The past treatment of women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, on the surface, appear to be very similar. In truth, there were similar in values regarding how women were to be treated. That can be attributed to the fact that all three were considered Abrahamic faiths, meaning all three traced the roots of their religion back to Abraham. All three religions professed, that before God, all women and men were equal; however, “that ideal [was] seldom realized in [the majority] practice” (“Islam”). Women’s roles of equality, in each of the Abrahamic faiths, was reduced to an equality of duty to God, but not necessarily an equality of treatment, among the men of God. In these faiths “women [were] expected to obey the word of God just as much as men, but they [were] still denied the privilege of spreading the word of God” (“Role of Women in Judaism, Christianity, And Islam”). Instead of genuine equality, each religion sought to pacify women with the praise of being good mothers and wives, while successfully subjugating them.
In Islam, each step of a woman’s life was overseen by a male; either the father, husband, or trusted male family members. Women were obligated to fulfill the Five Pillars (profession of faith, prayer, alms-giving, fasting, and pilgrimage) just as men; however, they were not expected to perform those duties when they were menstruating, pregnant, or ill (“Islam”). Women were to be modest and wore specific garments such as the hijab, to veil themselves. To Christians and Jews this seemed to be unfair treatment toward the women of Islam. However, followers of Islam did not see it that way. They prized women as wives and mothers, and stated that the “wife is not his [husbands] subordinate but she is the queen of her house” (Rahman). Women who became wives and mothers commanded great respect and stated that the prophet Muhammad was “full of praise for virtuous and chaste women” (Rahman). Women of Islam were places upon pedestals with regards to being the queens of their homes, and their value was intertwined with their ability to be virtuous wives and mothers.
Their individual rights as women were relegated to having an independent personality from her husband, making contracts in her own name, being entitled to “inherit in her position as mother, as wife, as sister, as daughter,” and the ability to choose her husband (Rahman). Nonetheless, her ability to travel alone, make pilgrimages alone, her being considered unclean while menstruating, and the need for her to veil herself so as not to “stir the passions of males,” (“Islam”) made it clear that the women of Islam were not truly equal. They were simply prized as possessions with claims from the prophet Muhammad stating, “the best property a man can have is a remembering tongue, a grateful heart, and a believing wife who helps him in his faith” (Rahman), proving even further that women were the property of men. In more modern times, women of Islam, have been seen as being attacked by the Western World, as modern women in the West most often viewed the restrictive live of an Islamic woman as cruel (“Islam”).
However, Islamic scholars and authors have sniped back at those claims, stating that “western talk of women’s liberation or emancipation is actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honor, and degradation of her soul” (Rahman). And yet there have also been more modern Islamic scholars who have interpreted the Quran differently, with regards to dress code, stating that the Quran does not specify anywhere that a woman had to cover all her body ("The Dress Code for Women in the Quran”). They have stated that if “God wanted the whole body of the woman to be covered” then the Quran would have specifically stated that, but it did not ("The Dress Code for Women in the Quran”). Even though the modern interpretations have spoken against full covering for women, they have remained the minority.
Similarly, the struggle for women in Christianity has not been much easier than that of the women of Islam. Only until more recent times have Christian churches “supported the cultural conventions that conferred on women…a status of subservience and incompetence” (“Christianity”).
However, it should not be interpreted that women began to have complete equal rights among all denominations of Christianity, because they did not. There are many Christian denominations that have recently echoed the lamentations from the Islamic community regarding the women’s liberation movement, and believe the primary role for women should be that of wives and mothers. Grace Community Church states:
“Although women have traditionally fulfilled supportive roles in serving the church and gained their greatest joy and sense of accomplishment from being wives and mothers, the feminist movement has successfully influenced many women to abandon these divinely ordained roles”(Grace Community Church)
Not only were the roles of women subjugated, but the way they were required to dress was subjugated in comparison to men’s dress. Many of the attitudes regarding dress came from Old Testament versus like those in Deuteronomy that prohibit “dressing in clothing of the opposite sex” ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?"). Churches interpreted this verse to mean that women should not wear pants; however, neither men nor women wore pants in Biblical times, so that justification often did not hold up for modern Christians. Many New Testament versus also required a certain level of modesty, such as veiling, that held up even until modern times. Versus such as those from Galatians that described a woman’s true beauty as coming from within; meaning that women should dress plainly and refrain from wearing a lot of make up or jewelry ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?"). Other versus, such as those from First Corinthians stated that a woman should either veil herself or otherwise shame herself and shave her head ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?").
