Educating women?

[R1Geezer]

What part of the Koran or the Taliban interpretation of it makes it a bad thing to educate women? For example, apparently in Taliban controlled Afghanistan it was illegal for a male doctor to treat a women and illegal for a woman to become a doctor, work that one out! Can someone explain? thanks

[campbellking]

As we have several exceedingly good Muslim women doctors at the hospital I work at, I am assuming that it is down to the Taliban's interpretation of the Koran. As with any religion, people can adjust it to suit their own interests. A more 'Westernised' version encourages the education of both sexes.

[jackthehat]

That's the problem, R1.
It doesn't have to be explained.............it just IS.

[Lonnie]

Ive googled a few links, and this appears to be in Muslim controlled countries only, but lets face it, they don't want to move out of the Middle Ages.

Only one word describes it. Power.

[R1Geezer]

Usually religious practices have some basis in the scripture just wondered what it was

[naomi24]

This will enlighten you:

http://www.thereligio...-women-worth-less.htm

[ummmm]

Oh no Naomi...you've just lowered my opinion further..!

[naomi24]

Don't stop there, ummmm. Click on the links at the bottom of the page.

[123everton]

My understanding of it is that the Taliban found their members primarily from the Pashtun clans, but, their ideology was from an extreme sect within it's Pathan minority.
Abused people tend to abuse other people to feel better and empowered.
The world's a better place without the Taliban, in time (a long time) their ideas will be shown for the falsehood that they are.
The Taliban came to power as a unifying force (as in a centralised government), due to the corruption and violence as well as the various splintered factions of the Northern Alliance, their narrow power base left them unable to understand the HUGE cultural diversities within Afghanistan.

[ummmm]

I have....Got one open at the moment. Talking about rape...!!!

[ummmm]

I can't open the top link.

[naomi24]

Try this:

http://www.islam-watc...m-hatred-of-women.htm

[ummmm]

Same....it says it might do naughty things to my computer...lol.

[naomi24]

Lucky old computer! :o)

Well, not to worry. You get the drift.

[ummmm]

Certainly am....

[123everton]

Confucious was against educating women, Mencius (alledgedly) wanted a divorce because because his wife didn't greet him properly.
I feel these attitudes are more culturally based, women upon marriage left their family to join the husband's family, as such the males were required to maintain the parent's wealth and provide for their old age, it's a cynical piece of economics which has become engrained and enlarged.
Similarly daughters were useful for forming family allegiances (a bit like medieval monarchies) this is because (not just in Afghanistan, but throughout the Balkans, Caucas and Trans-Caucas) rural communities are more inclined to a local relativism than any national conciousness, this also explains the divisive fights within many of these regions due to blood feuds.
The answer to the problem is to present an idea, to announce what it means to be an Afghan, that the Waziris and the Pashtuns etc are brothers with a common cause, to give Afghanistan a place in the world, with a world view.
It will take time to change the attitudes within this region, sadly, the first step is to say that an educated daughter can find a better, richer husband, and with that hopefully increase the aspirations of the following generations.
It mightn't be music to the ears of many but you have to start somewhere, and saying Islam is s h i t will not inspire success I fear.

[R1Geezer]

Well thanks all, I'll show R1Bird!

[jake-the-peg]

Afghanistan is not a typical muslim country.

Let's look at Saudi - they haven't a great history of Women's education but they've made great improvements in recent years about 47% of secondary education students are now girls for example.

This is not to to with Islam this is to do with the cultures of some of the countries in which it is praticed.

One might as well point at the Armish and ask what part of the Bible forbids the use of cars

[naomi24]

Jake, Whilst it's true that Islamic societies differ depending upon their individual interpretations of Islamic literature, since their cultures are, without exception, based solely upon the tenets of that literature, it's most certainly to do with Islam - and to claim anything else is a cop out.

[123everton]

What about the Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists of India?
All had/have arranged marriages, the abuse of women and people in general is not an Islamic thing, within the context of the question it's a more sub-continental thing, to suggest anything else is a cop out.