse with her, he said: Stone him to death.

He also said: He has repented to such an extent that if the people of Medina had repented similarly, it would have been accepted from them. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 38, Number 4366)"

A woman who is being forced to commit zinaa [unlawful sexual activity] is obliged to defend herself and should not give in even if she kills the one who wants to do that to her. This self-defence is waajib (obligatory), and she is not at fault if she kills the one who wants to force her into zinaa. Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Whoever is killed defending his property is a shaheed (martyr), whoever is killed defending himself is a shaheed, whoever is killed defending his religion is a shaheed, and whoever is killed defending his family is a shaheed.� In the commentary on this hadeeth it says: �whoever is killed defending his family is a shaheed� refers to the one who defends the honour of his wife and female relatives.

If a man is obliged to defend his wife and fight off the one who wants to rape her � even if this leads to his own death � then this obligation applies even more to the woman herself, who must defend herself and not give in to the aggressor who wants to violate her honour, even if she is killed, because if she is killed she will also be a shaheedah, just as her husband will be a shaheed if he was killed defending her honour. Shahaadah (martyrdom, the status of shaheed) is a high status which is only achieved by the one who dies in the way of obedience to Allaah and that which He loves, which indicates that Allaah loves this kind of defence, a man�s fighting to defend his wife�s honour and a woman�s fighting to defend herself. But if she is unable to defend herself, and the evil aggressor overpowers her and rapes her by force, then she should not be subjected to any punishment (hadd or ta�zeer); rather, the punishment should be carried out on the evil aggressor.

It says in al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah al-Hanbali: �Concerning a woman who was pursued by a man, and she killed him to protect herself, Ahmad said: �If she knew that he wanted [to rape] her, and she killed him to protect herself, then she is not at fault.� Ahmad mentioned the hadeeth which al-Zuhri reported from al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad, from �Ubayd ibn �Umayr, in which it said that a man had visitors from [the tribe of] Hudhayl, and he wanted [to rape] a woman, so she threw a rock at him and killed him. �Umar said, �By Allaah, there is no diyah for him ever� i.e., she did not have to pay the �blood money� for him.

May I ask you a question? What are the probability of getting raped for the women below ?

a) a fully naked women.

b) a semi-naked woman.

c) a woman who wear clothers in such a way that she causes the men who watch her become so lustful.

d) a woman who wears modest clothing.

Please give your reasons for your answer.

Edited by AbRah2006

God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (Quran, 60:8)

AbRah2006

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Posted: 31 May 2006 at 12:52am

Assalamulikum to dear herjihad,

I quote your statement: "Your article comparing these faiths is interesting and informative. However, as a Muslim woman revert who wore scarf for about 15 years, I respectfully state that from my personal knowledge of men, women, history, and life that the stated facts quoting assault only in Western countries is indeed misleading.

My response:

Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

In 1995, 354,670 women were the victims of a rape or sexual assault. (NationalCrime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.)

Over the last two years, more than 787,000 women were the victim of a rape or sexual assault. (National Crime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S.Department of Justice, 1996.)

The FBI estimates that 72 of every 100,000 females in the United States wereraped last year. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Statistics, 1996.)

SILENT VICTIMS :

One of the most startling aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The most common reasons given by women for not reporting these crimes are the belief that it is a private or personal matter and the fear of reprisal from the assailant.

Approximately 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, and 5% by other relatives. (Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994)

The FBI estimates that only 37% of all rapes are reported to the police. U.S. Justice Department statistics are even lower, with only 26% of all rapes or attempted rapes being reported to law enforcement officials.

In 1994-1995, only 251,560 rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials -- less than one in every three. (National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 1996.)

An overwhelming majority of rape service agencies believe that public education about rape, and expanded counseling and advocacy services for rape victims, would be effective in increasing the willingness of victims to report rapes to the police. (Rape in America, 1992, National Victim Center with Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.)

LIVING IN FEAR :

According to the U.S. Department of Justice: (All statistics are taken from: Violenceagainst Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.)

One of every four rapes take place in a public area or in a parking garage.

31% of female victims reported that the offender was a stranger.

68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

At least 45% of rapists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In 29% of rapes, the offender used a weapon.

In 47% of rapes, the victim sustained injuries other than rape injuries.

75% of female rape victims require medical care after the attack.

NOT JUST A FAMILY MATTER :

Family violence and abuse are among the most prevalent forms of interpersonal violence against women and young children -- both boys and girls. The sexual abuse of a child should never be "just a family matter," but many children are afraid to report an incident to the police because the abusers are too often a family friend or relative.

Approximately one-third of all juvenile victims of sexual abuse cases are children younger than 6 years of age. (Violence and the Family, Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family, 1996.)

According to the Justice Department, one in two rape victims are under age 18; one in six are under age 12. (Child Rape Victims, 1992. U.S. Department of Justice.)