First Corinthians clearly displayed the difference in dress, and position, between men and women stating, “a man ought not to have his head veiled, since he is the image…of God; but woman is the reflection of man” ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?"). Much like the Islamic faith, Christianity viewed men and women equal “as spiritual beings standing before God,” but they were not equal in their fleshly bodies (Grace Community Church). Also, much like the Islamic faith, Christians believed the only way a woman could reach her potential, as a woman, was to have obedience to God in her divinely ordained role, submission to her husband; the only way she could fully give glory to God (Grace Community Church).
Modern Christian churches have not evolved much past the views of the Old and New Testament interpretations. In the late 1800’s many women began to speak out about the differences in treatment, but their efforts did not get them very far
(“Christianity”). However, in the 1960’s a new women’s liberation movement began to take shape, resulting in the Ecumenical Council of 1962-1965 (“Christianity”). The Council resulted in changing attitudes towards female laity within the Roman Catholic Church, one which saw an increase of women in Catholic educational roles, parish councils, and social service champions (“Christianity”). Even so, women in most Christian churches are not allowed to serve as priests, deacons, or Bishops; except for Episcopalians.
The women of Judaism found themselves in the same subjugated position as the women of Islam and Christianity. Even though modern times became more liberating for the modern Jewish woman, “historically, men dominated public life…[and] women tended the home and children,” much like the women of Islam and Christianity (“Judaism”).
Women and men each had separate, yet distinct roles and responsibilities, but neither were less important that the other. This way of thinking stemmed from the Jewish belief that God was neither male or female, instead was inherently both masculine and feminine (Rich). And although Judaism, like Christianity and Islam, placed women’s primary role as wife and mother, Judaism also recognized the spiritual influence a Jewish woman had over her family, stating the spiritual status of the woman (good or evil) would directly influence the spiritual status of her family (Rich). Indeed, many women in Jewish history held glorified positions; such as Miriam who was considered a liberator of the Children of Israel, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah who were considered superior in prophecy to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Rich). Yet, even the most highly regarded Jewish women still held primary roles as wives and mothers. In the beginning, Jewish women relished the role of being “glorified as wives and mothers,” viewing their role as dignified and divine; not lacking or inferior (“Role of Women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam”).
However, as time passed, Jewish men began to assert their dominance over Jewish women and held them to an inferior status in relationships as well as worship (“Judaism”). Women became “regarded as temptresses who threatened the purity of men” (“Judaism”), a sentiment that was reflected in Islam as a reasoning for women to wear modest dress lest they “stir the passions of males” (“Islam”) with their clothing, or lack thereof. The viewing of women as temptresses led to more segregation within the synagogue. Women could not take part in or perform certain religious duties and rites. Women and men were separated within the synagogue, and the dress code for women became even more strict. In Orthodox Judaism, much like Christianity, women were forbidden to wear pants, wear bright colored clothing, or skirts that were not long (“Jewish Dress Code Based on Torah Value of Modesty”). Covering the head, akin to the way Muslim and Christian women covered themselves, became the standard modest wear for Jewish women. Unlike the women of Islam, single Jewish women were not required to cover their hair; however, “married Jewish women typically cover their hair as a sign they are no longer single” (“Jewish Dress Code Based on Torah Value of Modesty”).
The rules about head covering was summed up by thirteenth century Rabbinic scholar named Maimonides, who said, “it is a direct biblical command for married women to keep their hair from becoming exposed in public” (Freund). In modern times, Orthodox Jewish women continued to cover their hair, but in keeping with the trends of time, found more fashionable ways to do so; with scarfs, wigs, and even hats. Along with the laxation of head coverings, the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish women pushed back on other Conservative and Orthodox rules regarding women’s place within the faith.
