Egypt’s Islamists Warn Giving Women Some Rights Could Destroy Society

Joins Iran, Russia and Vatican in Opposing Gender Equality

Fear that the Freedom and Justice Party’s (FJP) victory in Egypt would lead to a move toward a harsh religious legal system were initially rejected but seem to have borne some fruit today, with the party condemning the UN declaration on women’s rights and promising to oppose the resolution.

In the statement, the FJP claims that the declaration would destroy the family and lead to a complete disintegration of society insisting full equality would mean allowing women to marry non-Muslims and would mean a de facto end to polygamy.

It further frets that allowing women to work and travel without the permission of their husbands would return society to a state of “pre-Islamic ignorance,” demanding the world reject the plan as “subversive.”

The declaration has several opponents worldwide, with Egypt’s government joining Iran’s, as well as the Russians and the Vatican, all with various objections centering to around gender equality or legalizing the use of contraceptives.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.