Cultural Encounters

I felt upset when I read about the maltreatment and abuse women went through in the early Islam World when Umar and Mansur, Muhammad’s followers, ruled the Arab Empire in the 700’s.     What is the rage against women? I asked myself. One time after another, women have been the target of men who claim superiority over women by “divine mandate” claimed by some religions such as Christianity and Islam. Contrary to this thought, the Quran, the sacred book of Islam, is clear about equality among women and men who can receive forgiveness and reach reward if they follow the teachings of the religion regardless of gender. Despite these writings, men decided how women should be conducted in society, how to participate in religious practices, and how to feel about themselves. Men decided which behavior applies to men and which to women in order to receive forgiveness from God and reach reward.   I understand men being competitive and wanted to be leaders in their homes, in society, and in political life, but from there to subdue women to practices such as clitorectomy and “honor killing” of women to enforce control is beyond belief.  Thankfully, Robert W. Strayer, includes there are new outlets for women in religious life such as Sufi practice and Shia Islam where women had a greater role. It gave me some relief to know women had other ways to protect themselves from mistreatment.

In regards to pastoral people, Strayer offers a different point of view contrary to the common negative view. He includes the achievements of nomadic people by describing the Mongol Empire who adapted to harsh environments, developed technological innovations, cultures based on horses, camels, and cattle, promoted commerce and cultural exchange, and made the effort to become a state. It is true the Mongol Empire took by force other societies possessions and many people died under their violent and powerful army, but they also lost their way of living while they were absorbed by agrarian empires later in history.

I enjoyed reading about the similarity of the Inca and Aztec Empire and their gender system. Both societies practiced some sort of parallelism among women and men who had a separate autonomy. For example, Inca men venerated the sun while women venerated the moon and each one had their own officials. That is, women could be religious leaders too. The Aztecs also had male and female priests and venerated male and female deities giving importance to women. In this society, women had political roles at local authority level. Social roles were different but equally valued. For example, sweeping, work done by women, was regarded as powerful and sacred as a symbol of purification and preventive against evil elements. In the Inca Empire, cultivating the land was a combined effort between men and women, men open the soil while women placed the seed and both harvested the land. Their economic system was also generous and caring towards their people. People consumed what they produced at home and government distributed the goods among their population. When there was no war, goods were distributed among the poor and widows. During years of little production, the state lent to small towns what they needed. The Inca Empire’s economic system was more just than other states.