Women play an important role in any society. In many cultures, a woman looks after the family while the man works to support them. Not all women look after the family, as many have full-time careers. Women's education is encouraged almost everywhere, allowing women to better themselves. Education allows for better career opportunities. In most societies, a woman's role to take for herself is often a choice rather than a restriction. In Islamic societies, however, women seem to be forced into certain roles and responsibilities. These restrictions often elevate a man's status and importance in society while degrading a woman's status. While the Koran and Islamic society state that the two sexes are equal in religious and legal aspects, the two sexes have very different roles. These roles and responsibilities push women down and create an unjust standard of living between the sexes.
             The Koran is meant to be the everlasting word of God and is the text that guides Islamic society. According to Tove Dahl, "women received through the Koran, a religious status equal to that of men as believers, and in addition legal status as an independent subject." In pre-Islamic society, women have often considered the property of their men and did not enjoy much freedom. Men would control the women's actions, often dictating their lives. As Islam and the word of Allah spread, a society was formed on religious beliefs, and based on the literal text of the Koran; women were to be treated as equals. Given that the word of the Koran is the word of God, then women in Islamic society should be treated as equal to men. If women were granted equal religious matters and given independent legal status, then in a society that revolves around religion, women should have the same rights as men and be given the freedom to make their own decisions about most issues. However, women in Islamic society are often not treated as equals with men. Although the Koran all...