THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 10, 1994 TAG: 9409090114
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E8 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Mathews Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
FOR THE PAST week, I've followed closely the events of the United Nations population conference in Cairo. To hear some folks tell it, this is just another excuse for Godless, bleeding-heart liberals to march around the world handing out The Pill and sexual freedom to little girls, while encouraging every pregnant woman on the globe to get an abortion.
I'm not buying it.
If there's a hidden agenda going on here, I believe it's the one held by the Vatican and a number of conservative Islamic groups. While they huff and puff over the language of abortion and birth control, I see their real problem as being one of women's equality.
These ``old boys'' are scared to death to let a woman decide for herself when and if she should become a mother. Deep down they know that if a woman is given that choice - plus health care and education - then she will have some control over her life. In the male-dominated world of the Vatican and conservative Islam, a woman in control is a dangerous thing.
With Bible and Koran in hand, these guys pull out all the stops, saying God (the male father God, of course) demands that humans ``be fruitful and multiply.'' In my mind, what they really mean is, ``Keep your wife barefoot and pregnant, boys.''
To me, it boils down to this simple truth: people can use religion and Scripture to either hold someone down or lift them up. I believe this week, we've seen the ``hold-'em-down'' variety. Now an example of the ``lift-'em-up'' kind.
Tunisia.
Tunisia is a Muslim country in North Africa. At the turn of the century, Tunisian women were little more than property to their husbands. Tunisian homes were built like small prisons, with mazes of courtyards keeping the women secluded from the outside world.
Years ago, forward-thinking Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba began to espouse the belief that Tunisia could not succeed without Islam, and that Islam could never succeed if women were not allowed to succeed. To this end he helped obtain voting rights for women and established a national school system that educated girls equally with boys.
More than this, however, Bourguiba encouraged fresh interpretations of the Koran to support the uplifting of women. Religious leaders emphasized those parts of the Koran which stressed male-female equality. Scripture concerning a wife's equal say on contraception and family size were highlighted.
Gradually the civil laws of Tunisia began to reflect many of the liberal religious interpretations of the Koran. It came to be believed that polygamy was actually outlawed by the Koran, and so too was it outlawed by the Tunisian government. The government found its abortion policy in Scripture, referring to a 13th century interpretation that condones abortion up until the time when the soul enters the fetus, at about four months gestation. Divorce rights, once only a man's privilege, were given to women equally.
Has all hell broken out in Tunisia since these reforms? Have families been destroyed? Have uppity women left their homes and families for career and money?
No. If anything, families have been strengthened by these policies. What they discovered in Tunisia is that when the government made an effort to get contraceptives to women in the rural areas, they were really getting health care to them. Women started having healthier pregnancies. Fewer women died in childbirth. More babies lived past infancy.
Families are also staying together longer. Both the government and the religious institutions in the country have discouraged divorce and stressed the sacredness of the husband-wife bond. As a result, divorce rates in Tunisia are among the lowest in North Africa.
Not only have these sweeping changes improved the lot of women in Tunisia, but also the country's status. Though not rich, it is not poor. For now - helped by a stable population - it is not torn by the wars and famines that plague many of its neighbors.
A few years ago, a fundamentalist Muslim group formed a political party and tried to roll back some of the pro-woman reforms. Encouraged by thousands of outraged Tunisian women, the government abolished the party and exiled the fundamentalist group's leaders.
The Tunisian women sent a message loud and clear: Don't mess with an empowered woman.
Gee, maybe that's exactly what some guys are worried about.
Maybe they should worry. MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; call (804) 446-2273; FAX
(804) 436-2798; or send e-mail to bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline is Tuesday
before publication. You must include name, city and phone number. by CNB