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Treatment of Women in Islamic and Hindu Culture From the beginning of time, women have been looked down upon as inferior to men. Societies have long since been patriarchal, with only men holding positions of authority. Women were excluded from public life and were left to be in charge of home and children. Even in America today, women fight many social issues traceable to the biblical idea of the "evil woman" who introuduced original sin to the world. Far more contoversial, however, is the issue of women in Islamic and Hindu cultures. While it is generally agreed that the rights granted to women in the Koran and by the prophet Mohammed were a vast improvement in comparison to the situation of women in Arabia prior to the introduction of Islam, Mohammed's death marked a gradual deterioration of the condition of women, as it began to revert back to pre-Islamic ways. Hindu women, on the other hand, are gradually becoming equal in society and have played influential roles in shaping the country. Nevertheless, one should not forget what the women in India have endured for thousands of years. And while poor treatment in Islamic cultures can be attributed to radical regional customs which are easily debunked by the words of the Kora