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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
As a muslim woman who practices, i can tell you that we live Islam so deeply in our lives that [b]it is inconceivable that people don't get the "equality" in Islam. [/b]It takes a bit of stepping back to remember that westerners think of equality between men and women ina very linear way. For every right a man gets, the typical westerner thinks the woman must get an identical right in order for there to be equality. But Islam sees men and women as different so their rights takes their differences into account. Inheritance laws would indeed be unfair if women got less inheritance yet had the burden of the same expenses as a man. But in Islam, the woman doesn't have the burden of supporting herself, so in light of this, our inheritance laws make sense to us. So to us, there is fairness and justice and equality because the value of the rights and responsibilities balance out. [b] I get that this system is in stark contrast to your linear idea of equality, but why does your definition of equality prevail here? [/b]Equality can be expressed interms of fairness, justice, and balance too. Its not that we were lying but we forget that westerners only accept their western notion of equality.[/quote]

So. You admit that you used the word "equality" despite your awareness that it would be interpreted differently by your western readers. It's no use complaining, after the fact, that western definitions "prevail" because it doesn't make sense to expect this in a forum that consists of westerners who have never been exposed to your Islamic concept of women's equality.

Here's how it works.
1. Say something you hope will be palatable to western ears. "Women are equal in Islam."
2. Cross your fingers and hope that nobody knows anything about Islamic law.
3. When somebody does cite Islamic rules about unequal divorce rights, marital property rights, inheritance rights, value of testimony -- argue that you meant something else by "equality."
4. The discussion will always come to a point of fundamental disagreement over (a) the meaning of "equality" for women, or (b) whether legal inequality for women is acceptable or desirable, or both. At that point, call your opponents
          - befuddled (like you did above when referring to your nemesis)
          - cultural imperialists for not knowing that Muslims mean "women's equality" differently from the way westerners have always understood it, or 
          - Christian-evangelical-crusading-islamophobe grannies in miniskits with STDs and druggie kids (you said these things too many times to count).[/quote]

The Quran has numerous examples of different rights afforded to men versus women. So why would muslims feel the need to twist its interpretation to make it palatable to nonmuslims? It is what it is . To us, its a thoughtful and just system that takes into consideration the inherent differences between men and women. As a muslim woman, I have never felt oppressed. Muslim women do not perceive inequality in our system at all. If men have greater rights in one area but also greater responsibilities and expenses, to us it balances itself out resulting in a very equitable system. To us, its a bit misleading to describe that system as unequal because you failed to mention men have more expenses and financial responsibilities. Sorry  if you felt we intentionally lied to you. We didn't and we have no desire to proselytize here.  We just find it misleading to paint our belief system as oppressive or unequal. But I think you will be hard pressed to find any muslim women that will use the term inequality when she feels she is living in an equitable system. [/quote]

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