Women in the Islamic State (Current Events 3)

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS or the Islamic State now occupies a significant portion of Syria. There are many aspects of the ways that they rule which are highly problematic, like their use of brutal violence to enforce laws and their commitment to war against all other states to establish a global caliphate, but their treatment of women stands out as one of the worst aspects of the Islamic State. Women may be punished by whipping if they leave their homes without a male relative. Single foreign women must stay in a hostel, where they receive food and a small monthly allowance. Single male fighters can come to this hostel and immediately become engaged to one of these women, with hardly any choice on the woman's part. Women who refuse to marry a soldier can be killed. Yazidi women who are captured in Iraq are forced to be sex slaves for the conquering soldiers. Controlling women or men through coercion or threats of violence is a terrible way to run a society. This will engender hatred towards the government and hopefully be a factor that leads to the downfall of the Islamic State. The practice of restraining women from participating in society except as mothers and wives decreases the productive and intellectual capacity of the region. No society which denies freedom to its female members by forcing them to marry or be sex slaves can be considered ethical.