Title Page

Abstract in English

A Note About Transliteration

Contents

I. Introduction 18

1. Objectives of the Study 18

2. Methodology of the Study 24

3. Structure of the Study 31

II. The Arabian Peninsula and the Arab Culture 35

1. History of the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabs 35

2. Brief History of Arab Culture and Social System 40

III. General View of Women's Status in the Historical Trace 47

1. General View and Analysis on Historical and Characteristics Status of Women To The Advent of Islam 47

1) Pre-Islamic Social Status of Women in the Arabian Peninsula 47

2) Prevalence of Female Infanticide in Pre-Islamic Era and Ancient Civilization 59

3) Femicide in the Name of Honor Killing 67

2. A Comparative Study of the Women's Social Status Before and After the Advent of Islam 82

1) Status of Women in Ancient Times 82

1-1) Women in the View of Romans 82

1-2) Women in the View of Greeks 85

2) The Advent of Islam and Emancipation of Women 88

2-1) Perspectives on Women in Islam 88

2-2) Evolution of Women in Islam and Quran 96

2-3) Manifestation and Special Role of Fatimah in Shia Piety 116

3. Iranian Contribution to Islam 128

1) Women's Social Status in Ancient Persia 128

1-1) The Ancient Religion and Beliefs in Persia - Zoroastrianism 139

1-2) Women's Status and Marriage in the Avesta Era 144

1-3) Sepandarmazgan the Ancient Celebration of Women's Day in Persia 154

2) Conditions Prevailing in Iran After the Rise of Islam 157

2-1) Last Dynasty in Persia Before the Arab Conquest 157

2-2) Arab Conquest of Persia 163

2-3) Safavid Conversion of Persia to Shia Islam and Acknowledgment of Shi'ism in Iran 171

IV. The Core Features and Present Status of Women in the Middle East 174

1. The Case of Iran 175

1) Pre-Revolution (1925 - 1979) 175

2) Post Revolution up to Present 191

2. The Case of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia 207

1) Kuwait as a Pioneer in the Middle East 207

2) Saudi Arabia with the Ultraconservative Interpretation of Islam 216

3. The Arab Spring And The New Awakening Among The Women in the Islamic World 225

1) Tunisia 225

2) Egypt 230

3) Yemen 238

4) Libya 245

V. Conclusion : The Out look For The Future Scenarios 250

Bibliography 259

Appendix 277

Appendix 1. Safavid Kings 277

Appendix 2. Information of Family Pretection Laws and Act in 1975 277

Appendix 3. Thirty Years of Achievements in Laws Pertaining to Family Support in the Islamic Republic of Iran 284

Table 1. Number of Female Graduates by Sector and Study Levels(2003-2004). 197

Table 2. Literacy Rate of 6 years Population and Over. 197

Table 3. The Youth's Literacy between 15-24 Years old. 197

Table 4. The Sex Compound of High School Students. 198

Table 5. The Sex Compound of University Students. 198

Table 6. The Number of University Graduates(1976-2010). 198

Table 7. The Relative Distribution of Volunteer and Elected Women of Islamic Parliamentary Elections. 199

Table 8. Female and Male Members of the Iranian Parliament. 200

Table 9. The Sex Compound of Member and Volunteers for the Islamic Councils of City and Village. 200

Table 10. The Ratio of Technical and Specialized Employees to the Whole Employees. 201

Table 11. The Rate of Economic Activity. 201

Table 12. Employment in Agriculture Sector. 201

Table 13. Employment in Industry Sector. 201

Table 14. Employment in Serviced Sector. 202

Table 15. Distribution of Women Non Governmental Organization According to the Tendency Separation. 202

Table 16. The Number of all the Cooperative Companies for Women and Percentage of the Female Members. 203

Table 17. Assistance Teachers of Literacy Crusade Organization According to Sex up to End of 2006. 203

Table 18. Number of Constant Centers for the Technical and Vocational Training Organization in the Country. 203

Table 19. Gender Gap Subindexes : 2013. 204

Table 20. Political Empowerment Status : 2013. 204

Table 21. Female Enrolment in MENA Education Gross Enrolment Ratio (%) MENA Region. 213

