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East, and rightfully so due to their lack of freedom in society. For decades, it has been thought that women must be separate from men due to the Islamic traditions laid out in the Koran; however, the original texts have been changed over time to control women under Islamic law. Saudi Arabia is known for being one of the most oppressive in terms of women’s rights because its corruption of the Islamic legal code is most pervasive. It is important to note that the women are fighting for rights such as driving privileges, the ability to go places without a male “guardian,” the right to work outside of the home, and of course, access education. There is a difference of opinion on how women should progress because there are many conservatives who want to strictly follow sharia law and cultural norms1. Islam did not start as a religion with misogynistic values; the prophet was actually a feminist for his time. The Islamic FAQ on Equality recalls a point made by the prophet, “The Holy Prophet of Islam knew the essential part women had to play in the development of society, so he laid great stress on the upbringing of girls by saying: ‘A man who has two daughters and brings them up and educates them to the best of his capacity shall be entitled to paradise.’” But through the years people have been able to manipulate and create their own sectors of Islam that actually are misogynistic. There are many events and extreme groups throughout the history of Islam that have brought the Muslim states to where they are today. Taking a look farther into the history and the current situation of women in Saudi Arabia helps to understand the future of women _
there, and especially in the realm of education. Overall literacy rates in Saudi Arabia in total have always been generally good, meaning significantly more than half can read and write. Through the years there has been more balance and literacy between both genders, and that continues to improve year over year. In 2011, the literacy rate for women in Saudi Arabia was 82.2% while the men were at 90.8% out of a total literacy rate of 87.2%. This basically means almost all of the
1 Katherine Zoepf, "Talk of Women's Rights Divides Saudi Arabia," New York Times, last modified May 31, 2010, accessed March 22, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/world/middleeast/01ihtsaudi.html?pagewanted=3&_r=0.