Islamic Law

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Response to Chicago Sun-Times’ “Iraqi constitution framers promise to make deadline”

The July 21 article in the Chicago Sun-Times entitled “Iraqi constitution framers promise to make deadline” warned that Islamic law “could erode women’s rights in such matters as marriage, divorce and inheritance.” While a woman does have different rights under Islamic law than she does under Western law, using the word “erode” adds a judgment to the status of Muslim women that does not belong in a news article. Just because these Islamic rights are not a carbon copy of Western rights does not mean they are diminished. Neither does this statement account for everything in Islamic law concerning women. One cannot blankly pass judgment without considering Islam fully and within its context.