"Come, whoever you are, come." This quote by Jalalud'din Rumi, a 13th-century Muslim poet, was the message extended to those invited to the panel discussion last night, "Do religions oppress women?"
Women and men of all faiths flocked to the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall for the conversation in recognition of International Women's Day, which this year will take place on March 8.
In response to the panel's theme, Racelle Weiman, executive director of The Dialogue Institute at Temple University, Nuray Yurt, Central Jersey director of the Interfaith Dialogue Center and Reverend Heidi Rodrich-Schnaath of the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia discussed the role that religion has played in the oppression of women over the centuries.
All three speakers concurred that while religion has been used as a justification for the oppression of women, it is societies in general that have created the suppression, not religion itself.
"Scripture is only a road, it is not the end," Weiman said.
Weiman identified three factors that account for why one group of people would want to oppress another: fear, ignorance and anger. "What turns people into oppressors?" she asked. "It certainly can't be God."
Yurt and Schnaath agreed, arguing that cultures, location and historical context are the backgrounds for the suppression of women over the years.
"We are mysterious and powerful because we can have babies," Schnaath said. "Anytime a group is seen as having a power that can't be explained, that becomes dangerous."
Yurt also emphasized the fact that religious scripts, such as those from the Quran, are often misinterpreted for the purpose of exploiting women. She cited the inheritance issue in Islam - women usually receive half the inheritance that their brothers do. The reason for this is not that women are not as "equal" as men but that in Islamic culture, men are the providers.
Schnaath also discussed the effects of the story of Adam and Eve. Women have historically been taken to be subordinate to men because Eve was created from Adam. These interpretations do not take into account the real message of the story, she said - that Eve was created from Adam to be by his side, to be his equal.
"We need to stop judging from the outside and reflect more on the inside, Weiman concluded. "Only then will oppression of women be eliminated."
