Ebook: Feminists, Islam, and nation: gender and the making of modern Egypt

Unknown to most Westerners, Mohammed's sayings and teachings are collected in literature called Hadith (or Ahadith). The most famous and most reliable according to Islamic "scholars" is the Bukhari collection. Every Muslim knows the quote from Mohammed, who when asked why the Koran gives the testimony of two women the weight of the testimony of one man, answers "Women are deficient in intellect." Mohammed created a world in which man can marry up to four "wives," and sexually exploit any slave women the Muslim man has on hand. Muslim men, under classical Sharia law can divorce a wife for any reason that pleases him at any time and he is authorized by God to beat his wife if necessary to obtain obedience from her.

A Muslim wife does not hold the same position as a Christian wife who Christ taught may not be abandoned by divorce except for adultery. Islam does NOT make sacred the pairing of one man with one woman as does Christianity.

This is all part of the bedrock of Islam and anyone who tells you different is not being honest. Muslims could in theory change their practice, even their theology, but they will have to invalidate writings that they themselves have held sacred for 1400 years.