The Global Sociology Blog

I guess I’ll never run out of sexist posts (and I didn’t even blog the Democratic primary! for no other reason than other people do that better than I could). So, Malaysia it is and it’s a two-fer, first, this lovely item (to file under the general hypocrisy that Islam is not sexist and veiling women is for their protection):

“Women’s groups in Malaysia have reacted angrily to proposed government restrictions on women travelling abroad on their own. State media say the plan would require women to obtain written consent from their families or employers. The Malaysian foreign minister said the move would prevent single women being used by gangs to smuggle drugs.”

See? It’s not repressive at all. It’s just to protect single women. Because the proper and safe state for a woman is to be married and under the protection of her husband. Now, of course, the damn women’s groups have criticized the proposal as oppressive and regressive. They also argue, foolishly, that women can make their own decisions. Obviously, these groups hate women. [/snark]

If that weren’t enough, we get the second item from the BBC as well, it is both sad and encouraging:

“A religious court in Malaysia has allowed a Muslim convert to leave the Islamic faith, in what is being hailed as a landmark ruling. Penang’s Sharia court ruled that Siti Fatimah Tan Abdullah was free to return to Buddhism, following the collapse of her marriage to a Muslim man. It was decided she had not had proper counselling during her conversion. Malaysians are rarely allowed to renounce the faith - those who do can be prosecuted under stringent laws. Religious rights are a sensitive issue in Malaysia - which is 60% Muslim.”

The sad thing is that Malaysia uses Sharia law, a reactionary body of religious law. The encouraging thing is the ruling in itself. But I really like the BBC’s last sentence here. It turns euphemization into an art form: look, Malaysia is a religious country where Sharia law applies, meaning, widespread sexism and religious privilege as well as stratification.

The ruling itself looks very much like the Muslim version of the Catholic annulment: she’s allowed to leave Islam because she never really was a Muslim in the first place. Had she received more counseling and guidance (my translation: more indoctrination), she’d be stuck with that religion.