Dr Mark Durie has another excellent post on how women's rights are deteriorating in the places where Islamic fundamentalism is growing:
The world is in the midst of global Islamic revival. This is actually a "reformation" in the sense that many of the world's Muslims are returning to Islam's roots. According to many Islamic activists, it is a matter of Muslim pride that global Islam is on a reform path to become more authentic, returning to its origins in Muhammad's life and teaching. This movement has been building momentum for over a century and it is far from exhausted.
Muslim women are among those (along with non-Muslims and Muslim dissenters) who bear the brunt of Islam's progress in the modern era.
Read it all, as he explains why many women dread this revival. Pay particular attention to the initial argument concerning why there is no push-back against this cultural bulldozer: if Allah has spoken, then natural law, common sense, medical evidence and free will are useless as a counterweight. And women pay a terrible price--with both body and soul.
By the way, for a country that depends on tourism (the Maldives are beautiful atolls in the Indian Ocean) a stricter enforcement of shari'a law could really affect the economy. A secondary concern, but important nonetheless.
