Islam
Pyro, you bring up three or four topics at a time. I will respond to the women thing, though I could go on about the others too.
Yes, we all know how they treat women. Women are not allowed to basically do anything, they are under the men's control. The men basically control them, which is sadistic.
If only the controlling attitude were the worst of it, but it is only the beginning. (sigh) What women face in Islam is much worse. Let's take, for example, the fact that women are not allowed to go anywhere without a man - in the more extreme parts of the culture. In some countries, such as Jordan, this is not so much of a problem, but in Iran and the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, this was (is in Iran, I believe) it is the case. But this is the tip.
Let's talk about polygamy. Many women live like cattle, four married to one man. These women might seem like they are happy about it, but many talk about it behind closed doors as a wound that never heals.
Let's talk about "honor killings," where if, G-d forbid, the woman is seen walking down the street with a boy she is considered to have dishonored the family and is in danger of having her father or brother slit her throat.
Let's talk about the practice of child brides - where the girl can be married off at the age of nine because Mohammed married his wife Aiesha when she was six and consumated it when she was nine.
Let's talk about "temporary marriage" where the man can marry a woman for from about an hour up to two or three days, give her "her dowry" and then divorce her when he has used her sexually (btw, what is the difference between that and prostitution? - scratches head) (Oh, and with all of this you would think the s*x industry would not be necessary in places like Saudi Arabia and other ME countries, but the opposite is true. That industry flourishes.)
Let's talk about the fact that women are only allowed to inherit half of what a male receives from her father's estate when he dies.
Let's talk about the fact that according to Sharia law, she is viewed as half a witness in a court of law - because she is an emotional being and therefore is likely to get the facts wrong. (btw, talk about being condescending about the abilities of a woman.)
Let's talk about the fact she cannot testify in the case of rape - AT ALL, even if she did witness the act.
Let's talk about rape and how if she IS raped, she must bring four male witnesses with her to the court that WITNESSED the PENETRATION. If she brings any less than that, their testimony is not believed. And, if she does accuse the man of rape, she had better have those witnesses because, if not, she will either be accused of fornication (for the non-married woman) or adultery (if she is married.) Then, if so, she will be stoned, while the man is let of with a flogging. (Guess how many men can rape at will and the women are unable to say anything about these crimes? I don't have statistics, but the amount of rapes that happen in these countries are very high.)
Let's talk about the fact that the husband, according to Sharia law, is allowed to beat his wife if she doesn't comply with his demands. Now true, there is a process that he must go through before he gets to the point of beating her - he is supposed to shame her first by moving her out of his bed and then removing her food and privileges, but if she still won't comply he is allowed to beat her with anything from a toothbrush up to a stick the thickness of a broom handle.
This is the plight of many women in Islamic countries. There are also other problems for women that spin out of this, but I think I have addressed the topic at hand pretty thoroughly.
