A Critique of Personal Status Codes in Selected Arab Countries
Part of the "Series of Studies on Arab Women and Development" (number 25), published by the United Nations.
Abstract
It is quite disconcerting to follow the relatively recent but unrelenting trend among some Western writers and human rights activists to criticize Islamic law, as embodied in the various personal status codes in Muslim countries, for being discriminatory, patriarchal and out of touch with world opinion. In fact, some Western writers have even resorted to excerpting passages from the Qur'an to further illustrate their point, while others have called for international solutions to the problem.
This paper has been withdrawn.