Month: July 2010

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Stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi — The Saga Continues

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is not the new face of the Iranian revolution; she is just the current one. As her story became the headline in news media worldwide, it brought back to the light the deplorable situation of women living under the brutal Iranian regime. Her story is just another reminder of the fate of women governed by theocratic regimes, that once in power claim ownership of the bodies and minds of the women they govern. Ashtiani had been sentenced to stoning by the Iranian judiciary system for committing adultery, a crime that had not and can … Continue reading Stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi — The Saga Continues

Interfaith marriage in Muslim societies, Women Rights in Egypt4 Comments

The Priest’s Wife

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias It is uncommon that the news of a wife’s disappearance after a family dispute, in a small village in Upper Egypt, becomes a headline in  newspapers,  circulates on international websites,  and triggers the intervention of national security forces — unless the woman is a Priest’s wife. The unexplained disappearance of Camellia Shehata Zakher, the 25 years old wife of a Coptic Priest in Upper Egypt, immediately ignited the  rumors of abduction and forced conversion to Islam. After her husband falsely reported her kidnap, he used the powers granted to him by the church to mobilize demonstrations to … Continue reading The Priest’s Wife

History of Veil4 Comments

History of the Veil: Part 3: Early Days of Islam

Women of Egypt

By Alexandra Kinias After the rise of Islam, Prophet Mohamed in an effort to unite the tribes under its banner set new laws to govern the people and regulate the relationship between them. As a result, the status of women improved. Female infanticide ceased and for the first time women from certain tribes had the right to divorce, own property, choose a husband and inherit from their deceased relatives. Marriage was also organized, but neither polygamy nor slavery was abolished. On the contrary, the Islamic conquests brought more slaves into the Muslim lands, which later contributed to the dramatic changes … Continue reading History of the Veil: Part 3: Early Days of Islam

Violence against women5 Comments

Arabian Nights and the Scheherazad-ization of Women

Women of Egypt

By: Alexandra Kinias Scheherazade, the glamorous beauty and the heroine of the ‘One Thousand and One Nights,’ became famous as the woman who captured Shahrayar’s imagination by her seductive nature and captivating tales. This psychotic dude, who at best would have been admitted in a mental asylum, married a new virgin everyday and sent yesterday’s wife to be beheaded to avenge his first wife’s betrayal. In this process of soul searching while recuperating from an injured pride, three thousand women were sacrificed by the time he was introduced to our fame fatal, Scheherazade. It took Shahrayar one thousand and one … Continue reading Arabian Nights and the Scheherazad-ization of Women