Modern Jewish women began to “demand equal rights to study the Torah and the Talmud [and] to be ordained as rabbis” (“Judaism”). They became active in professions outside motherhood, joined in the ranks of politics, and even joined in the military. In some ways, the modern Reform/Reconstructionist Jewish woman reclaimed her right as the glorified wife and mother—maintaining herself separate from men, but not subordinate to him. Per Sara Crispe, “The Role of Women in Judaism,” women began to realize the physical and emotional differences between men and women did not make them inferior to men, but instead relegated them to a separate but completely equal half to a whole. That type of realization has led to the Jewish faith moving steadily forward, with regards to treatment of women.
Within each faith, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, women found themselves to be subjugated to men; who were considered superior to them. Each faith had varying degrees to which they exercised their dominion over women. However, all sought to keep women modestly clothed with their hair covered, and to keep them in their rightful place in the home as wives and mothers.
Likewise, each faith made small strides towards equal treatment under their respective faiths. Some denominations of Christianity began to permit the wearing of pants, and (even less common) becoming Deacons within the church. Modern Jewish women enjoyed more personal rights, the freedom from head covering, and the ability to pursue their own careers, unlike their Orthodox counterparts. Even some Muslim women began to enjoy more personal freedoms, such as walking alone or driving, and freedoms from restrictive full body covering Burkas than their strict orthodox counterparts. Each faith has made small steps towards equal treatment of women, and yet each kept the message of a woman’s primary place, as wife and mother, to the forefront.
Crispe, Sara Esther. "The Role of Women in Judaism." I Am Woman - Celebrating Jewish Womanhood. The Jewish Woman.Org, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/376141/jewish/The-Role-of-Women-in-Judaism.htm.
Grace Community Church. "The Role of Women." Grace to You. Grace Community Church, 2002. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. https://www.gty.org/library/distinctives/DD08/the-role-of-women.
Freund, Prof. Richard. "The Veiling of Women in Judaism, Christianity and Islam." Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies (2008-2011): n.p. University of Hartford. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/greenberg-center/Veiled%20Women%20Catalog.pdf.
Nigosian, S. A. "Christianity." World Religions: A Historical Approach. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 363-411. Print.
Nigosian, S. A. "Islam." World Religions: A Historical Approach. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 412-464. Print.
Nigosian, S. A. "Judaism." World Religions: A Historical Approach. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 318-362. Print.
Rahman, Prof. 'Abdur. "Women in the Quran and the Sunnah." Islam's Women: Jewels of Islam. Islam Tomorrow, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.islamswomen.com/articles/women_in_quran_and_sunnah.php.
Rich, Tracey R. "The Role of Women." Judaism 101: The Role of Women. Judaism 101, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm.
"100 Bible Verses about Women." What Does the Bible Say About Women? Ed. Stephen Smith. OpenBible.info, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.openbible.info/topics/women.
"Jewish Dress Code Based on Torah Value of Modesty." UWI. United with Israel, 15 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. https://unitedwithisrael.org/jewish-dress-code-based-on-torah-value-of-modesty/.
Martin 6
"The Dress Code for Women in the Quran." True Islam - Women Dress Code. Quran-Islam.org, 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.quran-islam.org/articles/women_dress_code_(P1150).html.
“Role of Women in Judaism, Christianity, And Islam”. Researchomatic. 5, 2010. 5, 2010. http://www.researchomatic.com/Role-Of-Women-In-Judaism-Christianity-And-Islam-37375.html.
"What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?" What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress? Christian Bible Reference Site, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_dress.htm.
In Islam, each step of a woman’s life was overseen by a male; either the father, husband, or trusted male family members. Women were obligated to fulfill the Five Pillars (profession of faith, prayer, alms-giving, fasting, and pilgrimage) just as men; however, they were not expected to perform those duties when they were menstruating, pregnant, or ill (“Islam”). Women were to be modest and wore specific garments such as the hijab, to veil themselves. To Christians and Jews this seemed to be unfair treatment toward the women of Islam. However, followers of Islam did not see it that way. They prized women as wives and mothers, and stated that the “wife is not his [husbands] subordinate but she is the queen of her house” (Rahman). Women who became wives and mothers commanded great respect and stated that the prophet Muhammad was “full of praise for virtuous and chaste women” (Rahman). Women of Islam were places upon pedestals with regards to being the queens of their homes, and their value was intertwined with their ability to be virtuous wives and mothers.
