Women have gained their rights tremendously over the past century, particularly in the Western World. However, horrendous oppression of women still exists in the Middle East, where religion and tradition suffocate the voices and the freedom of the female population.

In our newspapers, buzz words such as "dowry deaths" and "kitchen burnings" appear to expose just a few of the more violent oppressive acts occurring in nations such as India and Saudi Arabia. However, the maltreatment of women in these areas is more deep-rooted than these violent tendencies.

The religions in these nations tend to dictate the actions of the population. The government in Saudi Arabia, for example, has little power when compared to the power of the Koran, the book of the Islamic religion. In these religions, men are considered naturally superior to women, and the women have accepted this not only out of fear but simply...