Gender Roles In A Thousand Splendid Suns

The role and treatment of women around the world are changing. Due to this change, the women’s rights issues appear in many modern day novels, like Khaled Hosseini’s, A Thousand Splendid Suns. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, the relationship between religion and the treatment of women is clear and representative of the real world. The world is changing with regards to how women are treated, but in predominantly Muslim countries, how does religion play into these social movements. The problem with religion and women's rights is not because of the religions, it’s the interpretations of the people who follow them. Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, takes place in late 20th century Afghanistan. The reason the women in the book face the

Many Islamic texts advocate for the respect and equal treatment of women.For example verse 3:195 from the Quran reads, “Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another” (Quran 3:195). The very core of Islam has men and women equal in the eyes of their god. Even in the the Islamic story of Adam and Eve men and women are equal. In the Islamic interpretation, both Adam and Eve are at fault for eating the forbidden fruit because they both acted of their own free will. “Islam rejects the idea that women are wicked temptresses or cursed with the burden of menstruation and pain of childbirth due to the sin of Eve.” (Masjid Al-Muslimiin). If at the roots of Islam is a general sense of equality, then why isn’t their equality today? The answer to this question is radicalization of religion.Radicals just choose to omit those parts from scripture to fulfil their agenda. They only focus on the parts of the religion that will keep them in power. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Rasheed wasn’t beating his wifes because his religion said that he had to. He wanted to harm them so he found a way to justify his actions by using religion. However his religion has important scripture blatantly stating to respect women. One saying from the Hadith reads, “Observe your duty to