by Rachel Johnson

Created on: July 29, 2011   Last Updated: February 04, 2012

Imagine a system of justice that treated women as worth half of what men are. Now imagine that you were born to this belief and your a woman. What would it mean to you, to live as a second class citizen? For thousands of women this is a reality. Shariah is a system of justice created from the Muslim book Quran. It was derived from the directly from laws in the Quran. During the life of Mohammad he claimed to talk to the angel "Gabriel," who gave him the word of God untainted, as it is considered to be by Muslims. This was the foundation of Shariah.

In Medina where Muhammad lived, his teachings have been practiced since his lifetime. Laws, like the ones found in the old testament of the bible, have been in place since then. Women and men are both forced to live by these laws, but it is mostly the men who enforce them.  There are different levels of Shariah law, the worst being "Haram" which is any sex outside of marriage, theft, and alcohol drinking, and highway robbery. These carry some of the worst punishments which may be as harsh as stoning, or a lashing. Others may include the loss of a hand or a severe beating. In many cases even children of small ages are punished and suffer great abuse.

These laws preside over everything from personal care, to social conduct. Anyone behaving outside of the law can be imprisoned and brought to trial, depending upon the severity of the crime. Often times women are dealt with more harshly under these laws. Mostly because the woman is charged with being chaste, and pure. Under Shariah laws, women are limited to what they can do, and who has the right to see them. These laws subject women to being equal to property.

They also give the value of a woman's testimony in court. Women In the Eyes of Islamic Law The Qur’an in Sura 2:282 says, “…And get two witnesses, Out of your own men. And if there are not two men, Then a man and two women, Such as ye choose, For witnesses, So that if one of them errs, The other can remind
her….” “Narrated Abu Sai’id Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, ‘Isn’t the witness of a woman equal half of that of a man?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, "This is because of the deficiency of the woman's mind."

“’O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).’ They asked, ‘Why is it so, O Allah’s Apostle?’ He replied, ‘Your curse frequently

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