As Women Rise, Orthodox Islam Diminishes

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As Women Rise, Orthodox Islam Diminishes Posted: 02 Oct 2012 10:39 PM PDT We want you to watch the film, Half the Sky. Follow the link below and you can watch it for free. It is rather long — almost two hours. But it shows very clearly that when you change the way women are treated in a society, the entire cultural norm — what is acceptable — changes. Here's a link to the film: Half the Sky In the film you'll see a town where not even the cops do much about rape. Out of thousands of reported rapes, they had only achieved one conviction. The cultural beliefs of the people in that community prevented any effective protection of women. Without safety, they lived without freedom. But through education, public pressure and enforcing laws, the perception, the worldview of the community changes. By focusing on helping girls, the society improves. As Sheryl WuDunn says in the film, "You educate a girl, and she can change the world around her." This is not a mere opinion. It has been proven in the world. We can focus on rights for girls and women and never even mention the word "Islam," and the orthodox Islamic ideology will be undermined anyway, and marginalized, and seen for the backward, outdated belief system it is. We don't really need to "defeat" Islam; we only need to weaken it enough that better ways of living can assert themselves and take hold. It is emotionally uplifting to strive for women's rights. Working toward something is more optimistic than working against something. You're fixing something already broken rather than keeping your attention fixed on a frightening future. It's easier to talk to others about too. Please watch the video and share it with everyone you know. Read more: Why Girls Are the Key Why We Will Win