Misconceptions about Muslim Women

A dear friend of mine, Abbe, forwarded an email to me about an article written by Nonie Darwish. Abbe was horrified by what she read and she wrote: "Please tell me this is not true!"

I have answered every misconception in the article and I hope it will make a difference in the way we perceive each others, but most importantly, in the way we accept information before double checking its accuracy.

Joys of Muslim Women
by Nonie Darwish


In the Muslim faith a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year old and have sexual intimacy with this child. Consummating the marriage by 9.

Not True: Muslim shariah or teachings do not allow marriage before a girl reaches puberty. Sexual intimacy with a child who has not developed into womanhood is a sin punishable in court (and in Hell as well.)


The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as a toy.

Not True: The dowry paid to the family (dowries are traditions among many people and not only Muslims) can be as little as a modest gift or as big as a cash lump sump given as a gift to the bride and not to her father. It is, I repeat, a gift that a man gives to the woman he is marrying. ( I got two diamond rings )

A wife does not become the man's slave and he does not even buy her in the first place. The husband has an obligation to accommodate his wife with a decent living standard and give her enough money to spend on the household and her personal needs. He even is obliged to hire someone to help her clean the house and with other chores if he can afford it. A Muslim woman is not obliged to work and spend on the household. Unlike many non-Muslim women who are forced to work from nine to five and leave children behind, a Muslim woman is a queen in her household, and men ( husband, father, brother, son) are commanded in the Quran to take care of her needs and honor her.


Even though a woman is abused she can not obtain a divorce.

Not True: Divorce in Islam is permissible. And it happens. If a woman complains that she is not happy with her husband, she can ask for divorce. If he abuses her, he gets punished and she can obtain divorce if she asks for it.


To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses.

Not True: You need 4 witnesses ( not males) to prove adultery in Islam. Adultery is punishable by death.


Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the family must return the dowry. The family has the right to execute her
(an honor killing) to restore the honor of the family. Husbands can beat their wives 'at will' and he does not have to say why he has beaten her.

Not True: Honor killings are not Islamic, they are traditions in primitive societies that are either Muslim or non-Muslim. Killing in Islam is not permitted and is punishable by death. Only an Islamic court can decide if someone deserves to die. Again, the need of witnesses is obligatory to prove someone guilty. If a woman is divorced or become widowed, she can choose to go back to her family or live by herself.

The husband is permitted to have (4 wives)

True: A Muslim man is permitted to have up to 4 wives on condition that he treats them all equally (including money expenses, home visitations, and emotional treatment). But if he cannot fulfill this condition, which the Quran challenges most men that they won't and can't, then he is forbidden. The reason Islam allows polygamy is to stop adultery and social deviation. Women outnumber men in the universe; it is a scientific fact. Women who cannot find a husband should not have sex out of wedlock; it is a sin even in Christianity.



and a temporary wife for an hour (prostitute) at his discretion.

Not True: Prostitution and adultery are forbidden in Islam.


The Shariah Muslim law controls the private as well as the public life of the woman.

True: But I would rather use the word "guides" not "controls." Muslim Shariah law guides both men and women toward a wholesome lifestyle. All commandments in the Christian faith exist in Islam. Do not steal, do not kill, do not lie, do not commit adultery, etc... Muslim women refer to the Quran and the shariah it explains in every single matter of their life. Muslim men also refer to the Quran in every aspect of their domestic and public lives. Modern science has proved that Islam has a healthy wholesome lifestyle that many non-Muslims are starting to adopt.


In the West World ( America ) Muslim men are starting t o demand Shariah Law so the wife can not obtain a divorce and he can have full and complete control of her. It is amazing and alarming how many of our sisters and daughters attending American Universities are now marrying Muslim men and submitting themselves and their children unsuspectingly to the Shariah law.
By passing this on, enlightened American women may avoid becoming a slave under Shariah Law.


Not True: this is part of a phobia campaign targeting you; Americans! Wake up and get busy with your own economic problems and political corruption. And please don't let that incident of a christian preacher praying for President Obama's death slip under your attention. This is treason. Muslims are not your problem or enemy. Muslims share with you more than you think. Don't listen to bigots and ask someone who knows a Muslim: he or she would tell you the content of this article is all lies.

For the West, radical Islamists are working to impose sharia on the world. If that happens, Western civilization will be destroyed. In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President! I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!
This is your chance to make a difference...!

Believe me, Muslims too hate radicals and extremists that come from every faith, not only Islam. As for taking over Christianity and destroying Western civilization? Hum! Where did I hear this before? Oh I remember: some Si-Fi Hollywood movie. There we go! Peace!