Bear,
my "very corrupt understanding of how women are viewed in Islam and of Islam as a whole'' is very strongly influenced by the reality that we face daily trough personal experience, mass media, relatives/family stories and all sorts of social interactions.
Yes, the book says that all the wives should be treated fair, but practically this is impossible as no one can love few people in the same way.
& is not only men who marries widows as second wives in order to protect them.
Women, children, land, cattle, gold, horses etc are considered beautifying for men (sura 3.14 Al Imran).
Until today many man are married to few women at one moment.
Example: guy from another emirate has his local wife from the arranged marriage at home. Apart from that he has another wife for the weekend in Dubai. If he is relatively honest, she will be legally married, but if he is not she is only a mistress. Usually it will continue for a year or few and new "wife" will be favored. What happen with the divorced wife??? In the tabloids there is an expression "toyboy", here is "toy wife"
Example: another one build on his own land 3 houses for his three wives and their children and they use the family car in turns after another. He is a good man and try to be fair, but one of the three really has captured his hearth. He spends money equally, but passes his time with the favored one. All of the wives and kids are provided.
Example: Indian Muslim has his 2 wives in one bedroom flat and takes turns to spend his nights with them. Imagine their feelings.One will try to run away, but she is not virgin any longer. Who will take her?
Typically the wife is useful and interesting until she reaches her 30 and by the time delivers few children. Many Arab women are getting divorced around that age. How they are supposed to continue their life???
Back to the subject: many of the women who opt for the surgery to restore their virginity are sill young and can find another husbands who will treat them better. But the husbands want "virgin brides" as everybody wrote and read and as the society and family demands. So what are those girls supposed to do?? Continue as widows only because they have been mistreated for a short period by irresponsible indecent men.
It may not be right and is not something that they like to discuss openly, but it is still an option. And if the deception is not known, is not considered as a sin.
I seriously advocate the freedom of choice. People shouldn't be forced by social stigmas and religious preaches which were relevant at the time when written, but hardly applicable today.
We don't live in the 15th or the 19th centuries that you guys are using in defence of your points of views.
We live in 2007.
Another strong argument: now that Dubai become so cosmopolitan city with well developed economy , what about the development in the human rights direction? All should go parallel. We cant progress if our minds are restricted.The double standard of living should be over.
Read this and think why it was written:
http://www.un.int/uae/Stde10-10-06.htm
P.S.: Muslim here with name Francheska as a mask.