Queen Rania of Jordan talks about the Fallacies of Women in Islam

This is a very interesting interview I came across on the Fareed Zakaria GPS (Global Public Square) show on CNN. Mind you I am a fan of the show and have recently begun podcasting it weekly.

Queen Rania of Jordan talks about women in Islam, the MidEast peace process and the ultimate hopes for the region.

Although she gave very well-defined answers on the questions being asked, I am a bit sceptical and somewhat taken aback by some of the responses she gave on the role of women in the Muslim world.

I don’t necessarily agree with everything she said about the topic. For instance, the part she mentions about the reasons why women in the Muslim world are more conservative and are therefore covered now more than ever is largely due to the fact that women feel the pressure in a certain way because that is what the society expects of them, that is what the political rulings want of them. Sure, you can’t deny that it does happen in certain parts of the Muslim world.

Islam in America: The American Crescent

In the coming months leading up to the general American election that had just passed, Al Jazeera in English travelled to the US to do a documentary of the life of Muslims in America.

Rageh Omaar trekked through America this past summer as he looks at why Islam has come to be described by some people as a “very American faith”.

He traces its history in the US and talks to American Muslims about how their belief is compatible with the principles of American democracy.

Sure there are some eye-brow raising moments (like the beginning) but overall, it is truly a fascinating documentary. There are four parts to it that I’ll post.

Enjoy!

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DOCUMENTARY PART I