Roles of Women in Islam

In the Quran, women were seen as equal to men in their spiritual life. They began to lose their rights and freedoms though when the Arab Empire grew drastically and the civilization began to flourish. It is the common belief that they were repressed by their religion but the fact that it was actually the Middle Eastern culture is surprising. It then led to the changing of Islamic law and women were seen as "weak, deficient, and a sexually charged threat to men and social stability." Some Sufi orders were a blessing to  women though and gave them more opportunities outside of the home. The Shia allowed them to visit tombs of major Islamic figures and socialize with women beyond their family. They are still extremely repressed but there are some groups that recognize women's role in society.