Judaism and Islam are perhaps among the most common religions in the globe. The paper reveals the two religions in terms of their religious stand in regard to the position of roles of different genders in the society since history.
As noted by Najafizadeh, religion is the cardinal force that unites the Muslims, equipping them with a sense of identity. On the other hand, Judaism unites its people by providing a code of life, which governs all sides of life as well as determining principles of its followers. However, studies conducted by various scholars in the field of religion and theology indicate that religion contributes a lot to the creation and demolishing of gender roles as discussed in this paper below (Najafizadeh p. 87).
In both Islam and Judaism the unfair oppression of one gender and in this case the woman is based on one untrue assumption as well as preconceived concepts by a male dominating globe. For instance, in the Islamic religion as a child matures he or she is taught the responsibility that awaits him or her when he becomes an adult. The responsibilities are taught in a way that is based on the male and female perspective. The Koran teachings guide young females on how they are supposed to take care for their kids and how to respect their husbands when they grow up. On the other hand, in Judaism the holy book(Torah) encourages females to respect their husbands. As indicated in these two examples, both religions tend to instill a sense of gender inequality (Najafizadeh p. 89).
Then again, Yuting argues that, despite its gender inequality in favor of men in terms of gender roles, the Islamic religion places more emphasis on the union of women and men and the very stately treatment towards womankind (the holy book of Ummah). Moreover, it places women on the highest pedestal, which makes men respect women in all ways and at any level. However, this has not been noted by many non-Muslim as many of them associate it as a religion which promotes female suppression. This is due to the fact that Islamic teachings are not common or have not been studied deeply by many people. The passage found in (the holy book of Ummah) in the Muslim Quaran reveals the role of women as advocated in the Islamic teachings. Women as mothers amongst the Islams are incomparable to any other being. If one closely reviews the Islamic teachings, they reveal the importance of women as bearers of children as well as mothers. Then again, Allah in the Quaran states, “..shows gratitude to your parents.mother.” (31:14) (Yuting, p. 98).
Moreover, amongst the Islam, prophet Mohamed emphasizes on the significance of women in the Islamic religion. He states that, “a man asked him: who should be honored most? He responded, mother, and then when the man asked who should be honored most next, prophet Mohamed insisted that it is still the mother”. This indicates how much mothers are honored in the Muslim religion. This also points out how their religion creates a role to them in the society (21:87).
As written in the rabbinic law, the Jewish women are exempted from elementary spiritual values on which rest the basis of Judaism. A woman's responsibility or role as a wife and mother is so precious that she is not obligatory to be prompted in doing the 10 Commandments as stipulated in the scriptures. As noted by Kaufman, some commandments in Judaism contribute to the greatest misunderstanding that women are not supposed to partake advanced education. This greatly affects their domestic roles. In this case, an individual who has not undertaken advanced education will not secure any decent employment opportunity. Therefore, this religion demolishes their ability to acquire these jobs (Kaufman p. 543).
However, Kaufman states that, as much as Judaism gives women the right to live with integrity and pride, it encourages men to respect their mothers, wives, as well as daughters and care for them by shunning beatings, and any other kind of physical abuse.
Additionally, the role of the Jewish men in their families as well as their communities has remained unchanged for quite a long period of time. It was until the emergence of the feminist and reconstruction of Judaism that things changed (Numbers 27). Kaufman further points out that, in this modern era the perceived responsibility of the Jewish men, is influenced by their part of the world. This involves whether one is orthodox, or one belongs to a different kind of Judaism, and is influenced by other cultures. As a husband, the Jewish teachings or decree dictates that, a Jewish man who is married ought to provide his wife with enough food, pleasurable sex, and clothing. The Jewish cultures encourage men to handle their wives with kindness and respect.
Contrary, the role of women in the customary Judaism has been widely tainted and misinterpreted. Women are not placed as lowly as many contemporary people think; actually, the position of women in the Jewish ‘halakhah’ that is dated back in the biblical era is much better than the common civilized American woman. For instance, some of the well-known feminist leaders in the 20th century like Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem are from the Judaism religion. (Legge, Jerome, and Joya, p. 97).
On the other hand, according to the customary Judaism, women are given a greater grade of “binah” (intelligence, intuition) than men. This was attributed to the fact that women were believed to be built (Gen. 2:22) rather than being ‘formed’ (Gen. 2:7). Again, the word built in Hebrew is associated with the word ‘binah.’ However, there are some contradictions in the Judaism teachings which portray women as being lazy, jealousy and prone to gossip which reduces them to lesser beings. They are seen as beings who cannot handle roles that require more concentration. Worse still, men are advised not to mingle with women.
In conclusion, both religions, Muslim and Judaism seem to contain similar traits concerning how they create or demolish gender roles. The difference in these religions exists in the beliefs. Generally, it has been observed or noted that at a great extent, both religion promote the role of men compared to that of women.
Works Cited
Kaufman, Debra Renee. "Women Who Return To Orthodox Judaism: A Feminist Analysis." Journal Of Marriage & Family 47.3 (1985): 543.
Legge J., Jerome S., and Joya M. "Examining the Concept of Gender Role Ideology: Women In Traditional Jewish Worship." Contemporary Jewry 19.1 (2008): 95-119.
Najafizadeh, Mehrangiz. "Gender And Ideology: Social Change and Islam in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan." Journal of Third World Studies (2012): 81-101.
Yuting, Wang. "Empowered: A Case Study On The New Roles Of Muslim Women."Conference Papers -- American Sociological Association (2006).
