Ideal Society

Governement:
The establishment of justice for all citizens of the state, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, is one of the major purposes of the Islamic System of Government.

Corruption, bribery, abuse of authority, the creation of social conflict for personal or group benefit, torture, exploitation and oppression, are all evils against which the Islamic system must struggle. It is the duty of every individual Muslim and of the Islamic government to strive for justice and to prevent and oppose vice (in the society).

Consultation has a high status in Islam. This is indicated by the name of surah or chapter forty-two, "Consultation".
There are people who argue that this is an endorsement of mass consultation through general elections.
Although non-Muslims were not involved in consultation in the early period of the birth of Islam, there is nothing to indicate they cannot be included in consultation on national affairs or affairs not dealing with the beliefs of the Muslims. However as the head of state must implement the Quran and Sunna, it is necessary that this position should be held by a Muslim.

The Reason: The sovereignty of God, the message conveyed by all the prophets, is the Foundation of the System. Legislation contained in the Quran becomes the basic law of the state. This puts the fundamental law of the society beyond the lobbying power of particular interest groups and ensures that legislation is just and equitable.

Islamic government is a system of government which follows the laws and principles of the Quran and the Sunna of Muhammad (P).

Government is the responsibility of all humanity, especially of those people who understand that they are the 'caliphs' of God, not the privilege of a ruling class of theocrats. Islamic government enforces the law of equality and it establishes the rule of justice. It is always based upon consultation. Muslims believe that only when this system is established can there be justice and harmony in society.

Source: http://www.islamfortoday.com/cleland04.htm

Women:
Anyone wishing to understand Islam must first separate the religion from the cultural norms and style of a society.
For example, Female genital mutilation is still practised in certain pockets of Africa and Egypt, but viewed as an inconceivable horror by the vast majority of Muslims. Forced marriages may still take place in certain Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, but would be anathema to Muslim women from other backgrounds... Islam insists on the free consent of both bride and groom, and tries to create a true, happy, lasting relationship.

Afghan women educated before the Taliban rule know that banning girls from school is forbidden in Islam, which encourages all Muslims to seek knowledge from cradle to grave, from every source possible.

Know that in Islam, women have the right to divorce, to inherit property, to conduct business and to have access to knowledge. (From the Koran).

Certainly, the Koran requires women to behave and dress modestly - but these strictures apply equally to men. In practice, most modern Muslim women appreciate attractive and graceful clothes, but avoid dressing provocatively.

About Polygamy: The Prophet, of course, lived at a time when continual warfare produced large numbers of widows, who were left with little or no provision for themselves and their children. In these circumstances, polygamy was encouraged as an act of charity. (ethically speaking)
The Koran states that wives need to be treated fairly and equally - a difficult requirement even for a rich man. (use of common sense!)

Contrary to Christianity, Islam does not regard marriages as "made in heaven" or "till death do us part". They are contracts, with conditions. If either side breaks the conditions, divorce is not only allowed, but usually expected. Nevertheless, a hadith makes it clear that: "Of all the things God has allowed, divorce is the most disliked."
In good Islamic practice, before divorce can be contemplated, all possible efforts should be made to solve a couple's problems. After an intention to divorce is announced, there is a three-month period during which more attempts are made at reconciliation. (very serious situations)

When Muslims die, strict laws govern the shares of property and money they may leave to others; daughters usually inherit less than sons, but this is because the men in a family are supposed to provide for the entire household. Any money or property owned by women is theirs to keep, and they are not obliged to share it. Similarly, in marriage, a woman's salary is hers and cannot be appropriated by her husband unless she consents.

Her husband is not her master; a Muslim woman has only one Master, and that is God. If her husband does not represent God's will in the home, the marriage contract is broken.

The Prophet never hit a woman, child or old person, and was emphatic that those who did could hardly regard themselves as the best of Muslims.

A woman equally qualified to a man will carry the same weight as a witness. (Common sense and Wisdom)

While the spirit of Islam is clearly patriarchal, it regards men and women as moral equals.
Moreover, although a man is technically the head of the household, Islam encourages matriarchy in the home.

Women may not be equal in the manner defined by Western feminists, but their core differences from men are acknowledged, and they have rights of their own that do not apply to men

Source: http://www.islamfortoday.com/women.htm#Rights

History & Civilization:
The Islamic Civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.
When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.

Suleiman's Leadership and tolerance was an enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage — led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.

The Islamic World from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent encouraged Scientific study and experimenting. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. (Islam came as an example to the oppressed and censored!)

The book of Allah and the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) set the basis for an intellectual tradition in the Islamic world which relied on reason and honesty. The Muslims made numerous advances in many fields, one the most important being physics.(optics, light, etc.)