FACE OF AMERICA :

About 81% of rape victims are white; 18% are black; 1% are of other races. (Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.)

About half of all rape victims are in the lowest third of income distribution; half are in the upper two-thirds. (Violence against Women, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1994.)

There were 71 forcible rapes per 100,000 females reported to United States law enforcement agencies in 1996. 2

Data from the National Women's Study, a longitudinal telephone survey of a national household probability sample of women at least 18 years of age, show 683,000 women forcibly raped each year and that 84% of rape victims did not report the offense to the police.3

Using Uniform Crime Report data for 1994 and 1995, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that of rape victims who reported the offense to law enforcement, about 40% were under the age of 18, and 15% were younger than 12.4

In a national survey 27.7% of college women reported a sexual experience since the age of fourteen that met the legal definition of rape or attempted rape, and 7.7% of college men reported perpetrating aggressive behavior which met the legal definition of rape.5

The National Crime Victimization Survey indicates that for 1992-1993, 92% of rapes were committed by known assailants.1 About half of all rapes and sexual assaults against women are committed by friends and acquaintances, and 26% are by intimate partners.1

Risk factors for perpetrating sexual violence include: early sexual experience (both forced and voluntary),6 adherence by men to sex role stereotyping,7,8 negative attitudes of men towards women,6,9,,10,11,12, alcohol consumption,8,13 acceptance of rape myths by men.8,9,12,14,15

Non-forceful verbal resistance and lack of resistance are associated with rape completion.1,6

The adult pregnancy rate associated with rape is estimated to be 4.7%. This information, in conjunction with estimates based on the U.S. Census, suggest that there may be 32,101 annual rape-related pregnancies among American women over the age of 18.17

Non-genital physical injuries occur in approximately 40% of completed rape cases.18 As many as 3% of all rape cases have non-genital injuries requiring overnight hospitalization.19

Victims of rape often manifest long-term symptoms of chronic headaches,18,20fatigue20, sleep disturbance20, recurrent nausea,20 decreased appetite,21 eating disorders,22 menstrual pain,18 sexual dysfunction,23 and suicide attempts.21 In a longitudinal study, sexual assault was found to increase the odds of substance abuse by a factor of 2.5.24

Estimates of the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases resulting from rape range from 3.6% to 30%.18,22 HIV transmission risk rate from rape is estimated at 1 in 500,22,25 although a few probable cases have been documented in Sweden and Great Britain. 26,27

Victims of marital or date rape are 11 times more likely to be clinically depressed, and 6 times more likely to experience social phobia than are non-victims. Psychological problems are still evident in cases as long as 15 years after the assault.28

Fatalities occur in about 0.1% of all rape cases.29,30

A study examining the use of health services over a five year period by female members of a health maintenance program found that the number of visits to physicians by rape victims increased 56% in the year following the crime, compared to a 2% utilization increase by non-victims.31

The National Public Services Research Institute estimates the lifetime cost for each rape with physical injuries which occurred in 1987 to be $60,000.32 The Comfort Women : Japan's Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War

World Statistics - - 2003-09-04 18:53:30

Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes. 683,00 forcible rapes occur every year, which equals 56,916 per month; 1,871 per day, 78 per hour; and 1.3 per minute.

At the opening session of an international conference on "violence against women: zero tolerance", organised by the Portuguese presidency in Lisbon, the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou stated : "Globally, men's violence against women causes more deaths and disability among females aged 15-44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war"(Harvard Study, the Global Burden of Disease, 1996).

A Dutch study reports that domestic violence alone costs the state more than euro 150 million a year, measuring health costs and loss of working time on account of domestic violence. 22% of women in Finland have suffered violence by their partners.
In Portugal, 52,9% of women have been the victims of violence inflicted by their partners. In Ireland in 1998, over half of all women murdered were killed by their partners or husbands. In Austria 50% of divorces are filed on the grounds of violence against women.

South Africa reports the highest incidence of rape in the world. A woman is raped every 20 seconds; and only one in 35 reports it to the authorities. A recent report issued by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimated that a woman is raped every two hours in Pakistan, but it said most sexual assaults went unreported because of the social stigma attached to such charges and the difficulty in proving them. In Punjab a woman is raped every six hours and a woman is gang-raped every four days, yet only 321 rape cases were reported to the police last year.
Every 26 minutes a woman in India is molested. Every 34 minutes a woman is raped. Every 42 minutes a woman is sexually harassed. Every 43 minutes a woman is kidnapped. Every 93 minutes a woman is killed. And those are just the cases that are reported.

Sources:
U.S. Department of Justice, 1994.
National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
AASRA ( Asian American support and resource agency.
Anna Diamantopoulou (European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs).

Dear herjihad please compare the statistics above and please let me know about your objective findings and conclusion. Your opinion is appreciated very much.

Edited by AbRah2006

God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (Quran, 60:8)

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Posted: 31 May 2006 at 11:35am

Interesting.

