이슬람 여성의 지위 = The Status of Women in Islam

국문 초록 (Abstract)

열악하였던 이슬람 이전시대의 아랍 여성의 지위가 이슬람의 출현으로 개선되었고 코란은 여성의 기본적 권리를 보장하고 있다. 남녀평등이 본질적으로 인간의 바탕이라고 코란에 의해 확인되지만 생활기능상으로 남녀가 구분되어 여성은 남성의 종속적 위치에 놓이게 되었음을 코란은 시사하고 있다.
이슬람은 환경과 조건에 따라 1부4처제를 허용하고 있지만 코란은 실질적으로는 1부1처제를 장려하고 있다. 결혼은 사회계약으로 간주하여 당사자인 여성의 동의를 필요로 한다. 이혼은 암성이 일방적으로 되풀이하여 선언함으로써 성립된다. 여성의 이혼요구는 주어진 한계 내에서만 이루어진다. 이혼하거나 남편을 사별한 여성은 일정기간을 경과한 후에야 재혼할 수 있다.
여성의 "베일" 착용 관습은 사회생활로부터의 여성의 배제와 남녀 격리와 연관되어 이슬람 사회에서의 여성의 위치를 가늠하게 한다. 무용한 남녀의 접촉을 피하도록 권하는 코란구절에서 비롯된 "베일"착용은 여성에 대한 남성의 우월성을 나타내는 코란의 한 구절과 맞물려 이슬람에서의 여성의 위치에 대한 논란의 대상이 되고 있다. 이슬람 여성의 지위는 여성에 관한 코란구절의 해석과 시대적·지역적 관행에 따라 평가해야 할 것이다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Since pre-Islamic times Arabian woman has been subject to her husband or nearest relatives. But the status of women greatly changed under Islam society although discrimination between man and woman made in pre-Islamic times still remains.
In Islam society woman is allowed to inherit form her husband or relatives and control her property at her will. As far as other aspects of women's life are concerned, the practices and traditions of pre-Islamic times still have an influence on the position of woman. Clearly the Koran adheres to the traditional view on woman as an inferior being(Koran 4,34).
Islam permits man polygamy: e.g., a man can have as many as four wives. But in fact Koran promotes that one man should have a wife. Being considered a social contract, marriage is only able to be performed with man and woman's mutual agreement. If a man wants to divorce, his wish is to be fulfilled by repeating his intention of divorce in public several times. But in case that woman wants to divorce, she can attain her purpose only after some conditions are satisfied. A divorced woman or a widow is allowed to remarry after some time passes.
Woman's wearing veil originated from the Koran is another testimony by which woman's status can be estimated. Veil was a symbol of distinctions between man and woman. Closely connected with the exclusion of woman from public life is the veil
The traditionalists argue that woman should devote her entire life to keeping home by refering to the koran that man should take charge of his wife. They say that it is man's responsibility to earn his family's living because woman is unable to do outdoor works. The modernists chaim that wearing of veil and woman's loving in seclusion are not genuine Islamic idea and that the purpose of the Koran is to establish its own reasonable ethical norms.
The Koran says a great deal about the position of woman but most of them have been interpreted in such a way as means of socially restraining of woman or justifying man's right and his superior position. But woman's status in Islam does not merely depend on the interpretation of the Koran. The traditional way of thoughts influence on their veiw on woman not less greatly than the Koran. In brief, the status of woman in Islamic society should be considered in terms of both the Koran and traditional views on woman.