Muslim scholars also laid the foundations of mathematics. Muslims were the first to recognize the importance of and use the zero effectively, borrowed from the Indians, bringing to Europe what is now called "Arabic numerals". Newton would have had quite a difficult time quantitatively describing his laws of motion without using the algebra first implemented by the Muslims!

The Muslims made monumental strides in the practice and study of medicine. (examples in history)
The Muslims would have never conquered the Persians without superior military planning and tactics.
The people of the Roman Empire in greater Syria & North Africa would have never accepted Islam if the Muslims were not materially superior to the Romans. The Church, the Persians, and the Europeans envied and hated and wanted to destroy Islam because of this superiority!

Tolerance:
Before the coming of Islam, tolerance had never been preached as an essential part of religion.
The tolerance within the body of Islam was, and is, something without parallel in history; class and race and color ceasing altogether to be barriers

In Spain under the Umayyads and in Baghdad under the Abbasid Khalifas, Christians and Jews, equally with Muslims, were admitted to the Schools and universities - not only that, but were boarded and lodged in hostels at the cost of the state.
The Muslim empire was a refuge for all those who fled from persecution by the Inquisition.

Many Muslims seem to forget that our Prophet had allies among the idolaters even after Islam had triumphed in Arabia, and that he “fulfilled his treaty with them perfectly until the term thereof.” The righteous conduct of the Muslims, not the sword, must be held responsible for the conversion of those idolaters, since they embraced Islam before the expiration of their treaty.

It was otherwise with the people who had a respectable religion of their own - the People of the Scripture - as the Qur’an calls them - Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, etc. - our Prophet's attitude was all of kindness. The Charter which he granted to the Christian monks of Sinae is extant.
As long as they don't rebel against the Head of State or Government, they will be protected and treated equally (each given their rights!)

Sources: http://www.islamfortoday.com/history.htm#History

The home is where the Society starts and the Islamic Home has to be build on very strong foundations as outlined by the Prophet (P).
Everybody is responsible for his shepards and everybody has Rights and Allah's right is to enter you into Jannah if you worship Him.

Indeed, in the model society of Islam, Muslims used to assemble freely and frequently; they were mostly acquainted with each other, men and women; they conversed and interacted intensively. But all those activities, were undertaken in a spirit of innocence and in the context of a virtuous society.

The dress of a man or a woman should be modest. By no gesture, word or appearance should man or woman deliberately tempt the other.
Thus temptation is the basic criterion on which these rulings rest. "For women of advanced age who do not expect to be married, there is no harm if they set aside their outer garments provided they do not play up their charms. But it is better for them if they abstain from doing so. (Nur, 60)
Thus Islam tolerates that one may greet women or talk to them in decent and chaste language and with good intent. The Prophet used to do so.(T)

Whenever weakness creeps into the faith of Muslim men they tend to treat women oppressively and seek to exploit them.

Most if not all of the verses of the Quran regarding oath (of abstinence from sex), divorce and Iddat (term of transition) were revealed to bring an end to the oppressive traditions and customs according to which a woman was retained in formal marital captivity and for long periods of time while her fate remained in suspense. The same is true of the verses concerning inheritance which restored rights which had been denied to her by guaranteeing her a definite share.

The Prophet's traditions encourage the Muslim to care for the good upbringing and education of women, and for their well-being in general: "The best of you is one who is best towards his family.. 'And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully". (At-Tirmithy).

Weak commitment to religion tends to cultivate unjust and hostile treatment of women.
In general, men like to dominate the property and life of the female with a view to assert their vanity and arrogance.

Take, for instance, the Arab, Persian and Indian Societies. Although the message of Islam has spread in these societies from early times, still. ... New or degenerate Muslim societies would sometimes, out of ignorance, attribute their un-Islamic legacy or custom to Islam itself.
Islam is not a matter of a single rule that can be flexibly understood; it is a whole order of norms that establish the entire way of life or social structure of Islam, and is not liable to variation.

The Study of Homosexuality:
Compare Bestiality and pederasty (keeping goats, horses, & sheep for sex) - Is this natural?
You have to understand that all humans have an urge for sexual gratification (some stronger than others). As rationalizing (more than rational) beings, people will always try to find a justification for any activity which they find enjoyable. Homosexuality is wrong, and so is sleeping with someone's daughter without his consent (or marriage)? And so is abusing drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, or drinking alcohol or doing heroin, or shagging sheep, or killing, etc.? - Either way, we all know as intelliegent beings that we need laws and there are wrongs and rights.. who's to say? - not you nor me (that's what I believe anyway) - but you seem to think it's right (it's normal like bestiality or paedophilia) - it's not normal (It's all sexually related. An urge a gratification). What is the purpose of man on man sex? Homosexuality is negatory of the natural role and aim of sexual activity (i.e. procreation).

Source: http://www.geocities.com/mikailtariq/homo.htm