Similarly, the struggle for women in Christianity has not been much easier than that of the women of Islam. Only until more recent times have Christian churches “supported the cultural conventions that conferred on women…a status of subservience and incompetence” (“Christianity”).
“Although women have traditionally fulfilled supportive roles in serving the church and gained their greatest joy and sense of accomplishment from being wives and mothers, the feminist movement has successfully influenced many women to abandon these divinely ordained roles”(Grace Community Church)
Not only were the roles of women subjugated, but the way they were required to dress was subjugated in comparison to men’s dress. Many of the attitudes regarding dress came from Old Testament versus like those in Deuteronomy that prohibit “dressing in clothing of the opposite sex” ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?"). Churches interpreted this verse to mean that women should not wear pants; however, neither men nor women wore pants in Biblical times, so that justification often did not hold up for modern Christians. Many New Testament versus also required a certain level of modesty, such as veiling, that held up even until modern times. Versus such as those from Galatians that described a woman’s true beauty as coming from within; meaning that women should dress plainly and refrain from wearing a lot of make up or jewelry ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?"). Other versus, such as those from First Corinthians stated that a woman should either veil herself or otherwise shame herself and shave her head ("What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?").
Modern Christian churches have not evolved much past the views of the Old and New Testament interpretations. In the late 1800’s many women began to speak out about the differences in treatment, but their efforts did not get them very far
The women of Judaism found themselves in the same subjugated position as the women of Islam and Christianity. Even though modern times became more liberating for the modern Jewish woman, “historically, men dominated public life…[and] women tended the home and children,” much like the women of Islam and Christianity (“Judaism”).
Within each faith, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, women found themselves to be subjugated to men; who were considered superior to them. Each faith had varying degrees to which they exercised their dominion over women. However, all sought to keep women modestly clothed with their hair covered, and to keep them in their rightful place in the home as wives and mothers.
Works Cited
Crispe, Sara Esther. "The Role of Women in Judaism." I Am Woman - Celebrating Jewish Womanhood. The Jewish Woman.Org, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/376141/jewish/The-Role-of-Women-in-Judaism.htm.
Grace Community Church. "The Role of Women." Grace to You. Grace Community Church, 2002. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. https://www.gty.org/library/distinctives/DD08/the-role-of-women.
Freund, Prof. Richard. "The Veiling of Women in Judaism, Christianity and Islam." Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies (2008-2011): n.p. University of Hartford. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/greenberg-center/Veiled%20Women%20Catalog.pdf.
Nigosian, S. A. "Christianity." World Religions: A Historical Approach. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 363-411. Print.
Nigosian, S. A. "Islam." World Religions: A Historical Approach. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 412-464. Print.
Nigosian, S. A. "Judaism." World Religions: A Historical Approach. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 318-362. Print.
Rahman, Prof. 'Abdur. "Women in the Quran and the Sunnah." Islam's Women: Jewels of Islam. Islam Tomorrow, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.islamswomen.com/articles/women_in_quran_and_sunnah.php.
Rich, Tracey R. "The Role of Women." Judaism 101: The Role of Women. Judaism 101, 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm.
"100 Bible Verses about Women." What Does the Bible Say About Women? Ed. Stephen Smith. OpenBible.info, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.openbible.info/topics/women.
"Jewish Dress Code Based on Torah Value of Modesty." UWI. United with Israel, 15 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. https://unitedwithisrael.org/jewish-dress-code-based-on-torah-value-of-modesty/.
Martin 6
"The Dress Code for Women in the Quran." True Islam - Women Dress Code. Quran-Islam.org, 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.quran-islam.org/articles/women_dress_code_(P1150).html.
“Role of Women in Judaism, Christianity, And Islam”. Researchomatic. 5, 2010. 5, 2010. http://www.researchomatic.com/Role-Of-Women-In-Judaism-Christianity-And-Islam-37375.html.
"What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress?" What Does the Bible Say About Proper Dress? Christian Bible Reference Site, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_dress.htm.
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