Table 22. Women as a Share of University Enrolment in Selected Countries. 214

Table 23. Schools and Institutes by Educational Level 2011/2012. 214

Table 24. Kuwait University Students 2011/2012. 215

Table 25. Private Universities and College Students 2011/2012. 216

Table 26. The Trend of Numbers of Elementary School Students. 220

Table 27. Female Students Against Male Public Education. 222

Table 28. Gender Subindexes 2013 Saudi Arabia. 223

Table 29. Women's Education and Social Condition. 228

Table 30. Participation to Education in Tunisia. 229

Table 31. Egypt Administrative Data (2007). 233

Table 32. Female Enrollment in Education of 3 Countries. 235

Table 33. Women as a Share of University Enrolment. 235

Table 34. Gender Gap Subindexes : 2013. 236

Table 35. Political Empowerment of Women in Egypt : 2013. 236

Table 36. Gender Gap Subindexes : 2013. 241

Table 37. Political Empowerment Status : 2013. 241

Table 38. Literacy Rate(15-24) of Total Population 2011 EST. 249

Table 39. Youth (15-24) Literacy Total Rate. 249

Table 40. Libyan Public Universities Status. 249

Table 41. The Laws Passed by the Parliament(First Term). 300

Table 42. The Law Passed in the Second Legislative Term. 304

Table 43. Laws passed by the Third Legislative Term. 308

Table 44. Laws Passed by the 4th Legislative Term. 311

Table 45. The Laws Passed in the Fifth Legislative Term. 315

Table 46. Laws Passed by the Sixth Legislative Term. 317

Table 47. Laws Passed by the 7th Legislative Term. 320

This dissertation which consists of 5 chapters including the introduction and conclusion, analysis the emancipation and social participation of women in the Middle East with the focus on the historical trace. The objective of this dissertation is to explore the emancipation and social participation of women and acknowledging that higher status of women can be achieved through their share in education, economic life and political participation. Islam, which this thesis concentrates upon, will provide a fair evaluation of what Islam contributed toward the restoration of woman's dignity and rights in the Middle Eastern societies. This research will stress a theme within the general view and analysis on historical and social status of women within the historical trace to the advent of Islam and in the meantime, a comparative study of the women's status under different social systems.

In short, this discussion adduce how Islam emancipated women and gave rights to them both in the past and present and this will enable the reader to appreciate the great serious rendered by Islam in raising women's status legally and socially. This research insisted and asserted that the Holy Quran at that time of its revelation took a long step towards improving the condition of women and restoring their human rights. The Quran revived the rights of women as a human being and a man's partner in humanity, introducing Fatimah and her special role. Viewed historically, it is evident that Islam draws on many sources of belief and practice. It is, of course, futile to attempt an acceptable universal definition of the beliefs and practices of any living religion, and Islam, like all religions that claim universal validity, is best viewed as an ongoing, ever changing, living tradition.

The Sassanian rulers of Persia, the last of the non-Muslim dynasties, had adopted Zoroastrianism as the national religion. It remained so for about 1000 years, until the Persian defeat by the Muslim Arabs.

Based on historical perspective and with the Arab Islamic conquest of Persia, and the Iranian contribution to Islam, it is important to understand the relevant aspects of the Safavid conversion to Shia Islam that marks a new era in the Persian history and the establishment for the first time in may centuries, a unified dynastic state. The Safavids brought certain important new features and Shiism brought a second important feature, and that is differentiation from all the neighbors.

By means, the gradual and important facts and process of women's core features and social participation in the Middle East with variations has been discussed and the last part contains the Arab Spring and the new awakening among the related countries and describing women in the Islamic world and demonstrating how truly different these views are, and proposing the idea and how each can be used as a tool to promote reform and gradual and slow change in Iran and the Middle East.

It has been proven that when a society's women are well educated and prosperous, the society as a whole only stands to gain.

The common themes is that muslim women have made some progress but still face hurdles for more progress to empowerment and social participation.

The subject of women's empowerment and social activity is a large one to be written briefly and it is a challenge neither in Iran nor in the MENA region.

Women are conscious of their power and potential and are overcoming the social suppression that in many different ways has been imposed upon them through the centuries.