Orthodox Jewish and Islamic Treatment of Women

Its noticeable how much Jewish Orthodoxy and Islam have in common ... 

Ladies Of The Jewish Haredi Burqa Sect

I mean, we generally consider Israel to be a modern secular democratic state, that acts much like any European or North American state. This maybe because the Jewish majority in the West are what’s referred to as “Reform” Jews, who are more like Catholics, if you pardon the analogy. But there are many sizeable ultra orthodox groups, especially in Israel.

 

There are also sizeable Hasidic and ultra Orthodox sects in some areas of London and New York, and other cities (those guys with the Homburgs and side dreadlocks), but we mostly have little contact with them, so don’t usually consider what they mean in today’s world. However, these groups wield great power in the Israeli state, and therefore on the future of the Middle East.

With only 1.5% of the vote giving you one seat, small orthodox parties can wield great power in the ever shifting politics of Israeli coalitions – the National Religious Party or Agudat Israel (Hasidic) parties normally both hold some ministries in any government. This gives them power far in excess of their numbers in both internal and external affairs.

Some Orthodox Groups Actually
Don’t Approve Of The State Of Israel ...

It should be noted that some Orthodox groups actually don’t approve of the state of Israel, because of religious issues which are too arcane to go into, and that some Orthodox Jewish groups were actually guests of Iran in their “Holocaust” denial conference last year.

My attention was drawn to these Orthodox Jews, when a series of news stories about “Modesty Buses” started appearing on the web. Women who get on these public buses are harassed and threatened if they attempt to sit on the front seats of them. This is the same whether they are orthodox or non orthodox, Jew or non Jew. The similarities between this, and the Iranian, Saudi or Taliban attitudes towards women’s rights, was striking enough for me to consider how much power these groups hold within Israel (due to the extreme form of proportional representation that Israel follows).

What got me even more curious was the fact that the main Orthodox groups hold many practises and social attitudes, which are in common with Islam theocratic regimes or groups. E.g. The Haridimn

• Obviously the dietary (Kosher) and Muslim (Halal) are almost identical, particularly the killing of animals.
• The segregation of women in the Synagogue, or the Mosque.
• A strict male dress code often involving beards
• Women being considered secondary to men in religious law.
• Women who are menstruating being considered ‘unclean’, and in need of ritual cleansing.
• Practitioners should wash or immerse themselves daily, or before prayer.
• Extreme modesty of dress is a requirement, enforced by berating those who are considered immodest (See Iran link above for Muslim version).
• The use of Hebrew for Synagogue prayer (Yiddish for daily use) is not dissimilar from Arabic in Mosques and local language for daily use in non Arab Muslim countries.
• Many social attitudes e.g. towards divorce, are similar.

Now none of this is new, and in fact obviously Mohammed was influenced by the fact that many of the Arab tribes in his lifetime were in fact Jewish when he set up Islam. Desert dwellers would have had certain practises driven by conditions around them, and it’s interesting that Christianity spread mainly in the non desert areas of the Roman Empire during the early centuries after its foundation.

Whereas the other two religions founded in the area, remained in the hot desert areas for centuries. Christianity has moved towards equality of treatment of women, as has the 'westernised' Reform Jews, but Islam and Orthodox Jewish sects have not.

In fact with so much in common it’s hard sometimes to see why they and Islam are at each others throats, but they are. We all fear militant Islam and its actions, but what

• Would happen to Israeli support if 'Militant Jewry’ was in power in Israel?
• How would we differentiate them from Islamic states, apart from the fact that Jewish orthodoxy is not a proselytising faith?
• In fact, would we be criticising Orthodox Jewish attitudes, in the same way that we criticize similar Islamic practices?

It’s ironic that one of the main western criticisms of Islamic states, is their treatment of and attitude towards women, but we say little about the fact that many of these values are apparently shared by an orthodox Jewry that holds great power in the Israeli state.

'Fundamentalists' are 'Fundamentalists', whatever the religion, and just because they are our "political friends" that doesn't change ..... we also support the Saudi regime, but that's the main exporter of Radical Islam (how dumb is that?).

Fortunately Israel is not a fundamentalist state, but democracy is a funny thing and throws up some odd results. The 'old guard' parties, who have held secular power in Israel since its foundation, are increasingly discredited (corruption is apparently endemic), so who's to say what the future may hold?

Some other links:

Jewish Religious Students spit on Christians
The Rise of the Haredim - Israels hidden problem

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