If Muslim women are to wear head scarves as a sign of modesty along with showing that they are chaste Muslim women, then why do so many Muslim women wear so much eye makeup drawing attention to one of the most beautiful parts of their bodies?

Why do I see Muslim women with eye makeup and headscarves wearing tight pants and tight sweaters?

I don't think that dressing modestly will prevent a woman from being raped. Rape is a sign of violence, not lust. Any woman could be wearing a full tent and still get raped.

Muslim men should all wear those white "dresses." Muslim women should not be allowed to see the Muslim men's biceps or look at them in tight pants.

I think if all men were brought up to respect women it would not matter what they wore, within reason.

Peace

Edited by George

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http://www.cityofmesa.org/police/literature/rapeprev.asp

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Posted: 31 May 2006 at 12:10pm

Most rapists are not in it for the sex...

The Rapist
Imagine a typical rapist. Whom do you picture? A sex-crazed man? A psychopath? More often than not, those stereotypes are wrong. Most rapists don't look peculiar or act strangely. But they may be less stable and more aggressive than most people. They may dislike women. Mainly, they want to hurt, humiliate, and degrade another human being.

Rapists are not always strangers to their victims. In over one-third of reported cases, the rapist is an acquaintance, neighbor, friend, or relative.

Myths and Facts about Rape

There are numerous myths about sexual violence and its victims. These myths are dangerous to everyone because they allow us to believe we are safe. Everyone is a potential victim of sexual violence, anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

MYTH: Rape won't happen to me or to anyone I know.

FACT: One in every ten women will be a victim of a rape in her lifetime. One in every three to four girls and one in every six to ten boys will be sexually abused by the age of eighteen. A rape occurs every five minutes in the United States, according to the FBI.

MYTH: The motive for rape is sexual. Rape is the result of either uncontrollable sexual urges or a lack of sexual opportunities.

FACT: The motive for rape is the need to feel powerful and in control. Forcing someone to engage in sexual intercourse against her or his will is an act of violence and aggression. Sex is the weapon used to humiliate and control the victim. In studies of convicted rapists the majority, whether married or single, had consenting sexual partners. Rapists are not driven by uncontrollable sexual urges, but by an inability to release feelings of anger and helplessness.

MYTH: Victims of rape ask for it. They provoke an attack by their behavior, attitudes, or dress.

FACT: No one asks to be the victim of a violent, life-threatening act. No one is responsible for someone else's violent behavior. Blaming the victim is based on the myth that rape is nothing more than sex. The fact is that infants and the elderly, males and females, are all victims of sexual violence. Most victims fear for their lives; they believe they will be killed or severely injured. The fact is anyone can be a victim of sexual violence.

MYTH: Most rapes are committed by strangers in the dark of night in out-of-the-way places.

FACT: Over 80% of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. People are at greater risk because they do not recognize familiar people or people from the same social, economic, racial, or cultural backgrounds as possible rapists. The majority of assaults occur in the home of the victim or the offender, or someone the victim or offender knows. Over 50% of assaults occur during the day.

MYTH: Women falsely accuse men of rape.

FACT: The FBI has stated that false reports of rape are no higher than false reports for other crimes. Such accusations account for only 2% of reported rapes. Rape is the most underreported of all crimes. Some data suggests that 80%-90% of rapes are never reported to the police.

Adapted from http://wcstx.com/rapemyth.com

AbRah2006

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Posted: 31 May 2006 at 9:10pm

How the women who are naked, semi-naked or wear clothes or behave in such a way that they become sexual objects cause men to rape them:

1) There are rapists who are influenced by deviant sexual arousal, which occurs when he has thoughts of violence against women. This type is likely to be extremely impulsive.

2) There are rapists who are motivated by cognitive distortions, or thinking errors; he mistakenly interprets events or information differently than other men would. He believes that some women enjoy being raped, or want to be raped. For this type, rape is part of a conquest, a way of demonstrating masculinity. Most date rapists are belong to this group.

3) There are rapists who are motivated by anger or emotional discontrol. These men are so angry, especially at women, that the only way for them to deal with their anger is to act out sexually toward women. Not surprisingly, this type is the most violent and most dangerous.

4) There are rapists who are the repeat offenders. He is most likely to have been physically or sexually abused as a child. He has difficulty establishing enduring relationships, and a history of chronic problems in schools or in his family. Type 4 men break a variety of rules, both sexual and nonsexual.

You can ask a behavioral researcher why men rape and he says they just get turned on by the wrong stimuli!

Islam gives us a good way to follow to minimise the probability of rape:

According to Islam a woman or girl should be accompanied by her parents, brothers, husbands or uncles who will look after her to minimise the chances of getting raped.

Edited by AbRah2006

God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (Quran, 60:8)

AbRah2006

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Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: United States
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Points: 354

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